Natural Products in the Fight Against Multi-Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Abstract

It is well recognised that the antimicrobial resistance crisis has approached critical levels, and current treatment options are very limited, especially in the treatment of infections caused by resistant bacteria. Thus, ongoing research is focused on the development of new molecules which have broader antimicrobial activity. However, the advancements in drug development studies using synthetic compounds has led to a lack of success. Also, economic and regulatory issues have formed a challenge as well. Therefore, research has focused again on natural products. A large number of natural products and natural product-derived compounds are still in various stages of clinical development. Here, current research on the potential uses of natural products or their templates as viable sources of new drug candidates have been discussed to construct an understanding towards the goal of development of new antimicrobials to overcome resistant pathogens.