Millipede Secretions as a Potential Source of Antibiotics: A Mini Review

Abstract

A wide range of compounds are produced by a group of arthropods known as millipedes, some of which have been demonstrated to have antibacterial and antifungal qualities. These substances may contain novel antibiotics, which are desperately needed to combat the epidemic of antibiotic resistance. Millipede secretions are natural and have less adverse effects than certain manufactured antibiotics. Millipedes may also be a more sustainable source of antibiotics because they are a renewable and reasonably abundant resource. More investigation needs to be carried out to ascertain the safety and effectiveness of secretions, encouraging first findings point to the possibility of this becoming a useful new weapon in the fight against bacteria resistant to antibiotics.