New Insights on Biological Activities, Chemical Compositions, and Classifications of Marine Actinomycetes Antifouling Agents

Abstract

Biofouling is the assemblage of undesirable biological materials and macro-organisms (barnacles, mussels, etc.) on submerged surfaces, which has unfavorable impacts on the economy and maritime environments. Recently, research efforts have focused on isolating natural, eco-friendly antifouling agents to counteract the toxicities of synthetic antifouling agents. Marine actinomycetes produce a multitude of active metabolites, some of which acquire antifouling properties. These antifouling compounds have chemical structures that fall under the terpenoids, polyketides, furanones, and alkaloids chemical groups. These compounds demonstrate eminent antimicrobial vigor associated with antiquorum sensing and antibiofilm potentialities against both Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. They have also constrained larval settlements and the acetylcholinesterase enzyme, suggesting a strong anti-macrofouling activity. Despite their promising in vitro and in vivo biological activities, scaled-up production of natural antifouling agents retrieved from marine actinomycetes remains inapplicable and challenging. This might be attributed to their relatively low yield, the unreliability of in vitro tests, and the need for optimization before scaled-up manufacturing. This review will focus on some of the most recent marine actinomycete-derived antifouling agents, featuring their biological activities and chemical varieties after providing a quick overview of the disadvantages of fouling and commercially available synthetic antifouling agents. It will also offer different prospects of optimizations and analysis to scale up their industrial manufacturing for potential usage as antifouling coatings and antimicrobial and therapeutic agents.

Male Reproductive Toxicity of Antifouling Chemicals: Insights into Oxidative Stress-Induced Infertility and Molecular Mechanisms of Zinc Pyrithione (ZPT)

“…Antifouling agents play a crucial role in chemical manufacturing facilities by ensuring the optimal operation and high productivity of chemical reactors. Strategies to combat fouling are employed across maritime, medical, and industrial settings [1]. Various techniques such as applying hydrophobic polymer coatings containing nitrofurazone, using hydrophobic synthetic self-cleaning paints, and employing silver-based hydrogels are utilized to mitigate various forms of fouling [2,3].…”

“…Various techniques such as applying hydrophobic polymer coatings containing nitrofurazone, using hydrophobic synthetic self-cleaning paints, and employing silver-based hydrogels are utilized to mitigate various forms of fouling [2,3]. The ideal antifouling agent should possess desirable properties while minimizing potential harm to marine life in close proximity to the submerged surfaces [1]. However, it is worth noting that certain antifouling chemicals such as triphenyltin (TPT), tributyltin (TBT), zinc pyrithione (ZPT), copper, and cadmium have been documented to exhibit toxic effects [4][5][6][7][8][9][10].…”

Novel metabolite madeirone and neomarinone extracted from Streptomyces aculeoletus as marine antibiofilm and antifouling agents

“…Notably, these actinomycetes produce a diverse collection of active metabolites, some of which exhibit remarkable antifouling properties. To date, there are very few studies on actinomycetes reporting antibiofilm activity against both Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, especially coupled with effects inhibiting larval settlement and the acetylcholinesterase enzyme, which signifies robust anti-macrofouling activity (Gaudêncio and Pereira, 2022;Morgan et al, 2023).…”

“…Among actinomycetes, the Streptomyces genus has proven particularly prolific in producing antifouling agents. The chemical groups of these compounds encompass terpenoids, polyketides, furanones, butenolides, glycoglycerolipids, and alkaloids (Xu et al, 2010;Cho, 2012;Morgan et al, 2023).…”