**1. Introduction**

108 Antimicrobial Agents

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Initial Scale-Up and Process Improvements for the Preparation of

The phenomenon of antibiosis, life prevents life, observed by Goubert and Pasteur in 1877, gave rise to the use of antibiotics in therapy. In fact, on that date has been found that certain microorganisms were sensitive to the action of products produced by other microorganisms. Unfortunately, many of these products were toxic to the cells of higher animals, and only in 1943, the first antibiotic isolated and studied by Sir Alexander Fleming - penicillin G – was introduced in clinic. Penicillin was discovered in 1929 when Fleming sought potential antibacterial compounds. He noted that a colony of the fungus *Penicillium notatum* had grown up on a plate containing the bacterium *Staphylococcus aureus* and around the fungus had a zone where the bacteria did not grow. The active substance, Fleming called penicillin, but could not isolate it. Several years later, in 1939, Ernst Chain and Howard Florey developed a way to isolate penicillin and used it to treat bacterial infections during the Second World War. The new drug came into use in the clinic in 1946 and had a huge impact on public health. Its discovery and development revolutionized modern medicine and paved the way for the development of many more antibiotics of natural origin.

Antimicrobial activity is understood as the ability of some agents to eliminate microorganisms (aiming at different metabolic or structural targets, as nucleic acid synthesis disruption or peptidoglycan synthesis inhibition) or by inhibiting their growth.

Before the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s, infections were rare, but rapidly increased in frequency as increased the use of antibiotics. In fact, most antibiotics that were first used in the 1940s and 1950s are no longer used clinically because nowadays the resistance of infectious beings to these antibiotics is very common. Over time they have been developing new antibiotics and with the introduction of each, new drug-resistant bacteria appeared rapidly. Today, we moved the mode of use and prescription of antibiotics in order to try to slow the relentless pace of bacterial evolution, but not yet found a solution to this problem. Microbiologists continue to study how bacteria evolve so that we can predict how they will respond to medical treatment and so we can better manage the evolution of infectious diseases.

This microbiocidal or microbiostatic activity is, on one's mind, usually related with therapeutic objectives or sanitizing activities within the food or pharmaceutical industries. Nevertheless, in our daily routine, and also linked with food microbiology, we are faced with a number of substances, which we use only as culinary additives, that may work as antimicrobial agents or may turn to be a good source of new antimicrobial molecules for

Antimicrobial Activity of Condiments 111

Despite the success of conventional medicine, based on the use of pure compounds, it is undeniable the current increased use of "natural medicines" (natural remedies) in Western societies, even though these products are sometimes viewed with suspicion by the professionals linked to the administration health care. One of the problems associated with the use of drugs of plant origin comes from the fact that in most cases, these products are sold without any control. The concentration of the pharmacologically active compounds depends on the season that was harvested, the state of maturation and the conditions under which the plant grew. The lack of regulation could result in the same plant product that was

The drug resistance of human and animal pathogens is one of the best documented in biological evolution and a serious problem in both developed and developing countries. The consumption of more than one ton daily antibiotics in some European countries has resulted in resistance to bacterial populations, thus causing a serious public health problem. In view of this scenario, the search for new antimicrobial substances from natural sources, including

In the past, herbal medicine was taken over by poor people in rural or urban area, due to easy availability and lower costs. Currently, the use of plants as a source of drugs is prevalent in developing countries as an alternative solution to health problems and is well established in some cultures and traditions, especially in Asia, Latin America and Africa. It was through the recognition by man of the healing power of certain plants that was born

All cultures in different parts of the world have developed knowledge of local plants that enabled them to its use for therapeutic purposes. Ancient written sources from Babylon, Egypt, India and China reached us, where the procedures are described for the collection,

Herbs, spices, condiments and their essential oils are usually seen merely as a way to season and add flavour or colour to foods, so its chemical complexity is often forgot and, therefore,

The prediction of specific antimicrobial effects of spices and condiments may be difficult to ascertain, as well as the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), not only because the specific mechanism is possibly different in different products, but also because of the amount of spice or condiment, the food to which is added, the cooking process or because the bacterial target, type and concentration, may influence the result, and also differences

The present chapter intents to show the main results in terms of antimicrobial activity of plants, herbs and condiments, the main techniques envolved and future prospects in this field.

