Natural antibacterials

Natural antibacterials are a diverse group of substances derived from plants, microbes (such as actinomycetes or fungi), animals, and sometimes minerals, which exhibit the capacity to inhibit or kill bacteria[3][5][7][8]. These compounds include a broad class of chemicals such as phenols, flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids, peptides (like bacteriocins), and essential oils[3][5][7]. Their mechanisms of action include disruption of bacterial cell membranes, inhibition of key enzymes, and interference with protein or nucleic acid synthesis[1][3][7]. While some, like penicillin, have been developed into pharmaceuticals, many natural antibacterials are used in traditional medicine or as food preservatives. The group is too heterogeneous to define as a single drug target; rather, it comprises many unrelated molecules that act through independent mechanisms.\n\nBecause “Natural antibacterials” is not a specific molecular target but a compound category, this entry is **not suitable for single-target drug or mechanistic annotation** and should be flagged as incorrect in this context[1][3][8].

Other names

natural antibioticsnatural antimicrobial compoundsplant-derived antibacterialsnatural antimicrobial agents

Disruption of bacterial cell wall synthesis; Disruption of cell membranes; Inhibition of protein synthesis; Inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis; Inhibition/blockade of key bacterial metabolic pathways; Inhibition of bacterial biofilm formation; Immune modulation