Mediterranean Plants with Antimicrobial Activity against Staphylococcus aureus, a Meta-Analysis for Green Veterinary Pharmacology Applications

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a global health crisis, necessitating the search for innovative strategies to combat infectious diseases. The unique biodiversity of Italian flora offers a treasure trove of plant species and their associated phytochemicals, which hold immense potential as a solution to address AMR. By investigating the antimicrobial properties of Italian flora and their phytochemical constituents, this study aims to shed light on the potential of phyto-complexes as a valuable resource for developing novel or supportive antimicrobial agents useful for animal production.

Antimicrobial Properties of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), Sage (Salvia officinalis L.), Lavender (Lavandula officinalis L.), Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don), and Savory (Satureja montana L.) and Their Application in Hard Cheese Production

“…Our study shows that S. aureus and S. haemolyticus strains, which are carriers of transferable resistance genes (erm), are very sensitive to all plant extracts tested, with the exception of savory. These data are consistent with those of Piras et al [44] and Oppedisano et al [45], who even listed 39 different plants growing in Italy that produce extracts effective against S. aureus, implying that this is generally very sensitive to plants extracts. Unfortunately, the second most relevant foodborne pathogen in cheese production, L. monocytogenes, was not affected by the extracts used in our study, as was the case for other Listeria species tested.…”