Current Trends in Exploiting the Influence of Natural Substances as Antimicrobial Agents for Food, Agriculture, and Health Applications

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across human, animal, food, and environmental ecosystems represents a major global challenge within the One Health framework. Conventional antibiotics and chemical preservatives are progressively losing efficacy, while regulatory constraints demand safer and more sustainable alternatives. In this context, natural products and probiotic-based strategies are emerging as versatile antimicrobial tools capable of targeting diverse pathogens through shared mechanisms such as biofilm inhibition, quorum sensing interference, and microbiome modulation.

Pathogens associated with the oral cavity, food systems, clinical environments, and agriculture are increasingly recognized as interconnected rather than isolated threats. Oral bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans and Fusobacterium nucleatum are not only implicated in oral diseases but also linked to systemic inflammation, colorectal cancer, and dysbiosis-driven pathologies. Similarly, foodborne and opportunistic pathogens, including Listeria spp. and members of the ESKAPEE group (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., and Escherichia coli), share common resistance traits, biofilm-forming capacity, and survival strategies across clinical, food-processing, and environmental niches. Plant pathogens such as Xanthomonas spp., Pseudomonas syringae, Erwinia amylovora, Fusarium spp., Botrytis cinerea, and Phytophthora infestans further contribute to this continuum, as they rely on analogous virulence mechanisms and pose indirect risks to food security and human health.

Within this unified framework, plants, foods, agro-industrial byproducts, prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics are increasingly explored as sustainable sources of antimicrobial and anti-biofilm strategies, acting through microbiome modulation rather than direct microbial killing. These natural strategies offer multitarget activity, reduced selective pressure for resistance, and compatibility with food, agricultural, and clinical applications.

This Topic aims to collate original research articles, short communications, and reviews focusing on natural products and probiotic-derived antimicrobials as cross-cutting solutions against AMR. Particular emphasis is placed on mechanistic insights, biofilm and quorum sensing inhibition, microbiome interactions, formulation and delivery approaches, and real-world applications. Contributions presenting innovative analytical, molecular, microfluidic, or sensing technologies for detecting, monitoring, and evaluating antimicrobial activity across food systems, agricultural settings, oral environments, and medical devices are also welcome to be submitted.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Natural antimicrobial compounds from plants, foods, and agro-industrial byproducts;
• Probiotics, postbiotics, and microbiome-based strategies for pathogen control;
• Anti-biofilm and anti-quorum sensing activities across clinical, oral, food, and plant pathogens;
• Oral–gut–plant microbiome connections within the One Health framework;
• Natural antimicrobials in food preservation, crop protection, and sustainable agriculture;
• Emerging analytical, molecular, and sensing technologies for antimicrobial assessment;
• Surface sanitation and medical device protection using natural agents.

Dr. Filomena Nazzaro
Dr. Francesca Coppola
Topic Editors