Combating Antimicrobial Resistance in Common Infections: A Phyto-pharmacotherapeutic Approach

Figure 1: Antimicrobial Resistance & Phyto-Pharmacotherapeutics (Source: https://vegconomist.com/science/plant-based-nanoparticles-can-combat-antibiotic-resistance/)

What is Antimicrobial Resistance?

Antimicrobial resistance is the tendency of a microorganism to counteract the microbistatic or microbicidal effects of an antimicrobial drug. Antimicrobial resistance arises in a single microbe and is inherited in the newly reproduced microbes. The resistant microbe is able to grow and spread infection even if the host (patient) is taking antimicrobial medicines. The infection becomes prolonged, severe, and extremely costly to treat. (1) The figure below shows common mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance.

Figure 2: Common Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Resistance (Source: AI-generated)

Antimicrobial Resistance - A Global Threat

Back in 1945, Alexander Fleming, who discovered the first-ever antimicrobial drug, named penicillin, said, "An insufficient dose of penicillin against a simple sore throat could have fatal consequences for people infected later by bacteria that no longer respond to treatment." (2) In recent years, we have seen the resistant strains of the species of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Mycobacterium, etc. The World Health Organisation reports that antimicrobial resistance contributed to 4.95 million deaths globally. Keeping deaths a primary concern, high costs of treatment serve as a secondary concern. The World Bank estimates that AMR could result in US$ 1 trillion additional healthcare costs by 2050, and US$ 1 trillion to US$ 3.4 trillion gross domestic product (GDP) losses per year by 2030. (3)

Phyto-pharmacotherapeutics of Common Infections

The treatment of disease with the help of plant-sourced medicinal preparations is termed Phyto-pharmacotherapeutics, and the key aspects of this approach involve the knowledge of Clinical Pharmacognosy. It has been seen that in many common infections like respiratory tract infections (e.g., sore throat, nasal congestion, cold with cough), gastrointestinal infections (e.g., diarrhea, dysentery), skin infections (e.g., wounds, fungal allergies), or urinary tract infections, the patients themselves or on the instructions of the healthcare provider start the conventional allopathic antimicrobial therapy with broadspectrum or narrow spectrum drugs, even if the antimicrobial drug therapy is not really needed. Then, a more focused scenario arises, which is an incomplete medicinal course of antimicrobial drugs, as the patient himself/herself stops the use of medicines by seeing the eradication of symptoms before completing the regimen. (4)

In such common infections, the patient could be prescribed plant-based medicines that have a traditional background of medicinal uses, with scientific research evidence, and are least prone to arise condition of antimicrobial resistance. Plants contain different types of phytoconstituents which possess medicinal effects. The clove contains a phenolic compound known as eugenol, and ginger is rich in gingerol, which is also a phenolic compound; both of these are responsible for antimicrobial effects. Similarly, aloin present in the mucilage of aloe vera, which is an anthraquinone is used it antifungal effects. The berberine extracted from the fruit of barberry is an alkaloid and is used for its antibacterial effects. Neem leaves are enriched with nimbin, which is a terpenoid and is responsible for antifungal as well as antibacterial activities.

Several common plants containing the medicinally active constituents are used in the form of different medicinal dossage forms to treat various microbial diseases. For instance, we can use poly-herbal infusions or syrups of holy basil, ginger, and licorice to treat infections of the respiratory tract. In the infections of gastrointestinal tract, suspensions or solutions of neem and peppermint are used. The topical preparations of aloe vera, turmeric, and tea tree are proven to aid in the treatment of skin infections. The dentifrice of clove helps in dealing with mouth infections. Similarly, the juice of cranberry and barberry can treat urinary tract infections. (5)

Figure 3: Plants Used in Antimicrobial Therapy (Source: AI Generated)

Conclusion

Antimicrobial resistance is a situation that leads to serious health-related consequences, even death, and requires healthcare providers to avoid unnecessary administration of antimicrobial drugs. In addition to this, the shift to Phyto-pharmacotherapeutics is highly needed. The use of plant-based remedies or medicinal preparations not only aids in the eradication of antimicrobial resistance, but it is also responsible for avoiding the adverse effects, drug dependence, and even the drug-induced comorbidities. Antimicrobial resistance lies in the microbes, but its management is under the control of those prone to it!

References

1. Pommerville JC. Alcamo’s Funadmentals of Microbiology. IX. Massachusetts: Jones and Barlett Publishers; 2011. 1–915 p.

2. Murray P. Swiss Re. 2025 [cited 2026 Apr 4]. Antimicrobial resistance: Fleming’s warning, our era’s challenge. Available from: https://www.swissre.com/risk-knowledge/risk-perspectives-blog/Antimicrobial-resistance.html   

3. WHO. World Health Organization. 2023 [cited 2026 Apr 4]. Antimicrobial resistance. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance

4. Wiffen P, Mitchell M, Snelling M, Stoner N. Oxford Handbook of Clinical Pharmacy. Oxford University Press; 2012.

5. Shah B, Seth AK. Textbook of Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry. Haryana: Elsevier; 2010. 1–587 p.

Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board