Fighting Multidrug Resistance with Natural Antimicrobials

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2019) | Viewed by 8543

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Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunobiology, University of Szeged, Dóm Square 10, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
Interests: efflux systems of pathogenic bacteria; efflux pump inhibitors
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Based on historical evidence, we know that ancient civilizations already used a variety of natural products for the treatment of infectious diseases. Medicinal plants and marine and terrestrial organisms are great sources of natural antimicrobials, furthermore research on natural compounds can open a new horizon in drug discovery in order to find effective antimicrobial agents.

The rapid spread and evolution of bacterial antimicrobial resistance is a major concern regarding the efficacy of antimicrobial therapy, leading to the need to find new antibacterial and resistant modifying agents. Furthermore, the application of natural compounds can decrease or block certain bacterial virulence factors e.g., the inhibition of over-expressed efflux pumps and biofilm production can contribute to successful treatment. A new perspective could be the combination of conventional antibiotics with natural compounds as adjuvants that can overcome resistance and enhance the activity of the antibiotics.

This Special Issue of Microorganisms invites both reviews and original articles that consider natural antimicrobials as potential drug candidates against multidrug resistant microorganisms. Planned topics include: the discovery of natural antibacterial compounds, application of natural compounds in the antimicrobial therapy, natural efflux pump inhibitors, natural anti-biofilm agents, and the combination of conventional antibiotics and natural compounds. You are also welcome to propose a unique topic.

Dr. Gabriella Spengler
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 1270 KiB  
Communication
Bioactive Compounds of Nigella Sativa Essential Oil as Antibacterial Agents against Chlamydia Trachomatis D
by Tímea Mosolygó, Ahmad Mouwakeh, Munira Hussein Ali, Annamária Kincses, Csilla Mohácsi-Farkas, Gabriella Kiskó and Gabriella Spengler
Microorganisms 2019, 7(9), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7090370 - 19 Sep 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4686
Abstract
Urogenital tract infection caused by obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis D (CtrD) is a leading cause of sexually transmitted diseases. Essential oil (EO) of Nigella sativa has a broad antimicrobial spectrum. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial [...] Read more.
Urogenital tract infection caused by obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis D (CtrD) is a leading cause of sexually transmitted diseases. Essential oil (EO) of Nigella sativa has a broad antimicrobial spectrum. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the bioactive compounds (p-cymene, thymoquinone, carvacrol, and thymol) of N. sativa EO against CtrD. The cytotoxic effects of the compounds were determined by MTT assay. In order to quantify the anti-chlamydial activity of the compounds, HeLa cells were infected with CtrD or CtrD treated previously with the compounds. The titer of the infectious CtrD was determined by indirect immunofluorescence assay. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the compounds were evaluated by direct quantitative PCR. None of the compounds showed a cytotoxic effect on HeLa cells in the concentrations tested. According to the immunofluorescence assay, all of the compounds significantly inhibited the growth of CtrD. The quantitative PCR revealed that the minimum concentration that exerted anti-chlamydial activity was 3.12 µM in the case of thymoquinone and p-cymene, while that of carvacrol and thymol was 6.25 µM. Therefore, it can be concluded that bioactive compounds of N. sativa EO could be used as effective antimicrobial agents against CtrD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fighting Multidrug Resistance with Natural Antimicrobials)
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15 pages, 705 KiB  
Article
Winning the War against Multi-Drug Resistant Diarrhoeagenic Bacteria
by Chizoba Mercy Enemchukwu, Angus Nnamdi Oli, Ebere Innocent Okoye, Nonye Treasure Ujam, Emmanuel O. Osazuwa, George Ogonna Emechebe, Kenneth Nchekwube Okeke, Christian Chukwuemeka Ifezulike, Obiora Shedrack Ejiofor and Jude Nnaemeka Okoyeh
Microorganisms 2019, 7(7), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7070197 - 10 Jul 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3351
Abstract
Drug-resistant-diarrhoeagenic bacteria are currently emerging healthcare challenge. This study investigated the effects of Vernonia amygdalina, Garcinia kola, tetracycline and metronidazole combinations on such bacteria. Agar well diffusion method was employed to determine the inhibitory effects of the herbal extracts on diarrhoeagenic [...] Read more.
Drug-resistant-diarrhoeagenic bacteria are currently emerging healthcare challenge. This study investigated the effects of Vernonia amygdalina, Garcinia kola, tetracycline and metronidazole combinations on such bacteria. Agar well diffusion method was employed to determine the inhibitory effects of the herbal extracts on diarrhoeagenic bacteria while Time-Kill Assay was used to determine bactericidal effects of the extracts against test isolates. Interactions between plant extracts and antibiotics were investigated using Checkerboard assay. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of the extracts against the bacterial isolates ranged between 3.125–50 mg/mL, while those of tetracycline and metronidazole ranged from 30–50 μg/mL. Synergism was observed against B. cereus and S. aureus for metronidazole + aqueous G. kola at all ratios. Generally, the combinations aqueous G. kola + ethanolic G. kola and aqueous G. kola + ethanolic V. amygdalina showed more pronounced synergism against the Staphylococcus aureus than B. cereus isolates with the fractional inhibition concentration (FIC) indices ranging from 0.32–0.95. Synergism of tetracycline + crude extracts and metronidazole combinations were more pronounced on the test isolates and especially on the Gram-negative organisms with FIC indices ranging from 0.41–0.91. Conclusion: The herbal extracts combinations and extracts–antibiotics combinations are synergistic on diarrhoeagenic bacteria at defined combination ratios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fighting Multidrug Resistance with Natural Antimicrobials)
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