Current Trends in Exploiting the Influence of Natural Substances, Compounds and Probiotics as Antimicrobial Agents for Food and Health Applications, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of our previous Special Issue “Current Trends in Exploiting the Influence of Natural Substances, Compounds and Probiotics as Antimicrobial Agents for Food and Health Applications”.

Antibiotics, which are considered a mainstay of modern clinical medicine, are facing huge interest due to significant antimicrobial resistance that has emerged in several bacteria of nosocomial and community origin, posing a serious threat to human health. Additionally, different microbial pathogens also pose serious dangers to the food industry, where international rules discourage the use of conventional additives to prolong and preserve the quality and safety of foods. Regarding drug-resistant microbes, some pathogens such as particular molds, the food pathogens Listeria spp and Streptococcus mutans, and the emerging oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis are significant. The so-called “ESKAPEE” group of pathogens, which include Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter, and Escherichia coli, also pose a threat. Therefore, novel and effective approaches are necessary in order to combat this life-threatening issue. Herbs, as well as some foods and probiotic bacteria, are capable of combating pathogens, interacting with them, and acting on microbial cell membranes, the cytoplasm, quorum sensing, biofilms, drug efflux pumps, R-plasmids, etc. In this Special Issue, we aim to assemble current research and critical opinions on the different actions exhibited by natural extracts, foods, or probiotics against the pathogens cited above, as well as other pathogenic bacteria or molds that are pertinent to health; to describe recent technologies that are potentially relevant in the detection and monitoring of the microbial scenario; and to examine the actions of natural antimicrobials during the shelf-life of food, or on the surfaces of medical devices. Thus, we invite you to contribute to this Special Issue with your latest research findings or review articles in these areas. We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Filomena Nazzaro
Prof. Dr. Vincenzo De Feo
Prof. Dr. Raffaele Coppola
Guest Editors

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