Enzyme inhibitors of microbial origin.

The screening for enzyme inhibitors of microbial origin in the past decades has been a prosperous area to find new metabolites that are of potential importance as therapeutic or antibiotic agents. This review attempts a survey of recent achievements in this type of screening. Special emphasis is given to enzyme inhibitors and screening systems in fields where industry has a main interest in development. This includes some notes on the improved methodology for the detection of reversible and irreversible inhibitors of beta-lactamases and the presentation of a unique inhibitor of alpha-amylase from porcine pancreas isolated from a strain of Streptomyces tendae. This inhibitor (HOE 467) may be of potential use in the treatment of diabetic conditions, obesity and adipositas. The results show that the screening for enzyme inhibitors from microorganisms still provides one of the central challenges for future research.