Phytoconstituents as an EPI in antimicrobial resistance

Abstract

The emergence of multidrug resistance among bacteria is a burning issue nowadays, and demanded for the discovery of the potential chemicals to deal with that resistance problem. Among several mechanisms of acquiring resistance, the over-expression of efflux pumps is very important. Efflux pumps can efflux out a large number of structurally unrelated drugs making them ineffective, which illustrates the importance of efflux pump inhibitors. Here we review the literature on efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) from the plant sources, which will help to regain the activity of the existing antibiotics. The discovery of the new classes of natural EPIs demands further studies to explore their potential to work in synergy with existing antibiotics.