A Review of Antimicrobial Peptides: Its Function, Mode of Action and Therapeutic Potential

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are endogenous polypeptides produced by multicellular organisms in order to protect a host from pathogenic microbes. AMPs are also defined as host defense peptides because of their essential role in constituting the innate immunity system. The major mechanism of actions against microbial pathogens is attributed to perturbation of cell membrane of pathogens. In addition to the antimicrobial function, AMPs also act as effector molecules in wound healing, inflammation, and immune activation. AMPs have been considered as a potential therapeutic source due to its different mechanism of actions and broad-spectrum properties in comparison with the conventionally used antibiotics. As a new generation antibiotic, the AMPs have considerable benefits. AMPs are receiving great attention as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics to overcome the current drug resistance crisis. In this review, we describe the classes, structural information about AMPs and their therapeutic role as novel antibiotic agents.