Mulat Mulugeta, Banicod Riza Jane S, Tabassum Nazia, Javaid Aqib, Karthikeyan Abirami, Jeong Geum-Jae, Kim Young-Mog, Jung Won-Kyo, Khan Fazlurrahman
Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioscience and Technology, College of Natural Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie 1145, Ethiopia.
Fisheries Postharvest Research and Development Division, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Quezon City 1128, Philippines.
Antibiotics (Basel). 2025 May 29;14(6):555. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics14060555.
Biofilms are complex microbial communities encased within a self-produced extracellular matrix, which plays a critical role in chronic infections and antimicrobial resistance. These enhance pathogen survival and virulence by protecting against host immune defenses and conventional antimicrobial treatments, posing substantial challenges in clinical contexts such as device-associated infections and chronic wounds. Secondary metabolites derived from medicinal plants, such as alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and essential oils, have gained attention as promising agents against biofilm formation, microbial virulence, and antibiotic resistance. These natural compounds not only limit microbial growth and biofilm development but also disrupt communication between bacteria, known as quorum sensing, which reduces their ability to cause disease. Through progress in nanotechnology, various nanocarriers such as lipid-based systems, polymeric nanoparticles, and metal nanoparticles have been developed to improve the solubility, stability, and cellular uptake of phytochemicals. In addition, the synergistic use of plant-based metabolites with conventional antibiotics or antifungal drugs has shown promise in tackling drug-resistant microorganisms and revitalizing existing drugs. This review comprehensively discusses the efficacy of pure secondary metabolites from medicinal plants, both as individuals and in nanoformulated forms or in combination with antimicrobial agents, as alternative strategies to control biofilm-forming pathogens. The molecular mechanisms underlying their antibiofilm and antivirulence activities are discussed in detail. Lastly, the current pitfalls, limitations, and emerging directions in translating these natural compounds into clinical applications are critically evaluated.
生物膜是包裹在自身产生的细胞外基质中的复杂微生物群落，其在慢性感染和抗菌耐药性中起着关键作用。这些生物膜通过抵御宿主免疫防御和传统抗菌治疗来提高病原体的存活率和毒力，在诸如与器械相关的感染和慢性伤口等临床情况下构成了重大挑战。源自药用植物的次生代谢产物，如生物碱、单宁、黄酮类化合物、酚酸和精油，作为对抗生物膜形成、微生物毒力和抗生素耐药性的有前景的药物而受到关注。这些天然化合物不仅限制微生物生长和生物膜形成，还破坏细菌之间的通讯，即群体感应，从而降低它们致病的能力。随着纳米技术的进步，已开发出各种纳米载体，如基于脂质的系统、聚合物纳米颗粒和金属纳米颗粒，以提高植物化学物质的溶解度、稳定性和细胞摄取。此外，将基于植物的代谢产物与传统抗生素或抗真菌药物协同使用，在应对耐药微生物和恢复现有药物活力方面已显示出前景。本综述全面讨论了药用植物纯次生代谢产物作为个体、纳米制剂形式或与抗菌剂联合使用时的功效，作为控制形成生物膜病原体的替代策略。详细讨论了它们的抗生物膜和抗毒力活性的分子机制。最后，对将这些天然化合物转化为临床应用中当前存在的缺陷、局限性和新出现的方向进行了批判性评估。
