# Beyond antibiotics: the expanding horizon of microbial natural products

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how microbial natural products can be used beyond antibiotics in food, agriculture, and aquaculture to combat resistance and promote sustainability.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the diverse applications of microbial natural products as alternatives to antibiotics in various industries.

## Key findings

- Microbial natural products can modulate microbial communities and biofilms, offering potential against resistant infections.
- Antimicrobial peptides reduce fish pathogen mortality in aquaculture, and bacteriocins act as food preservatives.
- Natural products serve as eco-friendly biofertilizers and biopesticides, improving crop yield and controlling plant pathogens.

## Abstract

The continuous use of antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens, posing a significant threat to both human and animal health. This necessitates exploring alternative solutions to combat this growing resistance. Natural products offer a viable alternative for microbial modulation, exhibiting diverse antibacterial processes and the capacity to modify microbial communities and biofilms. These compounds show potential as supplementary agents against resistant infections. Natural products derived from microbes are utilized as biofertilizers and biopesticides, enhancing crop yield and controlling plant pathogens, thereby offering an eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are crucial for combating fish-associated pathogens, reducing mortality rates in the aquaculture industry. Various bacteriocins, are used as food preservatives to inhibit spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms proving their potential in the food industry. In this review, the potential role of natural products from microbes in the food, agriculture, and aquaculture industry sectors has been elucidated. The challenges and prospects were also discussed to provide a foundation for identifying new research opportunities.