Introduction
Mechanisms of antibacterial activity and resistance
Mechanisms of action of antibacterial agents
Bacterial protein biosynthesis
Cell-wall biosynthesis
Inhibiting nucleic acid synthesis
Destruction of bacterial membrane
Mechanisms of resistance to antibacterial agents
Efflux pump
Structural modification of porins
Destroying the antibacterial agents
Modification of antibiotics
Altered target
Plant-derived chemicals
Common name | Scientific name | Compound | Active against | Dosage form |
---|---|---|---|---|
Barberry |
Berberis vulgaris
| Berberine | Bacteria, protozoa | Soft gel 1000 mg |
Black pepper |
Piper nigrum
| Piperine | Fungi, Lactobacillus, Micrococcus, E. coli, E. faecalis | |
Burdock |
Arctium lappa
| Bacteria, fungi, viruses | Capsule 475 mg | |
Caraway |
Carum carvi
| Bacteria, fungi, viruses | Capsule 1000 mg | |
Cascara sagrada |
Rhamnus purshiana
| Tannins | Bacteria, fungi, viruses | Capsule 425, 450 mg |
Chamomile |
Matricaria chamomilla
| Anthemic acid | M. tuberculosis, S. typhimurium, S. aureus | |
Clove |
Syzygium aromaticum
| Eugenol | General | Capsule 500 mg |
Cranberry | Vaccinium spp. | Fructose | Bacteria | Capsule 500 mg |
Eucalyptus |
Eucalyptus globulus
| Tannin | Bacteria, viruses | Inhaler and tablet |
Garlic |
Allium sativum
| Allicin, ajoene | General | Tablet |
Goldenseal |
Hydrastis canadensis
| Berberine, hydrastine | Bacteria, Giardia duodenale, Trypanosomes | Solution, 500 mg per dosage |
Green tea |
Camellia sinensis
| Catechin | General | |
Licorice |
Glycyrrhiza glabra
| Glabrol | S. aureus, M. tuberculosis | Capsule 450 mg |
Oak |
Quercus rubra
Allium cepa
| Tannins Quercetin | Capsule 500, 650 mg | |
Onion |
Allium cepa
| Allicin | Bacteria, Candida | |
Oregon grape |
Mahonia aquifolia
| Berberine |
Plasmodium
Trypansomes, general | Capsule 500 mg |
Senna St. John’s wort |
Hypericum perforatum
| Hypericin, others | General | Table 450 mg |
Thyme |
Thymus vulgaris
| Caffeic acid Thymol Tannins | Viruses, bacteria, fungi | Capsule 450 mg |
Turmeric |
Curcuma longa
| Curcumin, Turmeric oi | Bacteria, protozoa |
Class of naturally compound | Compound | Conc. | Mechanisms of action | Active against | Findings | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alkaloids | Reserpine | 100 mg/L | Efflux pump inhibitor | Staphylococcus sp., Streptococcus sp. and Micrococcus sp. | • Reducing the (MIC) of antibiotics • In vitro model | [60] |
Piperine | 100μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor | Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus aureus | • In vitro model | [46] | |
Berberine | 4 mM | Cell division inhibitor, Protein and DNA synthesis inhibitor |
Escherichia coli
Candida albicans
| • In vitro model | ||
Chanoclavine | Efflux pump inhibitor |
E. coli
| • Reducing the MIC of tetracycline up to 16-folds | [70] | ||
Solasodine | 32μg/mL | Destruction of bacterial membrane |
C. albicans
| • Potent fungicidal activity • In vitro model | [197] | |
Conessine | 20 mg/L | Efflux pump inhibitor |
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
| • Active against RND family pump | [71] | |
Evocarpine | 5 mg/mL |
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
| [198] | |||
Tomatidine | ATP synthase inhibitor |
Listeria, Bacillus and Staphylococcus spp
| • In vitro model • Its analog possess bactericidal activities | |||
Lysergol | Efflux pump inhibitor |
E. coli
| • Lowering the dose of antibiotics | [201] | ||
Organosulfur | Allicin | Sulfhydryl-dependent enzyme inhibitor, DNA and protein synthesis inhibitor |
Staphylococcus epidermidis,
P. aeruginosa,
Streptococcus agalactiae
| • In the gas phase active against antibiotic resistant strains | [83] | |
Ajoene | Sulfhydryl-dependent enzyme inhibitor | Campylobacter jejuni, Streproproteus, Staphylococcus and
E. coli
| • Zone inhibition method • More potent than allicin | [88] | ||
Sulforaphane | Destruction of bacterial membrane, ATP synthase inhibitor, DNA and protein synthesis inhibitor |
E. coli
| • Did not destroy the membrane integrity directly | [202] | ||
Berteroin | Range of 1 – 16 μg/mL |
Helicobacter pylori
| [108] | |||
Hirsutin | Range of 8 – 16 μg/mL | P. aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus | • Having antifungal and antimicrobial activities. | [203] | ||
Alyssin |
H. pylori
| [108] | ||||
Erysolin | Range of 4 – 32 μg/mL |
H. pylori
| [108] | |||
Allyl isothiocyanate, Benzyl isothiocyanate and Phenethyl isothiocyanate |
Bacillus subtilis, S. aureus, S. epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella typhimurium, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, and E. coli
| • Show antibacterial activity against foodborne and resistant pathogens. • AITC was the major ITC in the stem and leaf of R. sativus | [204] | |||
Phenolic compounds | Resveratrol | 0.064, 0.313 mg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
Mycobacterium smegmatis, Campylobacter jejuni
| • Reduced MIC value of antibacterial agent against resistant strain | |
Baicalein | 64, 128, 64 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor | M. smegmatis, MRSA, C. albicans | • Reduced MIC value of antibacterial agent against resistant strain | ||
Biochanin A | 256 μg/mL, no inhibitory effect, 12 μM | Efflux pump inhibitor | M. smegmatis, MRSA, Chlamydia spp. | • Reduced MIC value of antibacterial agent against resistant strain | ||
Formononetin | 256 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
M. smegmatis
| • Reduced MIC value of antibacterial agent against resistant strain | [113] | |
Luteolin | 32 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
Mycobacteria spp.
| • Reduced MIC value of antibacterial agent against resistant strain | ||
Kaempferol | 125, 128-256 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor | MRSA, C. albicans, | • Reduced MIC value of antibacterial agent against resistant strain | ||
Rigidifing bacterial membrane |
E. coli
| [139] | ||||
Kaempferol rhamnoside | 1.56 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| • Increased antimicrobial activity of ciprofloxacin | [128] | |
Myricetin | 32 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
M. smegmatis
| [113] | ||
Rhamentin | 19-75 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| [129] | ||
Quercetin | 75 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| [129] | ||
48.5 and 19.9μM | d-Alanine:d-alanine ligase | H. pylori and E. coli | [144] | |||
Chrysosplenol-D | 25 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| • Inhibited NorA EP in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of berberine | [122] | |
Chrysoplentin | 6.25 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| • Inhibited NorA EP in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of berberine | [122] | |
Silybin | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| [124] | |||
Biochanin A | 10 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| • Reduced the expression of NorA protein | [123] | |
Genistein | 10 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| |||
Orobol | 10 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| |||
4′,6′-Dihydroxy-3′,5′-dimethyl-2′-methoxychalcone | 10 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| • Reduced MIC of erythromycin from 0.4 to 0.1 μg/mL | [130] | |
4-phenoxy-4′-dimethylamino ethoxychalcone | 9 μM | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| • Equipotent to reserpine | [131] | |
4-dimethylamino-4′-dimethylamino ethoxychalcone | 7.7 μM | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| • Equipotent to reserpine | [131] | |
Bergamottin epoxide | 35.7 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor | MRSA | • Resulted in the 20-fold reduction in MIC value of norfloxacin | [168] | |
5,7-dihydroxy-6-(2-methylbutanoyl)-8-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-4-phenyl-2H-chromen-2-one | 8 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor | MRSA | [168] | ||
5,7-dihydroxy-8-(2-methylbutanoyl)-6-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-4-phenyl-2H-chromen-2-one | 8 μg/mL | Efflux pump inhibitor | MRSA | |||
Epigallocatechin gallate | 1-10 μM | DNA gyrase | - | [134] | ||
200 μM | Beta-ketoacyl-[acyl carrier protein] reductase (FabG) |
E. coli
| [141] | |||
64 μg/mL | Inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase |
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
| [148] | |||
Chebulinic acid | DNA gyrase |
M. tuberculosis
|
In silico
| [135] | ||
3-p-Trans-coumaroyl-2-hydroxyquinic acid | 2.5-10 mg/mL | Damage to the cytoplasmic membrane |
S. aureus
| • Active against eleven food-borne pathogens | [137] | |
