Arginine- and lysine-rich peptides: synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial activity

In recent years, the multi-drug resistance of bacteria and fungi strains has become a worldwide problem. The incidence of fungal and bacterial infections is experiencing a serious growth and the microorganisms have developed several new mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute one of the well-known barrier defense systems of plants. They have been isolated from roots, seeds, flowers, stems and leaves of a wide variety of species and have activities towards phytopathogens, as well as against human pathogens. AMPs are often cationic peptides able to interact with the membrane through penetration or dissolving the biofilms. In this paper, we report the synthesis of several arginine and lysine-rich peptides and their evaluation as antimicrobial agents.