Preventing Microbial Infections with Natural Phenolic Compounds

Abstract

The struggle between humans and pathogens has taken and is continuing to take countless lives every year. As the misusage of conventional antibiotics increases, the complexity associated with the resistance mechanisms of pathogens has been evolving into gradually more clever mechanisms, diminishing the effectiveness of antibiotics. Hence, there is a growing interest in discovering novel and reliable therapeutics able to struggle with the infection, circumvent the resistance and defend the natural microbiome. In this regard, nature-derived phenolic compounds are gaining considerable attention due to their potential safety and therapeutic effect. Phenolic compounds comprise numerous and widely distributed groups with different biological activities attributed mainly to their structure. Investigations have revealed that phenolic compounds from natural sources exhibit potent antimicrobial activity against various clinically relevant pathogens associated with microbial infection and sensitize multi-drug resistance strains to bactericidal or bacteriostatic antibiotics. This review outlines the current knowledge about the antimicrobial activity of phenolic compounds from various natural sources, with a particular focus on the structure-activity relationship and mechanisms of actions of each class of natural phenolic compounds, including simple phenols, phenolic acids, coumarin, flavonoids, tannins, stilbenes, lignans, quinones, and curcuminoids.

Activity of Binary Combinations of Natural Phenolics and Synthetic Food Preservatives against Food Spoilage Yeasts

“…However, the mechanisms of the interaction of phenolics and other antifungals are less studied [ 42 ]. Experiments are mainly focused on interactions with the antifungal drugs generally used against clinical isolates of yeasts [ 42 , 43 ].…”

Anti-Staphylococcal, Anti-Candida, and Free-Radical Scavenging Potential of Soil Fungal Metabolites: A Study Supported by Phenolic Characterization and Molecular Docking Analysis

“…Wu et al [26] reported that flavonoids and their isomers represent a valuable anti-pathogenic mediator by targeting a variety of pathogens and suppressing virulence properties in drug-resistant microbial strains. Their capacity to impede microbial cell energy metabolism, nucleic acid synthesis, complex formation with the bacterial cell wall, and cytoplasmic membrane function, are the mechanisms linked to their bacteriostatic actions [25,116].…”

“…For example, tyrosol and p-hydroxyphenylacetamide isolated from the extract of the endophytic fungus Coriolopsis rigida showed potent antioxidative activity [22]. The significance of phenolic compounds like vanillic and caffeic acids in potentially overcoming resistance in multidrug-resistant bacteria like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been highlighted in a numerous research studies [23,24] elucidating the hopeful impact of phenolic acids in suppressing the emergence of new resistant strains [25]. Flavonoids and isoflavonoids are other promising antimicrobial mediators that target many microbial cells and reduce the virulence particularity of drug-resistant strains [26].…”

Broccoli: A Multi-Faceted Vegetable for Health: An In-Depth Review of Its Nutritional Attributes, Antimicrobial Abilities, and Anti-inflammatory Properties

“…While antioxidants are primarily known for their ability to counteract oxidative stress, some specific antioxidants have also been found to have natural antimicrobial properties. For example, certain plant antioxidants, such as flavonoids and polyphenols, have been shown to have antimicrobial activity against a range of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi [63][64][65][66].…”