Antibacterial peptides from thermophilic bacteria

It is becoming interestingly apparent that innovations of the classical antibiotics are not effective, that induces need for novel drugs. Peptide antibiotics exhibit a group of secondary metabolites with hydrophobic and cyclic structures containing d-amino acidc like compounds with more resistant to proteolytic degradation. Bacterial peptides can possess bactericidal, fungicidal, metal chelating and immunomodulation activities. Several bacteriocins are active as food preservation, resulting in foods with more naturally preserved and rich in nutritional properties. Antimicrobial peptides used against infections are isolated mainly from mesophilic bacterial species. Novel antibacterial peptides from thermophilic species are more stable at higher temperatures and pH, and can be improved by variation of cultivation conditions. These cells can growth either autotrophically or heterotrophically. Under mixotrophic conditions can utilize pyruvate or hydrogen with thiosulfate. The present review provides a general overview on primary structure of selected antibiotic peptides and their potential for industrial purposes as well as environmental and biotechnological applications. Keywords— antibacterial peptides, novel drugs, metabolites, hydrophobic structure, immunomodulation.