Potential of antibacterial polysaccharides to serve as a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics: challenges and future prospects.

Antibacterial polysaccharides are emerging as viable substitutes for conventional antibiotics by combining a variety of bactericidal mechanisms with their inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability. This study reviewed findings from articles (approximately 110 manuscripts published between 2013 and 2024), reporting sources, extraction and use of polysaccharides (with antibacterial properties) from nature such as microbiological exopolysaccharides, chitosan and alginate. A lot of natural polysaccharides, like chitosan and alginate, possess the ability to break down bacterial cell walls and biofilms, but they don't harm human cells or even commensal microbiota. Polysaccharides primarily exert bactericidal or bacteriostatic effects through mechanisms such as disrupting cell membranes, chelating essential ions, or modulating host immune responses. Owing to these unique characteristics as well as the simplicity of chemical modification, antibacterial polysaccharides have numerous applications in health and food. Hydrogels based on chitosan, for instance, are frequently used in wound dressings bestowed to their polymer's cationic, hemostatic, and antimicrobial qualities to promote healing and inhibit infection. Furthermore, "smart" polysaccharide hydrogels with sensors or microneedles embedded in them could identify infection signals and release medication when needed. Despite these benefits, there are still significant obstacles in the way of clinical and commercial application. Standardization is challenging due to the complexity and heterogeneity of natural polysaccharides. For example, different extraction techniques or source variability may result in polymers with different molecular weights or impurity profiles, making reproducibility and quality control more difficult. Systematic clinical validation of any new polysaccharide antimicrobial is warranted because the majority of the evidence to date has come from in vitro or small-animal studies, leaving rigorous in vivo efficacy and pharmacokinetic data lacking. Microbial polysaccharide-based treatments, also known as "postbiotics," may prove to be long-term remedies for multidrug-resistant infections. Overall, while polysaccharides may not replace antibiotics entirely, they represent valuable candidates for use in combination therapies, wound healing, food packaging, and surface disinfection, particularly under the current scenario of rising antibiotic resistance.