Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most prevalent infectious diseases worldwide, with drug resistance making treatment increasingly difficult. Recently, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted interest as alternative therapeutic agents due to their ability to kill bacteria and regulate the immune system. This review focuses on the potential of AMPs from animal, non-animal, and synthetic origins in the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of AMPs from animal, non-animal, and synthetic sources against M. tuberculosis. A literature review of 54 peer-reviewed studies published between January 2020 and July 2025 was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Keywords related to AMPs and M. tuberculosis were used to identify relevant studies. These articles were selected based on their relevance to AMP characteristics, modes of action, and effectiveness against M. tuberculosis in laboratory and animal models. AMPs act through a combination of mechanisms: they disrupt the bacterial cell membrane and influence the host’s immune response. Peptides from various sources showed promising activity against TB bacteria, whereas the synthetic versions exhibited improved stability and stronger effects. Despite these advantages, several challenges, such as delivery methods, potential toxicity, and the risk of bacterial resistance, remain hurdles for clinical use. As new anti-TB agents, AMPs show great promise, especially for resistant infections. Further research is essential to address current obstacles and to advance these peptides toward safe and effective use in human medicine, offering hope for better TB treatment options in the future.

Key words: Antibiotic-resistant strains, Drug resistance, Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), Respiratory infections, Tuberculosis.