International Journal of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry.
ISSN 2349-2341 Volume 4, Number 1 (2016), pp. 27-42
© International Research Publication House
http://www.irphouse.com
Plants as Latent Sources of New Antimicrobials and
Resistance Modifying Agents Against Multi Drug
Resistant (MDR) Strains
Vaidehi Patel
1
*, Dr. Rajesh Patel
2
1
Department of Microbiology, Shree K. K. Patel girls science college.
2
Department of life science, H.N.G.U, PATAN
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance has limited the use of cheap and old antibiotics, has
necessitated to used higher class antibiotics. The need of higher class
antibiotics need a continued search for new antimicrobial compounds.
Understanding the mechanisms of resistance is important in the development
of strategies to solving the problem. Active efflux of drugs, alteration of target
sites and enzymatic degradations are the strategies by which pathogenic
bacteria acquire or develop intrinsic resistance to antibiotics. Multi-drug
resistance (MDR) pumps, capable of recognizing and expelling a variety of
structurally unrelated compounds from the bacterial cell and conferring
resistance to a wide range of antibiotics have since been characterized in many
Gram positive and Gram negative pathogens like Staphylococcus au reus,
Pseudomonas ae ruginosa, Escherichia coli and, more recently, in
mycobacteria. The ability of some chemical compounds (called MDR
inhibitors or resistance modifying agents) to modify the resistance phenotype
in bacteria by working synergistically with antibiotics in vitro has since been
observed. The search for such compounds which can be combined with
antibiotics in the treatment of drug resistant infections may be an alternative to
overcoming the problem of resistance in bacteria. Crude extracts of medicinal
plants stand out as veritable sources of potential resistance modifying agents.
Keywords: MDR, plant extract, resistant modifying agent
1. Introduction
Infectious diseases caused by bacteria and fungi affect millions of people worldwide.
Throughout the history of mankind, infectious diseases have remained a major cause
of death and disability. Today, infectious diseases account for one-third of all deaths