p-Coumaric acid | Damage to the cytoplasmic membrane | Oenococcus oeni and Lactobacillus hilgardii | [138] | |||
Apigenin | 132.7 and 163.0 μM | d-Alanine:d-alanine ligase | H. pylori and E. coli | • Reverse inhibitor and competitive with ATP | [144] | |
Sophoraflavanone B | 15.6-31.25 μg/mL | Direct interaction with peptidoglycan | MRSA | - | [145] | |
Naringenin | 256 μg/mL | Beta-Ketoacyl acyl carrier protein synthase (KAS) III |
E. faecalis
| • Showed activity against vancomycin resistance E. faecalis | [140] | |
Eriodictyol | 256 μg/mL | Beta-Ketoacyl acyl carrier protein synthase (KAS) III |
E. faecalis
| • Showed activity against vancomycin resistance E. faecalis | [140] | |
Taxifolin | 128 μg/mL | Beta-Ketoacyl acyl carrier protein synthase (KAS) III |
E. faecalis
| • Showed activity against vancomycin resistance E. faecalis | [140] | |
Sakuranetin | 2.2 μM | FabZ |
H. pylori
| [142] | ||
3,6-Dihydroxyflavone | 16-32 μM | Beta-Ketoacyl acyl carrier protein synthase (KAS) III and I |
E. coli
| • High binding affinity with KAS III | [109] | |
Curcumin | 13.8 μg/mL | Sortase A |
S. aureus
| • No growth inhibitory activity | [149] | |
25-100 μM | leaky membrane | S. aureus and E. coli | • Broad spectrum activity | [143] | ||
Morin | 39.37 and 8.54 μM | Sortase A and B |
S. aureus
| • Reduced clumping activity | [150] | |
4′,7,8-trihydroxyl-2-isoflavene | 0.85 μM | urease inhibitor |
H. pylori
| • 20-fold lower than acetohydroxamic acid | [147] | |
Coumarin | Aegelinol | 16 μg/mL | DNA gyrase inhibitor |
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, S. aureus
| • Higher activity against Gram-negative bacteria than Gram-positive ones particularly Salmonella thypii | [157] |
Dose dependent inhibition between 5 and 25 μg/mL |
H. pylori
| |||||
Agasyllin | 32 μg/mL | DNA gyrase inhibitor |
S. enterica serovar Typhi, E. aerogenes, E. cloacae, S. aureus
| • Higher activity against Gram-negative bacteria than Gram-positive ones particularly Salmonella thypii | [157] | |
Dose dependent inhibition between 5 and 25 μg/mL |
H. pylori
| |||||
4′-senecioiloxyosthol | 5 μg/mL | DNA gyrase inhibitor |
B. subtilis
| • 6-fold more active against B. subtilis ATCC 9372 than that of xanthotoxin | [158] | |
Osthole | 125 μg/mL | DNA gyrase inhibitor | B. subtilis, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, MSSA | - | [158] | |
Asphodelin A 4′-O-β-D-glucoside | Range of 128–1024 μg/mL | DNA gyrase inhibitor |
S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans, Botrytis cinerea
| - | [160] | |
Asphodelin A | Range of 4–128 μg/mL | DNA gyrase inhibitor |
S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans, B. cinerea
| - | [160] | |
Clorobiocin | - | DNA gyrase inhibitor | - | • noviosyl sugar moiety is essential for biological activity • mutations at Arg136 of GyrB in E. coli results in coumarin-resistant | [161] | |
Novobiocin | - | DNA gyrase inhibitor | - | • noviosyl sugar moiety is essential for biological activity • mutations at Arg136 of GyrB in E. coli results in coumarin-resistant | [161] | |
Coumermycin A1 | - | DNA gyrase inhibitor | - | • noviosyl sugar moiety is essential for biological activity • mutations at Arg136 of GyrB in E. coli results in coumarin-resistant | [161] | |
Bergamottin epoxide | - | Efflux pump inhibitor | MSRA | • 20-fold reduction in the MIC value of norfloxacin against MRSA | [169] | |
6-Geranyl coumarin | No inhibitory effect | Efflux pump inhibitor |
S. aureus
| • Reduced the MIC for tetracycline and norfloxacin by 2 times | [170] | |
Galbanic acid | No inhibitory effect | Efflux pump inhibitor | MDR clinical isolates of S. aureus | • Reduced MIC range of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline from 10-80 μg/ml to 2.5-5 μg/ml | [171] | |
Terpene | Farnesol | MBC = 20 μg/mL | Cell membrane disturbance |
S. aureus
| • Caused the largest initial and total leakage of K+ ions between the tested terpene alcohols • These effects were dose-dependent | [174] |
Nerolidol | MBC = 40 μg/mL | Cell membrane disturbance |
S. aureus
| • After farnesol, caused the largest initial and total leakage of K+ ions between the tested terpene alcohols • These effects were dose-dependent | [174] | |
Dehydroabietic acid | - | Cell membrane disturbance |
S. aureus
| • Midpoint antibacterial concentration (GD50) for 24 h incubation was < 20 μg/mL | [178] | |
