Fragmento

Microbiologists and infectious disease experts are alarmed by the fact that effective antibiotics will not be available to treat severely ill patients in the near future because of the increasing emergence of antibiotic resistance. This threat is especially worrisome with regard to our lack of ability to combat multidrug resistant bacterial infections. This situation necessitates the development of new antimicrobial agents and their synergistic combinations. From conception of the idea to rational drug design, drug development is a decade-long process which requires the tireless efforts of scientists. In ancient times people used natural remedies for their health related problems. With the passage of time, scientific observations have proven the importance of medicinal plants. Herbal medicine is recognized not only in developing countries but also in well-developed ones. Chinese, Indian, European, and African plants have been reported to exhibit antimicrobial and immunostimulating activity. Most of the biological activity of herbs is due to small molecules such as alkaloids, lignans and terpenoids. Plant-derived proteins and polysaccharides are high molecular weight compounds that can help in enhancing immune responses.

Palabras clave: Indigenous plants microbiology infectious disease.

2007-11-06   |   942 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 1 Núm.2. Octubre 2007 Pags. 96-98 J Infect Developing Countries 2007; 1(2)