AUTHOR=El-Saadony Mohamed T. , Saad Ahmed M. , Mohammed Dina Mostafa , Korma Sameh A. , Alshahrani Mohammad Y. , Ahmed Ahmed Ezzat , Ibrahim Essam H. , Salem Heba M. , Alkafaas Samar Sami , Saif Abdullah M. , Elkafas Sara Samy , Fahmy Mohamed A. , Abd El-Mageed Taia A. , Abady Mariam M. , Assal Hanya Y. , El-Tarabily Marawan K. , Mathew Betty T. , AbuQamar Synan F. , El-Tarabily Khaled A. , Ibrahim Salam A. 

TITLE=Medicinal plants: bioactive compounds, biological activities, combating multidrug-resistant microorganisms, and human health benefits - a comprehensive review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1491777

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2025.1491777

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=In recent years, medicinal plants have gained significant attention in modern medicine due to their accessibility, affordability, widespread acceptance, and safety, making herbal remedies highly valued globally. Consequently, ensuring medicinal plants’ quality, efficacy, and safety has become a critical concern for developed and developing nations. The emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms poses a serious global health threat, particularly in low-income regions, despite significant advancements in antimicrobial drugs and medical research over the past century. The rapid spread of these multidrug-resistant infections is primarily attributed to improper prescriptions, overuse, and unregulated access to antibiotics. Addressing these challenges, the standardization of plant-derived pharmaceuticals could pave the way for a transformative era in healthcare. Preserving and leveraging the historical knowledge of medicinal plants is essential before such valuable information is lost. Recently, there has been growing interest among natural and pharmaceutical scientists in exploring medicinal plants as potential sources of antimicrobial agents. This current review aims to identify the most common pathogens threatening human health, analyze the factors contributing to the rise of drug-resistant microorganisms, and evaluate the widespread use of medicinal plants across various countries as alternative antibiotics, highlighting their unique mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance.