Strategies to Improve Antimicrobial Activity of Natural Products: Approaches and Challenges

TORRES, CAROLA ANALÍA; PÉREZ ZAMORA, CRISTINA MARISEL; GONZALEZ, ANA MARÍA

Bioprospecting of Tropical Medicinal Plants

Springer International Publishing AG

Año: 2023;

Natural products derived from plants play an important role in the development of antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobials are of interest both in the pharmaceutical industry to prevent or fight infections, and in the food industry for their ability to extend the shelf life of food. Although numerous plant extracts and their natural products (metabolites) have demonstrated antimicrobial potential, they still have numerous limitations for being used as antimicrobials. Among them, we can mention the genetic or edaphic variabilities of the plant, the difficulty to isolate the biocompounds, the low yield of the extract or natural product, and the weak antimicrobial potency compared to commercial antimicrobials. Low stability and poor water solubility can also be mentioned. Due to the great biodiversity and the growing problem of microbial resistance to current drugs, numerous research groups are looking to improve the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts or their metabolites through different techniques. These include the combination of antimicrobial substances in search of synergy, the formation of inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins, the elaboration of polymeric or solid lipidic nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, among others. Several antimicrobial combinations, as well as different formulations, have proven useful in enhancing the proven biological activity of natural products. This chapter will develop the studies that exist in this regard, the natural products studied in recent years, the field of application, the main results obtained, the difficulties, and perspectives for this field of research.