Antimicrobial Potential of Herbal Products Against Clostridioides difficile

Abstract

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a major cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea, with significant morbidity and mortality. In the past decade, the incidence rates of community-acquired CDI are increasing worldwide. Antibiotic therapy which alters the normal colonic microbiota is the greatest risk factor for the development of these infections. The number of effective antibiotics for the treatment of CDI is limited, so it is necessary to explore alternative approaches in therapy. One of the approaches to solving this medical and public health problem is the use of plants and their products.The aim of the present work is to explore the antimicrobial activity of herbal products against C. difficile in order to point out which herbal products are the most promising for the treatment and prevention of CDI.We searched JSTOR, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Springer Link and Web of Science databases for articles identifying herbal products targets or antimicrobial treatments for C. difficile.While searching certain keywords were used to find the publications that would be relevant in this review.The study indicates that several essential oils, plant extracts, and their pure compounds exhibit a great antimicrobial potential against C. difficile, suggesting their possible use as an alternative to antibiotics or in combination with conventional antibiotics for the treatment of CDI.