A Screen of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plant Extracts Reveals 17 Species with Antimicrobial Properties

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing threat that undermines the effectiveness of global healthcare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have identified numerous microbial organisms, particularly members of...

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Main Authors: Garrett L. Ellward, Macie E. Binda, Dominika I. Dzurny, Michael J. Bucher, Wren R. Dees, Daniel M. Czyż
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Antibiotics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/13/12/1220
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author Garrett L. Ellward
Macie E. Binda
Dominika I. Dzurny
Michael J. Bucher
Wren R. Dees
Daniel M. Czyż
author_facet Garrett L. Ellward
Macie E. Binda
Dominika I. Dzurny
Michael J. Bucher
Wren R. Dees
Daniel M. Czyż
author_sort Garrett L. Ellward
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background/Objectives:</b> Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing threat that undermines the effectiveness of global healthcare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have identified numerous microbial organisms, particularly members of the ESKAPEE pathogens, as critical threats to global health and economic security. Many clinical isolates of these pathogens have become completely resistant to current antibiotics, making treatment nearly impossible. Herbal remedies, such as those found in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), have been practiced for thousands of years and successfully used to treat a wide range of ailments, including infectious diseases. Surprisingly, despite this extensive knowledge of folk medicine, no plant-derived antibacterial drugs are currently approved for clinical use. As such, the objective of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of extracts derived from TCM plants. <b>Methods:</b> This study explores a comprehensive library comprising 664 extracts from 132 distinct TCM plant species for antimicrobial properties against gram-negative (<i>Escherichia coli</i>) and gram-positive (<i>Micrococcus luteus</i>) bacteria using liquid and solid in vitro assays. <b>Results:</b> Intriguingly, our results reveal 17 plant species with potent antimicrobial properties effective primarily against gram-positive organisms, including <i>Streptococcus aureus</i> and <i>epidermidis</i>. A literature search revealed that nearly 100 purified compounds from the identified TCM plants were previously isolated and confirmed for their antimicrobial properties, collectively inhibiting 45 different bacterial species. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our results indicate that phytobiotics from the identified plants could serve as potential candidates for novel antimicrobials.
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spelling doaj-art-87f1ced79eb342d0bf04bb296fd090002025-08-20T02:53:41ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822024-12-011312122010.3390/antibiotics13121220A Screen of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plant Extracts Reveals 17 Species with Antimicrobial PropertiesGarrett L. Ellward0Macie E. Binda1Dominika I. Dzurny2Michael J. Bucher3Wren R. Dees4Daniel M. Czyż5Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USADepartment of Microbiology and Cell Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USADepartment of Microbiology and Cell Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USADepartment of Microbiology and Cell Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USADepartment of Microbiology and Cell Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USADepartment of Microbiology and Cell Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing threat that undermines the effectiveness of global healthcare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have identified numerous microbial organisms, particularly members of the ESKAPEE pathogens, as critical threats to global health and economic security. Many clinical isolates of these pathogens have become completely resistant to current antibiotics, making treatment nearly impossible. Herbal remedies, such as those found in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), have been practiced for thousands of years and successfully used to treat a wide range of ailments, including infectious diseases. Surprisingly, despite this extensive knowledge of folk medicine, no plant-derived antibacterial drugs are currently approved for clinical use. As such, the objective of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of extracts derived from TCM plants. <b>Methods:</b> This study explores a comprehensive library comprising 664 extracts from 132 distinct TCM plant species for antimicrobial properties against gram-negative (<i>Escherichia coli</i>) and gram-positive (<i>Micrococcus luteus</i>) bacteria using liquid and solid in vitro assays. <b>Results:</b> Intriguingly, our results reveal 17 plant species with potent antimicrobial properties effective primarily against gram-positive organisms, including <i>Streptococcus aureus</i> and <i>epidermidis</i>. A literature search revealed that nearly 100 purified compounds from the identified TCM plants were previously isolated and confirmed for their antimicrobial properties, collectively inhibiting 45 different bacterial species. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our results indicate that phytobiotics from the identified plants could serve as potential candidates for novel antimicrobials.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/13/12/1220medicinal plantstraditional Chinese medicinephytochemicalsantimicrobialsantibiotic resistance
spellingShingle Garrett L. Ellward
Macie E. Binda
Dominika I. Dzurny
Michael J. Bucher
Wren R. Dees
Daniel M. Czyż
A Screen of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plant Extracts Reveals 17 Species with Antimicrobial Properties
Antibiotics
medicinal plants
traditional Chinese medicine
phytochemicals
antimicrobials
antibiotic resistance
title A Screen of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plant Extracts Reveals 17 Species with Antimicrobial Properties
title_full A Screen of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plant Extracts Reveals 17 Species with Antimicrobial Properties
title_fullStr A Screen of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plant Extracts Reveals 17 Species with Antimicrobial Properties
title_full_unstemmed A Screen of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plant Extracts Reveals 17 Species with Antimicrobial Properties
title_short A Screen of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plant Extracts Reveals 17 Species with Antimicrobial Properties
title_sort screen of traditional chinese medicinal plant extracts reveals 17 species with antimicrobial properties
topic medicinal plants
traditional Chinese medicine
phytochemicals
antimicrobials
antibiotic resistance
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/13/12/1220
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