| Popis: |
Biomacromolecules produced by microorganisms have been employed in healthcare ever since ancient times as part of fermented products or natural remedies, but from the discovery of penicillin in 1928 by Alexander Fleming, it is impossible to conceive medicine without microbial products. In addition to antibiotics, microorganisms produce secondary metabolites currently employed as anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressant, and antitumoral drugs, among others. As with any other well-established drugs, undesirable side effects may occur with these compounds due to excessive systemic drug concentrations, and their pharmacological activity can be lost by the development of resistance in the target cells. Besides, many microbial drugs have intrinsic physicochemical properties that limit their application in healthcare such as low aqueous solubility, low bioavailability, acute toxicity, and fast systemic and pre-systemic degradation. |
