Marine-derived bioactive materials as antibiofilm and antivirulence agents.

Microbial infections are the most significant threats to human health, and there has been a recent increase in the number of deaths exclusively attributed to bacterial and fungal infections. The development of biofilms by bacterial and fungal pathogens has been identified as a key adaptive antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mechanism, in addition to intrinsic and extrinsic AMR. Various bioactive molecules have been isolated from marine organisms for use in biofilm therapies. These compounds are structurally complex, biocompatible, and economically viable. Studies have demonstrated that bioactive chemicals obtained from marine sources, marine-bioinspired nanomaterials, and marine polymer-antibiotic conjugates can control the biofilms and virulence factors of microbial pathogens. Microbial infections are major human health issues, and, recently, the mortality rate owing to bacterial and fungal infections has been increasing. In addition to intrinsic and extrinsic antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, biofilm formation is a key adaptive resistance mechanism. Several bioactive compounds from marine organisms have been identified for use in biofilm therapy owing to their structural complexity, biocompatibility, and economic viability. In this review, we discuss recent trends in the application of marine natural compounds, marine-bioinspired nanomaterials, and marine polymer conjugates as possible therapeutic agents for controlling biofilms and virulence factors. We also comprehensively discuss the mechanisms underlying biofilm formation and inhibition of virulence factors by marine-derived materials and propose possible applications of novel and effective antibiofilm and antivirulence agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]