The role of plants and macrofungi as a source of novel antimicrobial agents

Antibiotic resistance presents a significant challenge to clinical, veterinary and plant health and is now recognized by the WHO as a major emerging problem of global significance. Recently, there has been a paucity of new antibiotics being developed, thus refocussing investigations into natural antimicrobials, especially from plants. Historically, plants have been a rich source of medicines, ranging from chemotherapeutic compounds, anti-inflammatories to antimicrobial agents, where such therapeutic activity has been recognized and exploited by traditional medicine in many countries, particularly in Asia. This review wishes to explore the substances in plants which are antimicrobial and to identify their broad spectrum of activity. In addition, the review discusses the ecological effects of overharvesting of medicinal plants and the consequences for species survival.