A Comprehensive Overview of Antimicrobial Peptides: Broad-Spectrum Activity, Computational Tools, and Applications

Among bioactive peptides, those with antimicrobial activity have attracted increasing attention due to their potential as alternatives to traditional antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small molecules, typically composed of 5 to 40 amino acid residues, with low cytotoxicity and minimal side effects. They act through multiple mechanisms and interact with the immune system, offering broad-spectrum activity against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. This review presents the main aspects of AMPs, including their biochemical characteristics, sources, mechanisms of action, and computational tools used for their analysis and discovery. It also examines recent progress in clinical trials and the current limitations that restrict the development and commercialization of AMPs. The review discusses the application of AMPs beyond human medicine, including their use in food preservation to prevent microbial contamination and in veterinary medicine to control infections in livestock and reduce dependence on conventional antibiotics. AMPs are versatile antimicrobial agents, but they require multidisciplinary strategies to ensure their effective implementation in the health, food, and veterinary sectors.