PROBIOTICS AS ALTERNATIVE ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/1681-2727.2025.1.15150Keywords:
probiotics, infections, antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial metabolitesAbstract
Antibiotics are one of the greatest medical advances that have made it possible to treat and control infectious diseases. However, their widespread and inappropriate use has led to an increase in the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in pathogens over the past few decades. Many antibiotics are less effective or completely powerless against bacterial infections. Therefore, antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious global health threats that requires immediate action. Today, when the choice of antibiotics for treating the growing number of diseases caused by multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria is limited, research into new, effective, and safe remedies for various infections is critically important. One of the potential solutions could be the use of probiotics, which are characterized by antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties and have a positive impact on human health, to prevent and control infectious diseases. Limiting the use of antibiotics and increasing the use of probiotics in medicine will help to reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the environment and avoid the side effects associated with the intake of antibiotics. Although the use of probiotics and probiotic-based products will not solve the problem of antibiotic resistance, they have the potential to be used as an alternative to traditional antibiotics or as an additional therapy against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
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