Application of antimicrobial peptides in agriculture and food industry

Antimicrobial peptides have captured the attention of researchers in recent years because of their efficiency in fighting against pathogens. These peptides are found in nature and have been isolated from a wide range of organisms. Furthermore, analogs or synthetic derivatives have successfully been developed on the basis of natural peptide patterns. Long use of pesticides and antibiotics has led to development of resistance among pathogens and other pests as well as increase of environmental and health risks. Antimicrobial peptides are under consideration as new substitutes for conventional pesticides and antibiotics. Many plants and animals have been manipulated with antimicrobial peptide-encoding genes and several pesticides and drugs have been produced based on these peptides. Such strategies and products may still have a long way to go before being confirmed by regulatory bodies and others need to surmount technical problems before being accepted as applicable ones. In spite of these facts, several cases of successful use of antimicrobial peptides in agriculture and food industry indicate a promising future for extensive application of these peptides. In this review, we consider the developing field of antimicrobial peptide applications in various agricultural activities.