Elmesseri, Rana, Sorenson, Alanna, and Bourne, David G. (2026) Exploring the macin family of antimicrobial peptides: structure, function, and emerging applications in food safety. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 79 (7). ovag059.

Preview

PDF (Published Version) - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

Rising levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among foodborne pathogens is an increasing threat to food safety and product quality, driving the search for effective natural alternatives to conventional preservatives. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising candidates for food preservation because of their broad-spectrum activity, diverse mechanisms of action and lower propensity for resistance development. Within this group, the macin family represents a promising yet underexplored class of cysteine-rich AMPs characterised by eight conserved cysteine residues that form four disulfide bonds. Macins have been identified across diverse taxa, including leeches, bivalves, gastropods, and hydrozoans and exhibit diverse antimicrobial mechanisms ranging from bacterial aggrelgation mediated by hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions and membrane permeabilization. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge of the macin family within the broader landscape of AMPs, highlighting their structural diversity, mechanisms of action and potential applications. Collectively, these characteristics suggest that macins may represent promising candidates for controlling resistant foodborne pathogens while maintaining product quality.

Item ID:	52191
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1472-765X
Copyright Information:	© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Applied Microbiology International. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Date Deposited:	07 Aug 2026 03:47
FoR Codes:	30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3006 Food sciences > 300605 Food safety, traceability, certification and authenticity @ 20% 34 CHEMICAL SCIENCES > 3404 Medicinal and biomolecular chemistry > 340407 Proteins and peptides @ 60% 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3104 Evolutionary biology > 310410 Phylogeny and comparative analysis @ 20%
SEO Codes:	28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280102 Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences @ 100%
	More Statistics