Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pathogens of clinical importance has
been reported as the most commonly used antibiotics. The discovery of antimicrobial
agents is in a sharp decline due to the high probability of rediscovery, high costs, and
low income. Hence, the development of combinatorial antimicrobial approaches to
treat AMR-related infections has gained greater attention in recent decades. Marine
organisms are a rich source of structurally and chemically diversified bioactive
compounds for drug discovery to address the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
Researchers have identified several bioactive metabolites from marine resources and
reported on their pharmacological activities. Interestingly, marine-derived metabolites
such as antimicrobial peptides, alkaloids, anthraquinones, and polysaccharides were
shown to enhance the action of antibiotics by means of synergistic activity. However,
numerous marine-derived compounds are yet to be evaluated for their inherent
proficiency to increase the efficiency of the antibiotics and research in this regard is
expected to save time, expenses and successful identification of potential compounds to
treat AMR infectious diseases.
Keywords: Additive effect, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Anti-infective therapy, Antimicrobial, Antimicrobial resistance, Bioactive compounds, Biofilm formation, Combinatorial approaches, Drug candidates, ESKAPE pathogens, Fractional inhibitory concentration, Indifferent effect, Marine environment, Marine metabolites, Quorum sensing, Synergistic effect.
