Secondary Metabolites from Bacillus spp. probiotics as potential treatments for multidrug-resistant pathogens: A comprehensive review
George Michael Nicolas
Abstract
• Antimicrobial resistance threatens millions of lives globally. • Spore-forming probiotics show promise as bacteriotherapy agents. • Bacillus spp. produce strain-specific secondary metabolites, separated into four primary groups. • These bioactive metabolites demonstrate broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. • Further analysis of their strain-specific mechanisms of action is necessary. The discovery of antibiotics is a significant medical breakthrough, saving millions of lives. However, the widespread misuse and overuse of antibiotics led to the development of antimicrobial resistance. Spore-forming probiotics from Bacillus spp. show great interest as antimicrobial agents through the production of strain-specific bioactive secondary metabolites. This review summarizes the broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities of Bacillus spp. secondary metabolite groups and their reported mechanisms of action, underscoring the urgency in developing novel antimicrobial drugs.