May phenolics mitigate the antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens?

The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria represents an increasing threat to public health, making it necessary to search for alternatives to control pathogenic microorganisms. Phenolics, found in leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits can potentially be used as antimicrobials in foods. The most extensively studied compounds are eugenol, carvacrol, thymol, resveratrol, cinnamaldehyde, and pyrogallol. They have demonstrated antimicrobial properties against foodborne pathogens through different mechanisms of action. Phenolics may synergize with antimicrobials, expanding the spectrum of action of the antimicrobial or even reversing antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, they can modulate genes associated with bacterial resistance and virulence, with scientific evidence that phenolic compounds can help mitigate antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens. This review describes the antibacterial potential of phenolic compounds against foodborne pathogens, their synergistic action with clinical antimicrobial agents, and their capacity to modulate the expression of bacterial genes, aiming to answer whether these compounds can mitigate antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens.