Advance in Antimicrobial Activity of Natural Products

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 35179

Special Issue Editors

Department of Medical Microbiology, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Wieniawskiego 3, 61-712 Poznań, Poland
Interests: antimicrobial; anitvirus compound
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants - National Research Institute, Poznań, Poland
Interests: medicinal plants; phytochemistry; natural compounds; phytomedicine; biotechnology; pharmacological activity; antioxidants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, about 750,000 people die each year due to infections caused by drug-resistant pathogens. According to the WHO, in 2050, for this reason, as many as 10 million people may die. The therapeutic arsenal used by us is very limited. Therefore, we are constantly looking for new antimicrobial compounds. There is a high potential for natural agents that may be antimicrobial alone or have a synergistic effect with drugs. The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight recent advances in the research on natural products and their derivatives with antimicrobial properties (antibacterial, antifungal or antiviral). This Special Issue may include original research articles and reviews on the antimicrobial properties of compounds obtained from plants, bee products, bacteria, fungi, etc.

Assoc. Prof. Tomasz M. Karpiński
Prof. Dr. Marcin Ożarowski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • natural products
  • bioactive compounds
  • essential oils
  • plant extracts
  • drug discovery
  • antibacterials
  • antifungals
  • antivirals
  • biofilms
  • drug resistance
  • interactions
  • mechanism of action

