Natural Compounds: Advances in Antimicrobial Activity
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 630
Special Issue Editors
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; bacterial adhesion; biofilm; natural extracts; drug delivery systems; clinical infectious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent decades, an increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been observed. AMR is defined as microorganisms' ability to resist antimicrobials' action, making them ineffective. AMR is a consequence of the large and inappropriate use of antimicrobials and the failure to complete the recommended treatment or self-medication. As a result, some microorganisms develop resistance mechanisms that allow them to evade the mechanisms of action of antimicrobial agents. AMR concerns the resistance to antibiotics and other chemotherapeutic agents, including antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic drugs. The widespread diffusion of resistant phenotypes explains the increasing prevalence of community-acquired (CA) and hospital-acquired (HA) infections caused by resistant strains. Considering the scarce response to the most common clinically used antimicrobial agents, these infections are extremely difficult and, in some cases, impossible to treat. Accordingly, AMR is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates and implicates increased costs for the management of infections. For these reasons, it represents one of the most important global public health threats. In this context, the research of new and effective natural molecules endowed with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities has attracted significant attention.
This Special Issue, entitled “Natural Compounds: Advances in Antimicrobial Activity”, of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences focuses on the antimicrobial effects of natural compounds, emphasizing strategies to make them more selective and effective. Furthermore, research aimed at studying and preventing infectious diseases through an artificial intelligence-based approach will be considered. Specifically, research pertaining to the following topics:
- Nanotechnology-based delivery systems for natural compounds (polymer nanoparticles, crystal nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), liposomes, dendrimers, and micelles);
- Natural antimicrobial agents able to inhibit/eradicate biofilm or to block/modulate quorum sensing communication system;
- Combinational antimicrobial chemotherapies (synergistic interaction of natural compounds and conventional drugs);
- Machine-learning algorithm to identify natural compounds that could inhibit the growth of multidrug-resistant bacteria (e.g., Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus) and predict possible clinical outcomes.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Carlo Genovese
Dr. Francesco Pegreffi
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- natural compounds
- multidrug-resistant microorganisms
- biofilm
- synergistic effect
- nanotechnologies
- delivery systems
- machine learning
- clinical infections
