Medicinal plant products targeting quorum sensing for combating bacterial infections

Publication date: Available online 19 August 2017 Source:Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine Author(s): Abdelhakim Bouyahya, Nadia Dakka, Abdeslam Et-Touys, Jamal Abrini, Youssef Bakri Traditional treatment of infectious diseases is based on compounds that aim to kill or inhibit bacterial growth. The bacterial resistance against antibiotics is a serious issue for public health. Today, new therapeutic targets other than the bacterial wall were deciphered. Quorum sensing or bacterial pheromones are molecules called auto-inducer secreted by bacteria to regulate some functions such as antibiotic resistance and biofilms formation. This therapeutic target is well-studied worldwide, nevertheless the scientific data are not updated and only recent researches started to look into its potential as a target to fight against infectious diseases. A major concern with this approach is the frequently observed development of resistance to antimicrobial compounds. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a current overview of the quorum sensing system in bacteria by revealing their implication in biofilms formation and the development of antibiotic resistance, and an update on their importance as a potential target for natural substances.
Source: Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine - Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research