Antibiofilm Potential of Natural Essential Oils

Commonly available essential oils (EOs) are pure aromatic substances derived from natural plant sources (fresh or dried raw materials), with broad biological activity, including antimicrobial activity. The activity of EOs is of great interest due to the serious problem of diseases caused by microorganisms. Pathogenic microorganisms (PAMs) show increased resistance to physical and chemical factors due to their association with a form of specific biological membrane called biofilm (BF), which is resistant to extreme conditions and significantly hinders effective therapy. The decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics, combined with the increasing resistance of microorganisms, has prompted the search for alternative antimicrobial (AM) therapies. EOs and some of their components are currently considered as potential agents useful in the prevention, treatment, and control of infections transmitted by microbial BF. In combination with antibiotics, EOs can prevent the transfer of resistance to AM agents due to the synergistic antibiofilm (ABF) effect. BF inhibition by EO is not based on killing bacterial cells but on the inhibition of the quorum sensing (QS) pathway. EOs also affect growth regulation, nutritional balance, and energy conversion in bacteria. It can be assumed that this group of substances will be of significant importance in the treatment of infectious diseases in the near future. This article reviews the results of the latest research on essential oils and their main components as potential factors limiting/inhibiting the development of PAMs.