(4R)-(-)-carvone | - | Cell membrane disturbance | C. jejuni, Enterococcus faecium, E. coli | - | [182] | |
- | Inhibits the transformation of cellular yeast form to the filamentous form |
C. albicans
| - | [173] | ||
(4S)-(+)-carvone | - | Cell membrane disturbance |
L. monocytogenes
| - | [182] | |
- | Inhibits the transformation of cellular yeast form to the filamentous form |
C. albicans
| - | [173] | ||
Thymol | 49.37 μg/ml | Inhibits H(+)-ATPase in the cytoplasmic membrane, cell membrane disturbance, efflux pump inhibition |
C. albicans
| • Exhibited synergistic activity in combination with fluconazole | [183] | |
51.25 μg/ml |
C. glabrata
| |||||
70 μg/ml |
C. krusei
| |||||
200, 150, 125, 125, 400, 300, 100, 250, 500, 300, 450 μg/ml, respectively | A. niger, A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. ochraceus, Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium spp., Penicillium citrinum, P. chrysogenum, Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizopus oryzae | • The most growth inhibition was related to Cladosporium spp. | [184] | |||
8, 10, 6.5, 5 μg/ml, respectively |
E. coli, E. aerogenes, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa
| • Antibacterial efficiency of free thymol was higher than its in situ activity within the Thymus capitatus leaves | [186] | |||
312 μg/ml |
Salmonella typhimurium, S. enteritidis, S. saintpaul
| • Reduced Biofilms of Salmonella spp. on polypropylene, but did not eliminate the adhered cells | ||||
Carvacrol | 50, 100, 100, 100, 350, 300, 100, 150, 125, 125, 200 μg/ml, respectively | Cell membrane disturbance, efflux pump inhibition | A. niger, A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. ochraceus, Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium spp., Penicillium citrinum, P. chrysogenum, Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizopus oryzae, | • The most growth inhibition was related to Aspergillus spp. | [184] | |
8, 8, 7, 7 μg/ml, respectively |
E. coli, E. aerogenes, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa
| • Antibacterial efficiency of free carvacrol was higher than its in situ activity within the Thymus capitatus leaves | [186] | |||
156 μg/ml |
S. typhimurium, S. enteritidis, S. saintpaul
| • Reduced Biofilms of Salmonella spp. on polypropylene, but did not eliminate the adhered cells | [187] | |||
Eugenol | 400, 400, 450, 350, 500, 450, 350, 350, 400, 400, 350 μg/ml, respectively | Cell membrane disturbance | A. niger, A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. ochraceus, Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium spp., Penicillium citrinum, P. chrysogenum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Rhizopus oryzae | • The most growth inhibition was related to Cladosporium spp. and Rhizopus oryzae | [184] | |
2 μg/mL |
H. pylori
| • Maintain the bactericidal activity at low pH levels. The microorganism did not show any resistance to it even after 10 passages in the presence of sub-MIC levels | [191] | |||
0.04% V/V in MHB | MRSA, MSSA | • Inhibited biofilm construction • Interrupted cell-to-cell communication • Eradicated the pre-established biofilms • Killed the bacteria in biofilms | [192] | |||
150-300 μg/mL |
P. aeruginosa
| • Had anti-virulence, anti-biofilm and biofilm eradication properties • Could synergistically enhance bactericidal effect of gentamicin on biofilm associated bacteria | [193] | |||
Menthol | 150, 150, 100, 100, 450, 400, 125, 100, 300, 200, 250 μg/ml, respectively | Cell membrane disturbance | A. niger, A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. ochraceus, Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium spp., Penicillium citrinum, P. chrysogenum, Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizopus oryzae | • The most growth inhibition was related to Cladosporium spp. and Aspergillus spp. | [184] | |
Cinnamaldehyde | 2 μg/mL | Cell membrane disturbance |
H. pylori
| • Maintain the bactericidal activity at low pH levels. • The microorganism did not show any resistance to it even after 10 passages in the presence of sub-MIC levels | [191] | |
0.25 μL/mL | Cell membrane and metabolic activity disturbance | E. coli and S. aureus | - | [194] | ||
Ursolic acid | - | Cell membrane disturbance |
E. coli
| - | [190] | |
α-Amyrin | - | Cell membrane disturbance |
E. coli
| - | [190] |