Unveiling the Hidden Allies in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance—Medicinal Plant Endophytes
Medicinal plants have long been a vital source of various natural products in the form of pure compounds or standardized extracts. The World Health Organization estimated that 80% of populations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America rely on traditional medicine for primary health care. In recent decade...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Bacteria |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1334/4/2/26 |
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| author | Adeoye J. Kayode Aboi Igwaran Folasade Banji-Onisile Nneka A. Akwu John O. Unuofin Ayodeji C. Osunla Samson O. Egbewale Hery Purnobasuki |
| author_facet | Adeoye J. Kayode Aboi Igwaran Folasade Banji-Onisile Nneka A. Akwu John O. Unuofin Ayodeji C. Osunla Samson O. Egbewale Hery Purnobasuki |
| author_sort | Adeoye J. Kayode |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Medicinal plants have long been a vital source of various natural products in the form of pure compounds or standardized extracts. The World Health Organization estimated that 80% of populations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America rely on traditional medicine for primary health care. In recent decades, endophytic microorganisms living within plants have gained attention for their ability to produce bioactive compounds with significant therapeutic potential. This review explores the diversity of medicinal plant endophytes, focusing on their pharmacological significance, including antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, and antioxidant properties. Additionally, we discuss the application of nanotechnology and computational tools in enhancing the potency and screening of endophyte-derived metabolites. Despite the promising potential, challenges such as scalability, safety, and commercial viability remain. Future research should prioritize optimizing production, elucidating biosynthetic pathways, and integrating advanced technologies to effectively harness these bioactive compounds for novel drug development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3f0fd72fbcbe4d8ca2d7ef16e027f3df |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2674-1334 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bacteria |
| spelling | doaj-art-3f0fd72fbcbe4d8ca2d7ef16e027f3df2025-08-20T02:24:35ZengMDPI AGBacteria2674-13342025-05-01422610.3390/bacteria4020026Unveiling the Hidden Allies in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance—Medicinal Plant EndophytesAdeoye J. Kayode0Aboi Igwaran1Folasade Banji-Onisile2Nneka A. Akwu3John O. Unuofin4Ayodeji C. Osunla5Samson O. Egbewale6Hery Purnobasuki7Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South AfricaSchool of Science and Technology, Örebro University, 701 82 Orebro, SwedenDepartment of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South AfricaIndigenous Knowledge Systems Centre, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, PMB X2046, Mmabatho 2790, South AfricaDepartment of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Florida Park Science Campus, University of South Africa, Private Bag X392, Florida 1710, South AfricaDepartment of Microbiology, Adekunle Ajasin University, PMB 001, Akunagba Akoko 342111, NigeriaDepartment of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South AfricaDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Airlangga University, Surabaya 60115, IndonesiaMedicinal plants have long been a vital source of various natural products in the form of pure compounds or standardized extracts. The World Health Organization estimated that 80% of populations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America rely on traditional medicine for primary health care. In recent decades, endophytic microorganisms living within plants have gained attention for their ability to produce bioactive compounds with significant therapeutic potential. This review explores the diversity of medicinal plant endophytes, focusing on their pharmacological significance, including antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, and antioxidant properties. Additionally, we discuss the application of nanotechnology and computational tools in enhancing the potency and screening of endophyte-derived metabolites. Despite the promising potential, challenges such as scalability, safety, and commercial viability remain. Future research should prioritize optimizing production, elucidating biosynthetic pathways, and integrating advanced technologies to effectively harness these bioactive compounds for novel drug development.https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1334/4/2/26endophyte biodiversitybioactive compoundsphytotherapynanotechnologyantimicrobial resistance |
| spellingShingle | Adeoye J. Kayode Aboi Igwaran Folasade Banji-Onisile Nneka A. Akwu John O. Unuofin Ayodeji C. Osunla Samson O. Egbewale Hery Purnobasuki Unveiling the Hidden Allies in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance—Medicinal Plant Endophytes Bacteria endophyte biodiversity bioactive compounds phytotherapy nanotechnology antimicrobial resistance |
| title | Unveiling the Hidden Allies in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance—Medicinal Plant Endophytes |
| title_full | Unveiling the Hidden Allies in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance—Medicinal Plant Endophytes |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling the Hidden Allies in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance—Medicinal Plant Endophytes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling the Hidden Allies in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance—Medicinal Plant Endophytes |
| title_short | Unveiling the Hidden Allies in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance—Medicinal Plant Endophytes |
| title_sort | unveiling the hidden allies in the fight against antimicrobial resistance medicinal plant endophytes |
| topic | endophyte biodiversity bioactive compounds phytotherapy nanotechnology antimicrobial resistance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1334/4/2/26 |
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