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Updated: May 29, 2026

Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidants for Cosmetic Applications Using Polyol-Based Technology
Published on: August 23, 2024
Polyphenols as antimicrobial agents
1Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy. maria.daglia@unipv.it
Abstract:
Polyphenols are secondary metabolites produced by higher plants, which play multiple essential roles in plant physiology and have potential healthy properties on human organism, mainly as antioxidants, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antihypertensive, and antimicrobial agents. In the present review the antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activities of the most active polyphenol classes are reported, highlighting, where investigated, the mechanisms of action and the structure-activity relationship. Moreover, considering that the microbial resistance has become an increasing global problem, and there is a compulsory need to find out new potent antimicrobial agents as accessories to antibiotic therapy, the synergistic effect of polyphenols in combination with conventional antimicrobial agents against clinical multidrug-resistant microorganisms is discussed.
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