Antimicrobial Peptides Against Microbial Biofilms: Efficacy, Challenges, and Future Prospect

Surface colonization and the formation of biofilms by microbes are well acknowledged. Communities of microorganisms are coated in these biofilms, which frequently include polysaccharides, DNA, and proteins in a self-made matrix. One of the main threats to modern medicine is biofilm-associated illnesses. The extracellular polymeric substances surrounding biofilm-forming bacteria give them the ability to develop a high level of resistance to both the host immune system and conventional antibiotics. New medications that are effective against microbial biofilms are thus urgently needed. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one possibility being considered more and more in this area. AMPs have been utilized to prevent the growth of mature biofilms and to remove them. AMPs, whether organic or synthetic, have been demonstrated to inhibit microbial colonization of surfaces, eradicate bacteria from biofilms, and alter biofilms' structure. This review discusses the severity of diseases/infections caused due to formation of microbial biofilms. Further, it describes the use and various mechanisms of AMPs against microbial biofilms by interacting with different components of biofilms. It also briefly describes the drawbacks of using AMPs against microbial biofilms and different strategies to enhance anti-biofilm activity.