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Lakhvinder Singh*
Department of Botany, Government Degree College for Women, Kathua-184104, J&K, India
Email: singhsativum@yahoo.co.in
Received-20.08.2026, Revised-11.09.2026, Accepted-25.09.2026
Abstract: Bryophytes are second-largest group of terrestrial plants, comprising more than 24,000 species. They occupy nearly every terrestrial habitat except the sea. Although they lack the physical barriers of vascular plants, they are rarely damaged by herbivores or pathogens. This resilience is attributed to their production of a wide range of secondary metabolites that also protect them against abiotic stresses. Several extracts and isolated compounds from bryophytes have been reported to inhibit fungi and both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Bryophytes have long been used medicinally in China for diseases of bacterial origin; their use elsewhere, however, is uncommon and the chemical and pharmacological profiles of most species remain undisclosed. In India, bryological research has traditionally concentrated on systematics and the antimicrobial research is comparatively recent. This review examines the antimicrobial evidence for bryophytes, with emphasis on studies of Indian species. The review also assesses what is required to move from crude-extract screening to validated leads. In vitro inhibition by crude extracts is an initial screening result, not evidence of therapeutic efficacy and bryophytes are therefore best considered as candidates for further study rather than as established antibiotic sources.
Keywords: Antimicrobial activity, Antibiotic, Bryophytes, Secondary metabolites
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