There are more than 300,000 species of plants, ranging from green algae to seed plants. Only a relatively small amount of these plants has been used since human populations were still collectors. With the beginning of agriculture and the expansion of mankind, the number of plants employed as nourishment or for medicinal purpose increased. The use of plants as a way to ease human ailments dates back to prehistory. In some parts of the World the

handling and use of different plant materials for recovery of its healing power.

purchased at different times will have different biological activity.

plants, has gained importance in pharmaceutical companies.

between *in vitro* (using culture media) and food experiments.

and developed the pharmacy as we know it today.

some of its molecules ignored.

**2. History** 

industrial application and, therefore, may turn to have an increased economic value. The search for new antibacterial molecules in spices and herbs is particularly important. Multidrug-resistant strains are becoming increasingly common, both in hospitals and community, raising the need for expanding research. Moreover, the effective life duration of classic antibiotics is decreasing, probably due to overconsumption and misuse. The global attention on infectious diseases going epidemic, like human immunodefficiency virus (HIV), raises even more the interest on drugs of non-microbial origin.

In many regions of the world a large variety of plants and herbs are used for their medicinal value, treating various diseases, some of infectious nature. Historically, the use of plants, in particular edible plants, is widely reported since ancient times and is associated with some sort of medicinal effect, and these plants were used (some still are) against bacteria, fungi, viruses and even helmiths (Cowan, 1999). The therapeutic use of such products in some areas is related not only with cultural aspects, traditional medicine, availability of these products, with some plants and herbs endemic to very specific areas, as parts of Latin America, Africa and Asia, but also related with economic issues. Some regions are empoverished and modern medicine and antibiotic-based therapies are not largely available to most people. Most of the very specific plants used in some regions are largely unknown to western medicine and are object of study in the field of ethnopharmacology, especially for research of their antimicrobial properties. Nevertheless, even in some western countries, plant and herb-based treatments are used in "unconventional" therapies, though seen with mistrust by "conventional" medicine.

The use of plants for medicinal purposes involves the use of extracts more or less complex and sometimes it is hard to blame the healing power of a single substance. Although in some parts of the world population is still dependent on ancestral knowledge to alleviate their sufferings, the so-called western medicine world prefers the use of pure substances. The attempt to rationalize the "healing process" by Western medicine led to the study and attempt to isolate the active ingredients of medicinal plants that is to identify the chemical responsible for its healing power.

Many of the plants used in traditional medicine have been well evaluated and several compounds isolated that serve today as "models" to the pharmaceutical industry for drug development. So many of the drugs used today have a story that involves their isolation from plant material, identification in chemical terms, chemical synthesis and evaluation of the pharmacological properties of the pure compound. Often this assessment leads to the need of modifying the chemical structure first identified in the compound extracted from the plant, which is done to improve its pharmacological properties often reducing the adverse effects associated with the initial chemical structure.

This whole process was initiated in the nineteenth century with the investigation of plants used in treating some diseases, and the identification of compounds isolated in terms of its chemical structure was made much later, back in the twentieth century. The first compounds that were isolated were pure morphine (isolated from opium which is obtained from the white poppy capsules) and quinine of *Chinchona* spp. (family of plants used in South America to treat malaria). Both compounds are still used for therapeutic purposes. This process started in the nineteenth century never stopped and is now easier due to improved techniques for the isolation and structural determination of chemical compounds.

industrial application and, therefore, may turn to have an increased economic value. The search for new antibacterial molecules in spices and herbs is particularly important. Multidrug-resistant strains are becoming increasingly common, both in hospitals and community, raising the need for expanding research. Moreover, the effective life duration of classic antibiotics is decreasing, probably due to overconsumption and misuse. The global attention on infectious diseases going epidemic, like human immunodefficiency virus (HIV),

