Abstract :Abstracts
Many bacterial species are capable of producing small peptides linked to lipidic moiety and interestingly these lipopeptides (LPs) possess antimicrobial activities against fungal and/ or bacterial pathogens. A number of novel bacterial lipopeptides (s) have been screened and identified predominantly from Bacillus spp. for their potential therapeutic applications for the human welfare. The researches on the bacterial LPs make them novel antibiotics to combat the diseases of animals, human as well as plants. Microbial lipopeptides are about ~ 1.0-1.2 kDa molecules which have some specific/unique physicochemical and biochemical properties that put them in the category of antibiotics. In the context of biological control, three families of LPs i.e. Surfactins, Iturins and Fengycins have been studied for their potent antagonistic activities against various human as well as plant diseases. Therefore, these lip opeptides are being considered as alternatives to the combat pathogens which are resistance to conventional antibiotics and hence cause life-threatening diseases. Besides antimicrobial properties, these LPs exhibit antiparasitic, antithromolytic, antiviral, haemolytic, antitumor and anticancer activities with ability to trigger apoptosis/ programmed cell death in the malignant cells. The bacterial LPs have lower toxicity for animals& humans, high biodegradability, low irritancy and good compatibility with human skin.