285
11.8 Conclusions
Plants and plant-derived products have been in use for centuries for the treatment of
infections even before the active constituents in the plant products could be revealed
through the advances in science and technology. Chemotherapeutic treatment of
infections using phytochemical principles is badly needed in the present era due to
the microbial drug resistance. The ethnopharmacological approach used in the
search for new antimicrobial compounds from plants appears to be predictive compared to the random screening strategies.
Scientists from divergent fields have found literally thousands of plant-derived
antimicrobials which inhibit all types of microorganisms in vitro. Many of these
compounds are to be subjected to animal and human studies to determine their
effectiveness in whole-organism systems, and toxicity studies are to be conducted.
It would be beneficial to standardize the procedures of extraction and in vitro testing
so that the studies could be more organized for proper interpretation of results. The
lead compounds developed by high-throughput method could produce safe, inexpensive and effective drugs which efficiently mitigate bacterial, fungal as well as
viral diseases.
References
Achenbach H, Waibel R, Nkunya MHH, Weenen H (1992) Antimalarial compounds from
Hoslundia opposita. Phytochemistry 31:3781–3784
Afolayan AJ, Meyer JJM (1997) The antimicrobial activity of 3,5,7-trihydroxyflavone isolated
from the shoots of Helichrysum aureonitens. J Ethnopharmacol 57:177–181
Amaral JA, Ekins A, Richards SR, Knowles R (1998) Effect of selected monoterpenes on methane
oxidation, denitrification, and aerobic metabolism by bacteria in pure culture. Appl Environ
Microbiol 64:520–525
Araujo MGF, Hilário F, Nogueira LG, Vilegas W, Santos LC, Bauab TM (2011) Chemical constituents of the methanolic extract of leaves of Leiothrix spiralis Ruhland and their antimicrobial
activity. Molecules 16:10479–10490
Artini M, Papa R, Barbato G, Scoarughi GL, Cellini A, Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E, Selan L
(2012) Bacterial biofilm formation inhibitory activity revealed for plant derived natural compounds. Bioorg Med Chem 20:920–926
Atta-ur-Rahman n, Choudhary MI (1999) Diterpenoid and steroidal alkaloids. Nat Prod Rep
16:619–635
Ayafor JF, Tchuendem MH, Nyasse B, Tillequin F, Anke H (1994) Novel bioactive diterpenoids
from Aframomum aulacocarpos. J Nat Prod 57:917–923
Barber MS, McConnell VS, DeCaux BS (2000) Antimicrobial intermediates of the general phenylpropanoid and lignin specific pathways. Phytochemistry 54:53–56
Basile A, Sorbo S, Spadaro V, Bruno M, Maggio A, Faraone N, Rosselli S (2009) Antimicrobial
and antioxidant activities of coumarins from the roots of Ferulago campestris (Apiaceae).
Molecules 14:939–952
Berkada B (1978) Preliminary report on warfarin for the treatment of herpes simplex. J Irish Coll
Physicians Surg 22:56
Beuria TK, Santra MK, Panda D (2005) Sanguinarine blocks cytokinesis in bacteria by inhibiting
FtsZ assembly and bundling. Biochemistry 44:16584–16593
Boberek JM, Stach J, Good L (2010) Genetic evidence for inhibition of bacterial division protein
FtsZ by berberine. PLoS One 5:e13745
11 Antimicrobial Agents from Plants
11.8 Conclusions
Plants and plant-derived products have been in use for centuries for the treatment of
infections even before the active constituents in the plant products could be revealed
through the advances in science and technology. Chemotherapeutic treatment of
infections using phytochemical principles is badly needed in the present era due to
the microbial drug resistance. The ethnopharmacological approach used in the
search for new antimicrobial compounds from plants appears to be predictive compared to the random screening strategies.
Scientists from divergent fields have found literally thousands of plant-derived
antimicrobials which inhibit all types of microorganisms in vitro. Many of these
compounds are to be subjected to animal and human studies to determine their
effectiveness in whole-organism systems, and toxicity studies are to be conducted.
It would be beneficial to standardize the procedures of extraction and in vitro testing
so that the studies could be more organized for proper interpretation of results. The
lead compounds developed by high-throughput method could produce safe, inexpensive and effective drugs which efficiently mitigate bacterial, fungal as well as
viral diseases.
References
Achenbach H, Waibel R, Nkunya MHH, Weenen H (1992) Antimalarial compounds from
Hoslundia opposita. Phytochemistry 31:3781–3784
Afolayan AJ, Meyer JJM (1997) The antimicrobial activity of 3,5,7-trihydroxyflavone isolated
from the shoots of Helichrysum aureonitens. J Ethnopharmacol 57:177–181
Amaral JA, Ekins A, Richards SR, Knowles R (1998) Effect of selected monoterpenes on methane
oxidation, denitrification, and aerobic metabolism by bacteria in pure culture. Appl Environ
Microbiol 64:520–525
Araujo MGF, Hilário F, Nogueira LG, Vilegas W, Santos LC, Bauab TM (2011) Chemical constituents of the methanolic extract of leaves of Leiothrix spiralis Ruhland and their antimicrobial
activity. Molecules 16:10479–10490
Artini M, Papa R, Barbato G, Scoarughi GL, Cellini A, Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E, Selan L
(2012) Bacterial biofilm formation inhibitory activity revealed for plant derived natural compounds. Bioorg Med Chem 20:920–926
Atta-ur-Rahman n, Choudhary MI (1999) Diterpenoid and steroidal alkaloids. Nat Prod Rep
16:619–635
Ayafor JF, Tchuendem MH, Nyasse B, Tillequin F, Anke H (1994) Novel bioactive diterpenoids
from Aframomum aulacocarpos. J Nat Prod 57:917–923
Barber MS, McConnell VS, DeCaux BS (2000) Antimicrobial intermediates of the general phenylpropanoid and lignin specific pathways. Phytochemistry 54:53–56
Basile A, Sorbo S, Spadaro V, Bruno M, Maggio A, Faraone N, Rosselli S (2009) Antimicrobial
and antioxidant activities of coumarins from the roots of Ferulago campestris (Apiaceae).
Molecules 14:939–952
Berkada B (1978) Preliminary report on warfarin for the treatment of herpes simplex. J Irish Coll
Physicians Surg 22:56
Beuria TK, Santra MK, Panda D (2005) Sanguinarine blocks cytokinesis in bacteria by inhibiting
FtsZ assembly and bundling. Biochemistry 44:16584–16593
Boberek JM, Stach J, Good L (2010) Genetic evidence for inhibition of bacterial division protein
FtsZ by berberine. PLoS One 5:e13745
11 Antimicrobial Agents from Plants