Nisin: The Antimicrobial and Anticancer Properties

Introduction: Antimicrobial peptides that are abbreviated AMP. Bacteriocins, peptides or extracellular ribosomal proteins are either bactericidal or inhibitory to bacterial growth and are produced by various microbes. The compounds have made them distinct from antibiotics. The cytotoxic and antitumor properties of nisin cause blockage of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Description: A systematic search was performed to identify studies which met our inclusion criteria in the web of science, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar electronic databases to the end of December 2019. Nisin is an effective antibacterial agent against bacteria including Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, Listeria and Mycobacterium spp. The in vitro effects of nisin on the MRSA strain were investigated and it was concluded that nisin is a good candidate for further research on its own or in combination with conventional antibiotics such as vancomycin or ciprofloxacin. Cancer is a complex disease characterized by abnormal cell growth. Significant progress has been made in the treatment of cancer, however, and most treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy for cells and tissues harmful to the body. Discussion and conclusion: Treatment options for nisin use alone or in combination with other conventional medicines for cancer treatment are still in the early stages. Given the variety of nisin currently available in high purity forms from many commercial vendors, further studies are expected to be published on different applications of nisin. So far, nisin has shown promising laboratory and clinical results as a useful therapeutic agent. In addition, different types of nisin may be combined with conventional drug(s) to promote synergistic results. Although nisin is associated with the development of minimal resistance, however, current findings support the combination of nisin or other bacteriocins in a variety of treatment modalities.