Cyanobacterial natural products as antimicrobial agents
V.D. Pandey
Department of Botany, Government Post-Graduate College
Rishikesh-249201(Uttarakhand), India.
Abstract
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) constitute a morphologically diverse and widely
distributed group of Gram-negative photosynthetic prokaryotes. Possessing
tremendous adaptability to varying environmental conditions, effective protective
mechanisms against various abiotic stresses and metabolic versatility, they colonize
and grow in different types of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. In addition to the
potential applications of cyanobacteria in various fields, such as agriculture, aquaculture, pollution control, bioenergy and nutraceuticals, they produce
chemically diverse and pharmacologically important novel bioactive compounds, including antimicrobial compounds (antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral). The
emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microbes against
commonly used antibiotics necessitated the search for new antimicrobial agents
from sources other than the traditional microbial sources (streptomycetes and
fungi). Various features of cyanobacteria, including their capability of producing
antimicrobial compounds, make them suitable candidates for their exploitation as a
natural source of antimicrobial agents.
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Environment Information System Centre - microorganims,envis,environment
management, microorganisms, microbes, pollution control, toxic chemicals,
central and offshore ecology, environmentally sound and appropriate technology,
bio-degradation of wastes.