Published Papers (6 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

22 pages, 3593 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Diversity and Antibacterial Potentiality of Cultivable Actinobacteria from the Soil of the Saxaul Forest in Southern Gobi Desert in Mongolia
by Shao-Wei Liu, Norovsuren Jadambaa, Arina A. Nikandrova, Ilya A. Osterman and Cheng-Hang Sun
Microorganisms 2022, 10(5), 989; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms10050989 - 09 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2356
Abstract
Saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron) is the most widespread plant community in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, which plays important roles in wind control, sand fixation and water conservation. Investigations of soil-derived actinobacteria inhabiting in the saxaul forest in Gobi Desert in Mongolia [...] Read more.
Saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron) is the most widespread plant community in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, which plays important roles in wind control, sand fixation and water conservation. Investigations of soil-derived actinobacteria inhabiting in the saxaul forest in Gobi Desert in Mongolia have been scarce. In this study, biodiversity of culturable actinobacteria isolated from soil of the saxaul forest in Southern Gobi Aimak (Southern Gobi Province) of Mongolia was characterized and their potential to produce compounds with antibacterial activities was assessed. A total of 172 actinobacterial strains were recovered by culture-based approaches and were phylogenetically affiliated into 22 genera in 13 families of seven orders. Forty-nine actinobacterial isolates were selected to evaluate the antibacterial activities and their underlying mechanism of action was screened by means of a dual-fluorescent reporter assay (pDualrep2). Twenty-three isolates exhibited antagonistic activity against at least one of the tested pathogens, of which two Streptomyces strains can attenuate protein translation by ribosome stalling. Combinational strategies based on modern metabolomics, including bioassay-guided thin-layer chromatography (TLC), UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS based structural annotation and enhanced molecular networking successfully annotated chloramphenicol, althiomycin and granaticin and their derivatives as the antibacterial compounds from extracts in three Streptomyces strains, respectively. This work demonstrates that UPLC-MS/MS-based structural identification and enhanced molecular networking are effective strategies to rapidly illuminate the bioactive chemicals in the microbial extracts. Meanwhile, our results show that the saxaul forest in Mongolia Gobi Desert is a prospective source for discovering novel actinobacteria and biologically active compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Antimicrobial Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1820 KiB  
Article
Antiplanktonic and Antibiofilm Activity of Rheum palmatum against Streptococcus oralis and Porphyromonas gingivalis
by Nadine Kommerein, Nina Vierengel, Jonathan Groß, Till Opatz, Bilal Al-Nawas and Lena Katharina Müller-Heupt
Microorganisms 2022, 10(5), 965; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms10050965 - 03 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2232
Abstract
Periodontitis and peri-implantitis are inflammatory conditions with a high global prevalence. Oral pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis play a crucial role in the development of dysbiotic biofilms associated with both diseases. The aim of our study was to identify plant-derived substances which mainly [...] Read more.
Periodontitis and peri-implantitis are inflammatory conditions with a high global prevalence. Oral pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis play a crucial role in the development of dysbiotic biofilms associated with both diseases. The aim of our study was to identify plant-derived substances which mainly inhibit the growth of “disease promoting bacteria”, by comparing the effect of Rheum palmatum root extract against P. gingivalis and the commensal species Streptococcus oralis. Antiplanktonic activity was determined by measuring optical density and metabolic activity. Antibiofilm activity was quantified using metabolic activity assays and live/dead fluorescence staining combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy. At concentrations of 3.9 mg/L, R. palmatum root extract selectively inhibited planktonic growth of the oral pathogen P. gingivalis, while not inhibiting growth of S. oralis. Selective effects also occurred in mature biofilms, as P. gingivalis was significantly more stressed and inhibited than S. oralis. Our studies show that low concentrations of R. palmatum root extract specifically inhibit P. gingivalis growth, and offer a promising approach for the development of a potential topical agent to prevent alterations in the microbiome due to overgrowth of pathogenic P. gingivalis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Antimicrobial Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1492 KiB  
Article
Antileishmanial Activity of Ziziphus spina-christi Leaves Extract and Its Possible Cellular Mechanisms
by Aishah E. Albalawi
Microorganisms 2021, 9(10), 2113; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9102113 - 07 Oct 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2090
Abstract
This experimental investigation was designed to assess the in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial effects of Z. spina-christi methanolic extract (ZSCME) and also aims to assess some of the antileishmanial mechanisms such as the NO production, apoptosis, and plasma membrane permeability. We assessed [...] Read more.
This experimental investigation was designed to assess the in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial effects of Z. spina-christi methanolic extract (ZSCME) and also aims to assess some of the antileishmanial mechanisms such as the NO production, apoptosis, and plasma membrane permeability. We assessed the in vitro leishmanicidal effects of ZSCME (10–200 µg/mL) against intracellular amastigote stage of the Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER) and, then, in vivo examined male BALB/c mice infected by L. major. In addition, the rate of infectivity, Caspase 3 activity, nitric oxide (NO) production, the plasma membrane permeability, and the cytotoxic effects of ZSCME were studied. The primary phytochemical analysis of ZSCME revealed the existence of high amounts of flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, alkaloids, and saponin in this plant. The findings exhibited that ZSCME meaningfully (p < 0.001) reduced the viability of amastigotes of L. major, whereas it prompted the creation and release of NO, apoptosis, and the plasma membrane permeability (p < 0.05) and indicated no cytotoxicity in macrophage cells. The in vivo results also demonstrated that ZSCME significantly decreased the parasite load and the diameter of the lesions in the infected mice. Our results demonstrate the promising in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial effects of ZSCME against of L. major. Although the findings of the present study showed some possible antileishmanial mechanisms of ZSCME, such as stimulating NO production, apoptosis, and increasing plasma membrane permeability, additional investigations are required to confirm these results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Antimicrobial Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

19 pages, 1736 KiB  
Review
Antifungal Properties of Chemically Defined Propolis from Various Geographical Regions
by Marcin Ożarowski, Tomasz M. Karpiński, Rahat Alam and Małgorzata Łochyńska
Microorganisms 2022, 10(2), 364; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms10020364 - 04 Feb 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3283
Abstract
Long-term fungal infections that are difficult to treat require new substances for their prevention, treatment, or as adjuvants during antibiotic therapy. Propolis is a very promising source of natural substances that show a wide range of pharmacological properties, including antifungal activity against various [...] Read more.
Long-term fungal infections that are difficult to treat require new substances for their prevention, treatment, or as adjuvants during antibiotic therapy. Propolis is a very promising source of natural substances that show a wide range of pharmacological properties, including antifungal activity against various fungal strains. The purpose of the literature review was to summarize recent studies (PubMed, Scopus) on progress in evaluating the antifungal activity of chemically defined propolis extracts. During the selection of studies, only those with results of antifungal activity expressed as minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and/or minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) were analyzed. Moreover, plant, animal and environmental factors influencing the chemical composition of propolis are discussed. Mechanisms of antifungal activity of propolis extracts and research trends in the aspect of developing new therapies and the assessment of drug interactions are indicated. The review of the research results shows that there is great progress in the definition of propolis extracts. After comparing the MIC/MFC values, it was assessed that propolis extracts offer a wide range of activity not only against pathogenic Candida strains but also against risky molds; however, the strength of this activity is varied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Antimicrobial Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Figure 1

