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REVIEW article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Antimicrobials, Resistance and Chemotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1526250

Failure or Future? Exploring Alternative Antibacterials: A Comparative Analysis of Antibiotics and Naturally-Derived Biopolymers

Provisionally accepted
Artemijs Sceglovs Artemijs Sceglovs 1,2Ingus Skadins Ingus Skadins 3Marco Chitto Marco Chitto 4Juta Kroiča Juta Kroiča 3Kristine Salma-Ancane Kristine Salma-Ancane 1,2*
  • 1 Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia
  • 2 Headquarters at Riga Technical university, Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia
  • 3 Department of Biology and Microbiology, Riga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia
  • 4 AO Research Institute, Davos, Switzerland

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is escalating due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, the slow development of new therapies, and the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections. Traditional antibiotic treatments face limitations, including the development of resistance, disruption of the microbiota, adverse side effects, and environmental impact, emphasizing the urgent need for innovative alternative antibacterial strategies. This review critically examines naturally-derived biopolymers with intrinsic (essential feature) antibacterial properties as a sustainable, next-generation alternative to traditional antibiotics. These biopolymers may address bacterial resistance uniquely by disrupting bacterial membranes rather than cellular functions, potentially reducing microbiota interference. by targeting bacterial membranes without disrupting the microbiota. Through a comparative analysis of the mechanisms and applications of antibiotics and antibacterial naturally-derived biopolymers, this review highlights the potential of such biopolymers to address AMR while supporting human and environmental health.

    Keywords: antibacterial naturally-derived biopolymers, antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, Bacterial Infections, mechanism of action

    Received: 11 Nov 2024; Accepted: 13 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Sceglovs, Skadins, Chitto, Kroiča and Salma-Ancane. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Kristine Salma-Ancane, Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.