Mangroves are a promising source of antimicrobials owing to the
bioavailability of genes, plant metabolites and biological diversity. Mangroves are
known for their many biological properties, such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral
and anti-cancer activities etc. Besides mangroves, the microbes associated with
mangroves are called endophytes, which are proven effective antimicrobials and are
also well-known for their many other pharmacological properties. Mangrove extracts
coated with nanoparticles exhibit better antimicrobial activity due to their easy
absorption and distribution properties. The antimicrobial activity of mangroves is due
to the presence of abundant phenolic and flavonoid compounds, especially tannins, and
to the antioxidant property of the bioactive substances present in the mangroves. Thus,
mangroves have a great bioprospecting potential for developing the most potent
antimicrobials to treat pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi. This chapter deals with
the antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-mycotic, anti-virulence and anti-biofilm properties of
mangrove extracts and mangrove endophytes against various pathogenic and
multidrug-resistant microbes. In addition, patenting of natural compounds from
mangroves and their endophytes, as well as metabolomics and proteomics, are also
discussed in this chapter.
Keywords: Anti-biofilm, Antibiotics, Anti-fungal, Antimicrobial, Anti-mycotic, Anti-viral, Anti-virulence, Bioactive substances, Mangroves, Metabolomics, Nanoparticles, Patents.
