Microbial Bioactives
Microbial Bioactives | Online ISSN 2209-2161
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Volume 6 Number 1 2023
REVIEWS (Open Access)
Vertical Patterns and Drivers of Microbial Richness in Aquatic and Soil Systems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Md. Kawser 1*, Md Saiyed Qutubul Alam 1,2, Meer Sakib Hasan 1, Most. Samia Mahin 1, Nafi Khan 2, Khurshed Alam 1, Md. Sajib Hossain 1
Microbial Bioactives 6 (1) 1-8 https://doi.org/10.25163/microbbioacts.6110674
Submitted: 16 June 2023 Revised: 04 August 2023 Accepted: 12 August 2023 Published: 14 August 2023
Abstract
The accelerating rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses one of the most serious threats to global public health, undermining decades of progress in infectious disease control. As conventional antibiotic discovery pipelines continue to stagnate, marine ecosystems have emerged as promising reservoirs of structurally diverse and biologically potent natural products. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesize existing evidence on the antimicrobial activity of marine-derived microbial secondary metabolites, with particular emphasis on compounds produced by bacteria and fungi inhabiting diverse marine environments. Peer-reviewed studies published before 2023 were systematically retrieved from major scientific databases following PRISMA guidelines. Eligible studies reporting quantitative antimicrobial outcomes were included in the meta-analysis, enabling pooled effect size estimation and comparative assessment across compound classes, including non-ribosomal peptides, polyketides, ribosomal synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides, and hybrid metabolites. The findings reveal consistent antimicrobial activity across a broad range of clinically relevant pathogens, with notable variability linked to compound class, microbial source, and environmental origin. Forest plot analyses indicate moderate to strong inhibitory effects in several metabolite groups, while funnel plot assessments suggest acceptable publication symmetry, despite some heterogeneity among studies. Beyond quantifying antimicrobial potency, this review highlights the ecological and evolutionary drivers shaping marine microbial biosynthetic diversity and discusses the translational challenges associated with compound isolation, scalability, and clinical development. Collectively, the evidence underscores the untapped potential of marine microbial natural products as viable leads for next-generation antimicrobial agents and reinforces the importance of integrating ecological insight, advanced screening strategies, and robust statistical synthesis in future drug discovery efforts.
Keywords: Marine natural products; antimicrobial resistance; marine microbes; secondary metabolites; systematic review; meta-analysis; antibiotic discovery
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