Mapping the global landscape of biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance (1992-2025).
Tan C, Wang J, Wu A, Li C
Medicinal Plants
Plant-derived compounds — the same broad category that includes garlic, thyme oil, and herbal extracts you might already grow — are now a leading research frontier in fighting the drug-resistant bacteria that kill hundreds of thousands of people annually.
Bacteria sometimes form sticky protective coatings called biofilms that make them nearly impossible to kill with normal antibiotics. Scientists reviewed over 17,000 studies on this problem and found that researchers worldwide — especially in Asia and Latin America — are turning to plant-based compounds as promising weapons against these super-resistant bacteria. The field is growing fast, and the next breakthroughs may come from combining traditional plant knowledge with new technologies like gene editing and nano-scale drug delivery.
Key Findings
Analysis of 17,198 publications (1992–2025) shows publication output accelerated sharply after 2015, signaling rapid growth in biofilm-resistance research.
High-output countries in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East disproportionately focus on plant-derived antimicrobials and natural products as anti-biofilm strategies.
Emerging intervention approaches include phage therapy, antimicrobial peptides, CRISPR-based antimicrobials, and nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery — with environmental and One Health perspectives gaining traction.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A large-scale review of 17,000+ studies on antibiotic-resistant biofilms finds research accelerating rapidly since 2015, with plant-derived antimicrobials emerging as a globally significant research focus alongside cutting-edge approaches like phage therapy and CRISPR.
Abstract Preview
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a great global health threat, with biofilm formation recognized as a key microbial survival strategy that promotes persistence and recurrent infections. Despite gr...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Ancient DNA Reveals Pre-Columbian Amazonian Forest Management at Scale
Forests and fruits we romanticize as wild — including many plants now in our kitchens and gardens — may exist in their current abundance precisely because an...