Title:Plant Flavonoids as Reservoirs of Therapeutics against Microbial Virulence Traits:
A Comprehensive Review Update
Volume: 29
Issue: 12
Author(s): Tamara Carević, Dejan Stojković and Marija Ivanov*
Affiliation:
- Department of Plant Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia,
University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
Keywords:
Flavonoids, antivirulence, antibiofilm, antimicrobial, hyphal development, pyocyanin inhibition, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Abstract: Flavonoids are secondary metabolites abundantly present in plants and, in most cases, essential contributors
to plants bioactivity. They have been studied so far for a range of possible health-beneficial effects,
including antioxidant, cardioprotective, and cytotoxic. Therefore, there are data on the antimicrobial potential of
a significant number of flavonoids. However, less is known regarding their antivirulence traits. Trending antimicrobial
research worldwide has pointed out the promising effects of antimicrobial strategies based on the antivirulence
principle, so this review aims to present the newest research regarding the antivirulence effects of
flavonoids. Articles on antivirulence flavonoids published from 2015 until now were selected. A range of molecules
from this class has been studied up to date, with the most abundant data for quercetin and myricetin, while
the most studied organism is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antivirulence attributes studied included antibiofilm
assessment, followed by data on the inhibition of virulence pigments (pyocyanin, violacein, and staphyloxanthin)
and virulence enzyme production (such as sortase A and elastase). Less information is collected on
the inhibition of morphological transition, motility, and molecular mechanisms underlying the antivirulence
properties of flavonoids and in vivo research. Flavonoids are a group of compounds with a wide range of antivirulence
traits and might be further developed into essential parts of novel antimicrobial strategies.