Mahwish Salman 1, Nouman Tariq 2*, Hafiz Aamir Ali Kharl 3*, Misbah Shahid 1, Shiv Ram Ashraf 4, Anam Tariq 1, Madiha Iram 5, Muhammad Numan 1 and Muhammad Abdullah Qureshi 2
1Department of Biochemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 2Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 3Department of Pharmacy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 4Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Gujrat, Pakistan; 5Department of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
*Corresponding author: noumantariq0208@gmail.com (NT); hafiz.kharl@uaf.edu.pk (HAAK)
Cyclic dipeptides (CDPs) represent a diverse group of biologically active organic molecules having broad-spectrum pharmacological and bioactive potentialities. Over the recent decade, CDPs have garnered considerable interest due to their broad applications, particularly in biomedical sciences such as targeted drug delivery, wound healing, and tissue engineering. In addition, CDPs have been studied for bacterial quorum sensing applications, which enable communication about population size and the regulation of a behavioral switch from symbiosis with their host to virulence. CDPs can be prepared using various bio-based and chemical methods. Naturally, CDPs are produced by different microorganisms, sponges, plants, and animal species. Several versatile synthetic CDPs have been designed with the desired configuration, ring size, yield, and properties to target highly specific biological pathways. The structural ability of CDPs enables them to bind with multiple unrelated classes of biological targets, resulting in remarkable biological activities, including neuroprotective, anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial (antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal) potential. Owing to their robust stability and excellent rheological properties, these materials are highlighted as promising candidates in pharmacological biomaterials and current therapeutics in this article.