BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE PLANT-DERIVED SUBSTANCES WITH ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES

Modern medicine, as well as the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries appreciate the value of plant raw materials for their antiseptic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and soothing effects. Medicinal plants, often found endemically, are often treated as potential sources of new substances with antimicrobial and antifungal activity. The aim of this study was to analyze the significance of selected medicinal and spice plants in terms of their ability to inhibit the growth of microorganisms, including those pathogenic to humans. The significance of active substances contained in selected plant species with high antimicrobial potential including Aloe vera L. and Chelidonium majus L. was described. The antimicrobial activity of plant oils, including those extracted from citrus and spice plants, was also analyzed. Plants are a rich source of many substances with a broad spectrum of activity. This knowledge has often been used in folk medicine, but it was not until the development of modern research methods that the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic properties of many plant substances and their proper use could be understood. New substances present in plant materials are constantly being discovered that may be of medical interest because of their great potential to be used against microorganisms or because of their antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.