Antimicrobial peptides: an alternative for animal production. Part 1

Antimicrobial peptides represent an interesting alternative within animal nutrition and production.

In recent years, consumers have changed their perspectives when purchasing food products, focusing more on food safety (Heneghan, 2015).

• Safe foods are those that do not affect the health of the consumer (Chassy, 2010).

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

AMR is considered one of the great challenges for the human health system at present. Approximately 700,000 people die each year from uncontrolled infections (World Health Organization, 2019).

AMR has increased in recent years and there are 6 pathogens with high multiresistance and virulence  that stand out:

• Enterobacter spp.
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Klebsiella pneumoniae
• Acinetobacter baumannii
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Enterococcus faecium

(ESKAPE)

Although the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria between humans and animals is not fully understood, we do know that antibiotic-fed animals have more antibiotic-resistant bacteria than those fed antibiotic free diets.

Antimicrobial peptides(AMPs) 

AMPs are low molecular weight molecules, produced in various types of animal and plant cells, with great biological activity against bacteria, viruses and fungi (Lai and Gallo, 2009).

Continue reading: “Effects of fiber and lignocellulose inclusion in piglet diets.”