Marine fungal metabolites: a promising source for antibiofilm compounds

There is an urgent need for new alternative compounds with distinct modes of action due to the global rise in antibiotic resistance and the associated risks to public health. It is currently established that between 40 and 80% of bacterial biofilms cause antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, biofilm-forming bacteria are 1000 times more resistant to antibiotics than in their planktonic stages. Recently, the number of papers published on antibiofilm compounds from marine fungi has increased but relatively very slowly. Meanwhile, it has been proven that endophytic fungi can produce undiscovered compounds against bacterial biofilm. However, as shown in this review, there is still not enough attention given to highlight the relevance of intensifying studies amongst marine-derived fungi. Heren, we summarize the biologically active compounds isolated from marine-derived fungi and some marine fungal extracts tested against bacterial biofilms published from 2015 to 2024. Moreover, we disclose evidence on the scarcity of research on antibiofilm compounds from algal endophytic fungi. In addition, the primary approaches used in the hunt for bioactive secondary metabolites are covered. Included here are a few recent strategies described in the literature to optimize the production of antibiofilm-active fungal metabolites by employing such techniques involving media optimization, use of chemical elicitors, co-culture, and metabolic engineering.