In many regions of the world a large variety of plants and herbs are used for their medicinal value, treating various diseases, some of infectious nature. Historically, the use of plants, in particular edible plants, is widely reported since ancient times and is associated with some sort of medicinal effect, and these plants were used (some still are) against bacteria, fungi, viruses and even helmiths (Cowan, 1999). The therapeutic use of such products in some areas is related not only with cultural aspects, traditional medicine, availability of these products, with some plants and herbs endemic to very specific areas, as parts of Latin America, Africa and Asia, but also related with economic issues. Some regions are empoverished and modern medicine and antibiotic-based therapies are not largely available to most people. Most of the very specific plants used in some regions are largely unknown to western medicine and are object of study in the field of ethnopharmacology, especially for research of their antimicrobial properties. Nevertheless, even in some western countries, plant and herb-based treatments are used in "unconventional" therapies, though seen with

The use of plants for medicinal purposes involves the use of extracts more or less complex and sometimes it is hard to blame the healing power of a single substance. Although in some parts of the world population is still dependent on ancestral knowledge to alleviate their sufferings, the so-called western medicine world prefers the use of pure substances. The attempt to rationalize the "healing process" by Western medicine led to the study and attempt to isolate the active ingredients of medicinal plants that is to identify the chemical

Many of the plants used in traditional medicine have been well evaluated and several compounds isolated that serve today as "models" to the pharmaceutical industry for drug development. So many of the drugs used today have a story that involves their isolation from plant material, identification in chemical terms, chemical synthesis and evaluation of the pharmacological properties of the pure compound. Often this assessment leads to the need of modifying the chemical structure first identified in the compound extracted from the plant, which is done to improve its pharmacological properties often reducing the

This whole process was initiated in the nineteenth century with the investigation of plants used in treating some diseases, and the identification of compounds isolated in terms of its chemical structure was made much later, back in the twentieth century. The first compounds that were isolated were pure morphine (isolated from opium which is obtained from the white poppy capsules) and quinine of *Chinchona* spp. (family of plants used in South America to treat malaria). Both compounds are still used for therapeutic purposes. This process started in the nineteenth century never stopped and is now easier due to improved techniques for the isolation and structural determination of chemical compounds.

raises even more the interest on drugs of non-microbial origin.

mistrust by "conventional" medicine.

responsible for its healing power.

adverse effects associated with the initial chemical structure.

Despite the success of conventional medicine, based on the use of pure compounds, it is undeniable the current increased use of "natural medicines" (natural remedies) in Western societies, even though these products are sometimes viewed with suspicion by the professionals linked to the administration health care. One of the problems associated with the use of drugs of plant origin comes from the fact that in most cases, these products are sold without any control. The concentration of the pharmacologically active compounds depends on the season that was harvested, the state of maturation and the conditions under which the plant grew. The lack of regulation could result in the same plant product that was purchased at different times will have different biological activity.

The drug resistance of human and animal pathogens is one of the best documented in biological evolution and a serious problem in both developed and developing countries. The consumption of more than one ton daily antibiotics in some European countries has resulted in resistance to bacterial populations, thus causing a serious public health problem. In view of this scenario, the search for new antimicrobial substances from natural sources, including plants, has gained importance in pharmaceutical companies.

In the past, herbal medicine was taken over by poor people in rural or urban area, due to easy availability and lower costs. Currently, the use of plants as a source of drugs is prevalent in developing countries as an alternative solution to health problems and is well established in some cultures and traditions, especially in Asia, Latin America and Africa. It was through the recognition by man of the healing power of certain plants that was born and developed the pharmacy as we know it today.

All cultures in different parts of the world have developed knowledge of local plants that enabled them to its use for therapeutic purposes. Ancient written sources from Babylon, Egypt, India and China reached us, where the procedures are described for the collection, handling and use of different plant materials for recovery of its healing power.

Herbs, spices, condiments and their essential oils are usually seen merely as a way to season and add flavour or colour to foods, so its chemical complexity is often forgot and, therefore, some of its molecules ignored.

The prediction of specific antimicrobial effects of spices and condiments may be difficult to ascertain, as well as the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), not only because the specific mechanism is possibly different in different products, but also because of the amount of spice or condiment, the food to which is added, the cooking process or because the bacterial target, type and concentration, may influence the result, and also differences between *in vitro* (using culture media) and food experiments.

The present chapter intents to show the main results in terms of antimicrobial activity of plants, herbs and condiments, the main techniques envolved and future prospects in this field.
