Reviews on challenges, opportunities and future prospects of antimicrobial activities of medicinal plants: alternative solutions to combat antimicrobial resistance

Abstract

The effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi, and at country level worldwide both in humans and animals was endangered by the emergence of conventional antimicrobial resistance. As result, the world interestingly, forward-looking to the natural products of medicinal plants as alternative remedies in the field of medical sciences in view of the novel molecules delivered by this discipline of science. In spite of the fact that, traditional medicinal healers have used medicinal plants for treatment of different ailments for centuries, there has always been a frequently asked question about their therapeutic efficacy, validation and standardization. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to review and enlighten challenges, opportunities and future prospects of antimicrobial activities of medicinal plants as alternative solutions to combat antimicrobial resistance worldwide in humans as well as animals. Moreover, a continuous and progressing systematic researches and investigation using standardized extract develop through advanced analytical procedures need to be conducted to prove the biological ingredients and test the safety, efficiency and to determine the types of compounds responsible for the antimicrobial effects of these medicinal plants will be desirable.