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S. Bhattacharya et al.
1 Introduction
Despite the discovery of modern antibiotics, the resurgence of bacteria-mediated
infectious diseases continues to pose a threat toward human health due to bacterial
resistance toward antibiotics. This emerging trend is concerning and is considered by
the World Health Organization (WHO) and among the most urgent issues worldwide.
This has directed present research trends toward alternative traditional medicines
based on combinational therapies. Approximately, 80% of the developing world
relies on medicines retrieved from medicinal plants as their primary health-care
method (Moslamy and Shahira 2018). Medicinal plants are less expensive, abundant in bioactive compounds, safer to use in terms of side effects, and more readily
available in comparison to their synthetic counterparts. These bioactive phytochemicals include tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, thiosulfinates, flavonoids, and
coumarins (Bhattacharya et al. 2019). These plant-based compounds are of particular clinical value as their bioactivity generally does not induce bacterial resistance.
The thiosulfinate allicin is a plant defensin mimetic compound present in Allium
sativum (garlic) extract, capable of high bacteriostatic properties. It is a major pharmaceutically important phytochemical that is capable of several potential biological
activities including wide spectrum antibiotic action and synergy. However, the most
crucial issue with the compound is its stability. Biocompatible polymeric surfactant system brings some advantages to the drug stability and delivery, particularly
for oral phytodrug delivery. Several nonionic surfactants/polymers like polyethylene glycols (PEGs), polysorbate (tween), alkyl ethers, lauryl ether (Brij 30), etc.
are often used for medicinal purposes. They allow (1) the extraction, stabilization,
and delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs; (2) the targeting of drugs to specific
parts of the gastrointestinal tract (GI); (3) the transcytosis of drugs across the tight
intestinal barrier; and (4) the intracellular and transcellular delivery of large macromolecules (Grillo et al. 2018). Recently, this technique has been widely focused
worldwide for its superiority in increasing efficacy, specificity, tolerability, and therapeutic index of corresponding drugs. Polymeric surfactant micelles (PSMs) have
gained ample attention as a delivery system for poorly water-soluble drugs. Due to
their nanoscopic size, PSM can obtain desirable biopharmaceutical and pharmacokinetic properties of drugs and enhance their bioavailability. In this present chapter, the
importance of plant-based antimicrobial phytodrug stabilization using micellization
and its bioprocessing development will be discussed (Sharmeen et al. 2018).
2 Challenges and Issues with Modern Antibiotics
and Bacterial Virulence
The indiscriminate usage of antibiotics has led to a situation of the limited effectiveness of modern antibiotics. Multiple and total drug-resistant (MDR and TDR)
microbes have developed diverse methods to resist antibiotic actions. The challenges regarding infectious diseases are increasing the rate of human morbidity and
S. Bhattacharya et al.
1 Introduction
Despite the discovery of modern antibiotics, the resurgence of bacteria-mediated
infectious diseases continues to pose a threat toward human health due to bacterial
resistance toward antibiotics. This emerging trend is concerning and is considered by
the World Health Organization (WHO) and among the most urgent issues worldwide.
This has directed present research trends toward alternative traditional medicines
based on combinational therapies. Approximately, 80% of the developing world
relies on medicines retrieved from medicinal plants as their primary health-care
method (Moslamy and Shahira 2018). Medicinal plants are less expensive, abundant in bioactive compounds, safer to use in terms of side effects, and more readily
available in comparison to their synthetic counterparts. These bioactive phytochemicals include tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, thiosulfinates, flavonoids, and
coumarins (Bhattacharya et al. 2019). These plant-based compounds are of particular clinical value as their bioactivity generally does not induce bacterial resistance.
The thiosulfinate allicin is a plant defensin mimetic compound present in Allium
sativum (garlic) extract, capable of high bacteriostatic properties. It is a major pharmaceutically important phytochemical that is capable of several potential biological
activities including wide spectrum antibiotic action and synergy. However, the most
crucial issue with the compound is its stability. Biocompatible polymeric surfactant system brings some advantages to the drug stability and delivery, particularly
for oral phytodrug delivery. Several nonionic surfactants/polymers like polyethylene glycols (PEGs), polysorbate (tween), alkyl ethers, lauryl ether (Brij 30), etc.
are often used for medicinal purposes. They allow (1) the extraction, stabilization,
and delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs; (2) the targeting of drugs to specific
parts of the gastrointestinal tract (GI); (3) the transcytosis of drugs across the tight
intestinal barrier; and (4) the intracellular and transcellular delivery of large macromolecules (Grillo et al. 2018). Recently, this technique has been widely focused
worldwide for its superiority in increasing efficacy, specificity, tolerability, and therapeutic index of corresponding drugs. Polymeric surfactant micelles (PSMs) have
gained ample attention as a delivery system for poorly water-soluble drugs. Due to
their nanoscopic size, PSM can obtain desirable biopharmaceutical and pharmacokinetic properties of drugs and enhance their bioavailability. In this present chapter, the
importance of plant-based antimicrobial phytodrug stabilization using micellization
and its bioprocessing development will be discussed (Sharmeen et al. 2018).
2 Challenges and Issues with Modern Antibiotics
and Bacterial Virulence
The indiscriminate usage of antibiotics has led to a situation of the limited effectiveness of modern antibiotics. Multiple and total drug-resistant (MDR and TDR)
microbes have developed diverse methods to resist antibiotic actions. The challenges regarding infectious diseases are increasing the rate of human morbidity and