32 pages, 2770 KiB  
Review
Algae and Their Metabolites as Potential Bio-Pesticides
by Elias Asimakis, Awad A. Shehata, Wolfgang Eisenreich, Fatma Acheuk, Salma Lasram, Shereen Basiouni, Mevlüt Emekci, Spyridon Ntougias, Gökçe Taner, Helen May-Simera, Mete Yilmaz and George Tsiamis
Microorganisms 2022, 10(2), 307; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms10020307 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 7587
Abstract
An increasing human population necessitates more food production, yet current techniques in agriculture, such as chemical pesticide use, have negative impacts on the ecosystems and strong public opposition. Alternatives to synthetic pesticides should be safe for humans, the environment, and be sustainable. Extremely [...] Read more.
An increasing human population necessitates more food production, yet current techniques in agriculture, such as chemical pesticide use, have negative impacts on the ecosystems and strong public opposition. Alternatives to synthetic pesticides should be safe for humans, the environment, and be sustainable. Extremely diverse ecological niches and millions of years of competition have shaped the genomes of algae to produce a myriad of substances that may serve humans in various biotechnological areas. Among the thousands of described algal species, only a small number have been investigated for valuable metabolites, yet these revealed the potential of algal metabolites as bio-pesticides. This review focuses on macroalgae and microalgae (including cyanobacteria) and their extracts or purified compounds, that have proven to be effective antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, nematocides, insecticides, herbicides, and plant growth stimulants. Moreover, the mechanisms of action of the majority of these metabolites against plant pests are thoroughly discussed. The available information demonstrated herbicidal activities via inhibition of photosynthesis, antimicrobial activities via induction of plant defense responses, inhibition of quorum sensing and blocking virus entry, and insecticidal activities via neurotoxicity. The discovery of antimetabolites also seems to hold great potential as one recent example showed antimicrobial and herbicidal properties. Algae, especially microalgae, represent a vast untapped resource for discovering novel and safe biopesticide compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Antimicrobial Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 960 KiB  
Review
Towards Advances in Medicinal Plant Antimicrobial Activity: A Review Study on Challenges and Future Perspectives
by Natalia Vaou, Elisavet Stavropoulou, Chrysa Voidarou, Christina Tsigalou and Eugenia Bezirtzoglou
Microorganisms 2021, 9(10), 2041; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9102041 - 27 Sep 2021
Cited by 199 | Viewed by 15769
Abstract
The increasing incidence of drug- resistant pathogens raises an urgent need to identify and isolate new bioactive compounds from medicinal plants using standardized modern analytical procedures. Medicinal plant-derived compounds could provide novel straightforward approaches against pathogenic bacteria. This review explores the antimicrobial activity [...] Read more.
The increasing incidence of drug- resistant pathogens raises an urgent need to identify and isolate new bioactive compounds from medicinal plants using standardized modern analytical procedures. Medicinal plant-derived compounds could provide novel straightforward approaches against pathogenic bacteria. This review explores the antimicrobial activity of plant-derived components, their possible mechanisms of action, as well as their chemical potential. The focus is put on the current challenges and future perspectives surrounding medicinal plants antimicrobial activity. There are some inherent challenges regarding medicinal plant extracts and their antimicrobial efficacy. Appropriate and optimized extraction methodology plant species dependent leads to upgraded and selective extracted compounds. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests for the determination of the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts may show variations in obtained results. Moreover, there are several difficulties and problems that need to be overcome for the development of new antimicrobials from plant extracts, while efforts have been made to enhance the antimicrobial activity of chemical compounds. Research on the mechanisms of action, interplay with other substances, and the pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic profile of the medicinal plant extracts should be given high priority to characterize them as potential antimicrobial agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Antimicrobial Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop