Phytochemicals as Potential Alternatives to Counteract Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance: A Mini-Review (original) (raw)

Antibiotic resistance is becoming a serious challenge to the public health, particularly in the treatment of infectious diseases. Bacterial resistance against antibiotics of natural, semi-synthetic origin or purely synthetic compounds such as the fluoroquinolones or those which do not even enter the cells such as vancomycin has been reported. This mini review explored documented literature trend on mechanism of bacterial antibiotic resistance and the efficacy of phytochemicals as antibacterial compounds. According to the documented literature, the mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antibiotics includes antibiotic inactivation using bacterial enzymes such as β-lactamases, aminoglycoside modifying enzymes and acyltransferases, changes in the target sites of the antibiotics as exhibited by S. pneumonia, E. faecium and E. faecalis and decreased in membrane permeability/increased effluxion as demonstrated in the membrane trafficking of antibiotics such as β-lactam, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and aminoglycosides. The documented literature on polyphenolic compounds derived from Cassia italica, Hypericum perforatum and many plants, alkaloids such as berberine and harmane were effective bacteriostatic as well as bacteriocidal substances. Terpernoid essential oil derivatives were reported to actively inhibit bacterial growth. The available literature showcased low toxicity, accessibility, cost effectiveness and remarkable potentiality of phytochemicals as effective antibacterial substances that could complement modern antibiotics and subsequently reduce the bacterial resistance to antibiotics.