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Ln complexes as double faced agents: Study of antibacterial and antifungal activity

Abstract:

According to World Health Organization (WHO) infectious diseases are spreading faster and emerging more quickly than ever before. Due to the increasing incidents related with new and reemerging infectious diseases, discovery and development of new antimicrobial compounds with diverse structures and action mechanism is urgently needed. The antibacterial effects of lanthanides (Ln) have been studied since the 19th century and have been employed since then with more or less success in treatment of various diseases. This review gathers together all the studies dealing with the antimicrobial activity of Ln(III) complexes published until now. Overall, it was discovered that the antimicrobial activity of the Ln complexes is greater than the activity of the free ligand (L), indicating that the complexation with the Ln enhances the activity of the L. In some cases Ln complexes exhibit antimicrobial activity similar or even better than the activity of standard antimicrobial agents. These results are encouraging, Ln complexes representing a possible alternative to antimicrobial agents used currently.