Table 1.

Major types of antimicrobial compounds with their mechanisms of action.

Future therapy	Mechanism	Contemporary strategies to improve activity
Antimicrobial peptides	Attach and insert into membrane bilayers to form pores by “barrel-stave,” “carpet,” or “toroidal-pore” mechanisms. DNA and macromolecule synthesis inhibitors.	Optimization of peptide length and content of their sequences.
		Conversion into peptidomimetics.
		Generation of targeted antimicrobial peptides (Peptide antibiotic conjugation).
		Generation of antimicrobial peptides as prodrug candidates.
		Antimicrobial peptides loaded into nanoparticle or micelles for sustained release.
Phage therapy	Bacteriophages are viruses that act as pathogens against bacteria and completely lyse the bacteria.	Genetically engineered phages.
		Genetically engineered phase as antibiotic delivery.
		Engineered bacteriophage for phage targeted drug delivery.
		Scale up of endolysin production.
Phytochemicals	Multiple actions.	Search for novel compounds and cost-effective methods of extraction and purification of phytochemical.
		Transgenic production in plant and microbial system to enhance number of novel compounds.
		Search for endophytic fungal metabolomics for the production of novel compound of host.
		Synthesis and modification of natural structure and analogs.
Metalloantibiotic	Increased spectrum of conventional antibiotic action.	Synthetic or semi-synthetic antimicrobial compound development attaching metal to its structure.
		In situ reducing and capping of metal nanoparticle with enhanced antimicrobial activity.
Efflux pump inhibitor	Molecules to inhibit the active protein pump in the bacterial cell.	Chemical synthesis of effective efflux pumps inhibitor.
		Screening of efflux pump inhibitors from natural origin and modifying this compound synthetically.
		Rationally designed transmembrane peptide mimics.