Planetary Health and Traditional Medicine: A Potential Synergistic Approach to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance

Abstract

Antimicrobials are compounds that impede the activities of bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi. Continuous antimicrobial overuse, misuse, and improper use for human, animal, and agricultural purposes are raising concerns about antibiotic residue pollution in the environment, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Because antimicrobial-resistant diseases are linked to human–-microbial ecosystems, environmental pollution from antibiotic residue and ARGs alters the makeup and diversity of human gut microbiota, putting resistance under selection pressure. This perspective proposes that antibiotic-induced microbiome depletion is linked to environmental quality and has repercussions for human health via the gut microbiome’s sensitive ecosystem. This has stimulated new global efforts and multidisciplinary, integrative approaches to addressing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) awareness in communities. Several academic papers published in recent years have shown that medicinal plant extracts are effective against diseases on WHO’s pathogen priority lists (PPL), such as the ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species). Traditional medicine, with its knowledge of medicinal plants, promises to be a valuable source of next-generation powerful antimicrobials. Examples include the recent discovery of Artemisinin, a highly active antimalarial drug derived from Artemisia annua, and the discovery of Taxol, an active chemotherapeutic drug derived from the bark of the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia. The connections between small and large ecosystems’ vitality, biodiversity protection, and human health have been acknowledged by Planetary Health principles. To address these intertwined concerns, a Planetary Health and Traditional Medicine approach can be adopted, and antimicrobial resistance can be addressed by expanding the screening of medicinal plants for bioactive compounds.