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Antibiotics
Special Issues
Metal-Based Complexes as Novel Antimicrobial Strategies
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Metal-Based Complexes as Novel Antimicrobial Strategies

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Novel Antimicrobial Agents".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1057

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alberto Aragón-Muriel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Magdalena, Santa Marta 470004, Colombia
Interests: coordination chemistry; bioinorganic chemistry; metal-based drugs; homogeneous catalysis; Schiff base ligands
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Dorian Polo Cerón

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Catalysis and Processes Research Laboratory (LICAP), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Exact Sciences, Universidad del Valle, Cali 76001, Colombia
Interests: bioinorganic chemistry; DNA studies; antibacterial and antifungal activity; anticancer drugs; lanthanide complexes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. David Morales-Morales

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Chemistry, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Circuito Exterior S/N, University City, Coyoacán Municipality, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
Interests: chelating ligands; coordination and organometallic chemistry; catalysis; pincer compound chemistry; cytotoxic activity; antimicrobial activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antibiotic resistance represents one of the greatest threats to global public health, driving the search for novel antimicrobial strategies. Among these, metal complexes have emerged as a promising alternative due to their unique properties, such as the ability to generate reactive oxygen species, interaction with essential biomolecules, and disruption of key biological mechanisms in pathogens. Various metals, including silver, copper, gold, and platinum, have demonstrated enhanced antimicrobial activity when coordinated with specific ligands, offering new opportunities for the design of more effective drugs.

The Special Issue "Metal-Based Complexes as Novel Antimicrobial Strategies" seeks to bring together innovative research on the development, characterization, and applications of metal complexes as antimicrobial agents. We invite researchers to submit original studies, reviews, and multidisciplinary approaches addressing the chemistry, pharmacology, and mechanisms of action of these compounds. We hope that this Special Issue will contribute to advancing knowledge in the field and to identifying new therapeutic tools to address the antimicrobial resistance crisis.

Dr. Alberto Aragón-Muriel
Dr. Dorian Polo Cerón
Prof. Dr. David Morales-Morales
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antibiotics
  • metal-based complexes
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • antimicrobial therapy
  • drug design
  • bioinorganic
  • metallodrug
  • metallopharmaceutical

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

20 pages, 3248 KiB  
Review
The Antimicrobial Efficacy of Copper Complexes: A Review
by Kwanele Ngece, Vuyolwethu Khwaza, Athandwa M. Paca and Blessing A. Aderibigbe
Antibiotics 2025, 14(5), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14050516 - 16 May 2025
Viewed by 836
Abstract
The alarming increase in antimicrobial resistance has intensified the search for novel therapeutic agents capable of combating resistant microbial strains. Copper complexes have emerged as promising antimicrobial agents due to their intrinsic redox activity, ability to disrupt microbial membranes, and interactions with vital [...] Read more.
The alarming increase in antimicrobial resistance has intensified the search for novel therapeutic agents capable of combating resistant microbial strains. Copper complexes have emerged as promising antimicrobial agents due to their intrinsic redox activity, ability to disrupt microbial membranes, and interactions with vital biomolecules such as DNA and proteins. This review critically evaluates the antimicrobial potential of copper complexes reported between 2018 and 2025, emphasizing their structural diversity, mechanisms of action, and biological performance against a wide range of bacterial and fungal pathogens. Key findings reveal that Schiff base copper complexes, amino acid derivatives, heterocyclic ligands, and mixed-ligand systems exhibit potent antimicrobial activities, often surpassing standard antibiotics. Mechanistically, copper complexes induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, inhibit enzyme function, cause DNA cleavage, and compromise cell membrane integrity. Furthermore, structure–activity relationship (SAR) analyses indicate that ligand type, coordination geometry, and lipophilicity significantly influence antimicrobial efficacy. Overall, the reviewed studies support the development of copper-based compounds as viable candidates for antimicrobial drug development. This review also identifies current challenges and gaps in knowledge, such as limited in vivo studies and toxicity assessments, which must be addressed to advance these compounds toward clinical application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Based Complexes as Novel Antimicrobial Strategies)
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