Plant Essential Oils as Potential Antimicrobials: Present Status and Future Perspectives

Abstract

The development of resistance to different antimicrobial agents by bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, etc. is a great challenge to public health and requires to search for new and novel antimicrobials. Plant-derived essential oils are one of the most notorious natural products widely used for the treatment of various diseases, and they play an important role in healthcare considerations. Microbial resistance to classical antibiotics and its rapid progression have raised serious concern in global public health. Recent studies have demonstrated that essential oils have significant antimicrobial potential against multidrug-resistant pathogens. Plant-derived essential oils and their components have been utilized as a source of new antimicrobials in combating infectious diseases. This review explores the fundamental knowledge available on the antimicrobial properties of plant-derived essential oils against pathogens responsible for various infections and highlights the possibilities of essential oils as the potential resistance modifying agent.