Flavonoids – An Amazing Group of Compounds with Potent Antimicrobial Properties

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is spreading all around the world, many infectious diseases are becoming more and more severe and sometimes impossible to treat, therefore new efficient solutions are desperately needed. A possible solution could be represented by natural compounds such as flavonoids - a large and diverse group of plant compounds with variable phenolic structures and diverse biological properties. Flavonoids were used for a long time in traditional medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases due to their antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal activities. Many natural and synthetic flavonoids were found to be more efficient than some drugs used in conventional therapy. Moreover, due to their synergistic effects and various modes of actions, flavonoids represent a reliable solution to fight antibiotic resistance. This review explores the antimicrobial properties of natural and synthetic flavonoids by examining available data in the literature, with special emphasis on their antibacterial activity and mechanism of action.

Keywords

• flavonoids
• antimicrobial
• mechanism of action
• synergism