Microbial Bioactives
Microbial Bioactives | Online ISSN 2209-2161
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Volume 9 Number 1 2026
REVIEWS (Open Access)
Yeast-Derived Biomolecules in Green Nanotechnology: Bridging Sustainable Bioeconomy and Early-Life Antimicrobial Resistance Management
Ahmed MH AlMudhafar 1*, Najah R Hadi 1
Microbial Bioactives 9 (1) 1-8 https://doi.org/10.25163/microbbioacts.9110637
Submitted: 20 March 2026 Revised: 13 May 2026 Accepted: 22 May 2026 Published: 24 May 2026
Abstract
The intersection of antimicrobial resistance and sustainable material development is beginning to feel less like a coincidence and more like an urgent convergence. This review explores how yeast-derived biomolecules—often overlooked as simple metabolic by-products—are quietly emerging as powerful mediators in green nanoparticle synthesis. What makes this particularly compelling is not just the environmental advantage, but the functional consequences. Across the literature, yeast-mediated nanoparticles—especially silver, zinc oxide, and selenium—tend to be smaller, more uniform, and, perhaps unexpectedly, more biologically active than their chemically synthesized counterparts. There is, however, a deeper layer to this story. These biomolecules do not merely reduce and stabilize nanoparticles; they appear to imprint a kind of biological identity onto them. That subtle modification may explain why enhanced antimicrobial effects are repeatedly observed, even at lower concentrations. This becomes especially relevant in the context of the infant gut resistome, where antimicrobial interventions must walk a delicate line between efficacy and ecological disruption. At the same time, this field is embedded within a broader shift toward circular bioeconomy systems, where lignocellulosic biomass is no longer waste but a resource. Yeast, interestingly, sits at the center of this transition—as both a processor and a biofactory. While still evolving, this integrated framework suggests a cautiously optimistic path toward sustainable, biocompatible antimicrobial strategies.
Keywords: Yeast-derived biomolecules; Green nanotechnology; Infant gut resistome; Antimicrobial resistance; Lignocellulosic biorefineries; Nanoparticles; Biosurfactants; Exopolysaccharides
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