Research status of essential oil in alleviating antibiotic resistance / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most serious global public health threats in this century. Essential oils (EO) have a broad spectrum of anti-pathogenic microorganisms and have inhibitory effects on various bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. EO have been reported to inhibit bacterial efflux pump, biofilm formation, anti-quorum sensing effects, and cell division by altering cell membrane to alleviate or cope with antibiotic resistance of pathogenic microorganisms. Antimicrobial research of EO is booming, which will be a potential research area in the future. However, the problem of drug resistance also appeared in the application of EO, which may provoke the emergence of resistant human pathogens. Therefore, antibiotic treatment or replacement of EO should be based on the combination and rotation of different EO or EO with other antibiotics in order to prevent or delay the emergence of drug-resistant strains. This article summarizes the studies of EO on antimicrobial resistance and provides ideas and suggestions for further research.