Bioactive Compounds from Plant Origin as Natural Antimicrobial Agents for the Treatment of Wound Infections

Abstract

The rising prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria underscores the need to search for innovative and nature-based solutions. One of the approaches may be the use of plants that constitute a rich source of miscellaneous compounds with a wide range of biological properties. This review explores the antimicrobial activity of seven bioactives and their possible molecular mechanisms of action. Special attention was focused on the antibacterial properties of berberine, catechin, chelerythrine, cinnamaldehyde, ellagic acid, proanthocyanidin, and sanguinarine against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Enterococcus</i> spp., <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Serratia marcescens</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. The growing interest in novel therapeutic strategies based on new plant-derived formulations was confirmed by the growing number of articles. Natural products are one of the most promising and intensively examined agents to combat the consequences of the overuse and misuse of classical antibiotics.