Actinomycetes as a Paramount Source of Biologically Important Enzyme Inhibitors – “A Boon to Mankind”

Background: Bioactive compounds from microorganisms have been widely studied for several biological, therapeutic and pharmaceutical importances. Bacterial secondary metabolites have proven their worth as a prolific source of antibiotics, antifungal, antiviral, anticholesterol and immunosuppressant. The majority of inhibitors are secondary metabolites of varying chemical moieties produced by microorganisms among which actinomycetes are most important due to their tremendous diversity. Actinomycetes are most economically and commercially important prokaryotes known for their metabolic versatility. They have gained attention due to their ability to produce novel bioactive compounds with many applications. This review provides an overview on well-established actinobacterial bioactive compounds used as enzyme inhibitors for the treatment and management of diseases and their future perspectives. Objective: We focused on actinobacterial bioactive compounds which were reported to possess enzyme inhibition activity. An extensive search on well-acknowledged enzyme inhibitors was done by referring to peer-reviewed research papers. The papers were screened on the basis of the significance of research work done. Results: The research papers referred in this review article suggest the potential of bioactive compounds as therapeutically important enzyme inhibitors. The actinobacterial compounds were found to possess enzyme inhibition potential and could be developed into an antibacterial, antifungal, antimetastatic, antidiabetic and antihypertensive agent. These inhibitors were structurally elucidated and belonged to the class of peptides, proteins and pseudotrisaccharides. Conclusion: The findings of this review paper highlight the enormous potential of actinomycetes and bioactive compounds as enzyme inhibitors of therapeutic and pharmaceutical importance.