title: New Perspectives on the Use of Phytochemicals as an Emergent Strategy to Control Bacterial Infections Including Biofilms.
abstract: The majority of current infectious diseases are almost untreatable by conventional antibiotic therapy given the advent of multidrug-resistant bacteria. The degree of severity and the persistence of infections are worsened when microorganisms form biofilms. Therefore, efforts are being applied to develop new drugs not as vulnerable as the current ones to bacterial resistance mechanisms, and also able to target bacteria in biofilms. Natural products, especially those obtained from plants, have proven to be outstanding compounds with unique properties, making them perfect candidates for these much-needed therapeutics. This review presents the current knowledge on the potentialities of plant products as antibiotic adjuvants to restore the therapeutic activity of drugs. Further, the difficulties associated with the use of the existing antibiotics in the treatment of biofilm-related infections are described. To counteract the biofilm resistance problems, innovative strategies are suggested based on literature data. Among the proposed strategies, the use of phytochemicals to inhibit or eradicate biofilms is highlighted. An overview on the use of phytochemicals to interfere with bacterial quorum sensing (QS) signaling pathways and underlying phenotypes is provided. The use of phytochemicals as chelating agents and efflux pump inhibitors is also reviewed.
authors.affiliation: LEPABE, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, Porto 4200-465, Portugal. apborges@fe.up.pt.|CIQUP, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, Porto 4169-007, Portugal. apborges@fe.up.pt.|CECAV-Veterinary and Animal Science Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Tr&#225;s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, Vila Real 5001-801, Portugal. apborges@fe.up.pt.
authors.forename: Anabela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.affiliation: LEPABE, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, Porto 4200-465, Portugal. anabreu@fe.up.pt.|CECAV-Veterinary and Animal Science Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Tr&#225;s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, Vila Real 5001-801, Portugal. anabreu@fe.up.pt.
authors.forename: Ana Cristina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: LEPABE, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, Porto 4200-465, Portugal. cdias@utad.pt.|CECAV-Veterinary and Animal Science Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Tr&#225;s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, Vila Real 5001-801, Portugal. cdias@utad.pt.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: CECAV-Veterinary and Animal Science Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Tr&#225;s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, Vila Real 5001-801, Portugal. saavedra@utad.pt.
authors.forename: Maria José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Saavedra
authors.affiliation: CIQUP, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, Porto 4169-007, Portugal. fborges@fc.up.pt.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.affiliation: LEPABE, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, Porto 4200-465, Portugal. mvs@fe.up.pt.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simões
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D002614:Chelating Agents; D064209:Phytochemicals; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: antibiofilm strategies; antibiotic adjuvants; efflux pump inhibition; metal chelators; multidrug resistance; plant compounds; quorum sensing inhibition