Antibacterial Effect Of Natural Oils – An Opportunity To Solve The Problem Of Antibiotic Resistance On The Example Of Pseudomonas Spp.

Presently, the overuse of antibiotics is a great problem all over the world. The reason for this phenomenon is both primary and secondary resistance. Primary resistance is a congenital feature of microbes and does not depend on its contact with a drug. It is chromosomally coded and cannot be transmitted to other species of bacteria. Secondary resistance, on the other hand, develops as a result of contact with the antibiotic substance. Genes located in plasmids are responsible for the formation of this type of resistance. One plasmid often contains resistance genes for several different antibiotics. Plasmids can transfer gene-encoded resistance from one bacterial cell to another by conjugation and transduction. As a result of the overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals, a growing number of infections – such as pneumonia, salmonellosis, tuberculosis, and gonorrhea – are becoming more troublesome to treat. Antibiotic resistance leads also to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs and finally increased mortality. Now people are finally becoming aware of the consequences of the overuse of antibiotics. Thus, interest in natural bacteriostatic materials, such as plant essential oils, has observably grown. A number of scientific studies have confirmed the antimicrobial activity of plant-derived essential oils against pathogenic bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A very important advantage of plant oils is the fact that they are active in low, sub-lethal concentrations, without provoking the acquisition resistance mechanisms in bacteria. The aim of this review was to explain the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance formation on the example of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and to demonstrate that it is worth looking for alternative treatment methods which can lead to limiting the use of antibiotics. Finally, this work tries to explain how the oils work.

1.Introduction. 2. The characteristics of Pseudomonas genus. 2.1. Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 3. The mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas spp. 3.1. Intrinsic resistance. 3.2. Adaptive resistance. 3.3. Plasmid resistance. 4. The most common resistances of clinical P. aeruginosa strains to antibiotics. 4.1. Resistance to aminoglycosides. 4.2. Resistance to fluoroquinolones. 4.3. Resistance to cephalosporins. 5. Essential oils from plants as a natural alternative for antibiotics. 5.1. Antibacterial activity of plant EOs against Pseudomonas spp. 5.2. How EOs work on the bacteria cell. 6. Summary