Zoonotic Diseases and Phytochemical Medicines for Microbial Infections in Veterinary Science: Current State and Future Perspective

Shin, Bora; Park, Woojun

Bacteria get resistant to antibiotics rapidly; thus, there is an urgent need to develop effective antimicrobial compounds or to find adjuvants that promote antibiotic function. Plant therapy is one of the oldest medical fields traditionally based on empiricism and is considered the largest source of new antibiotics to address antibiotic resistance (5) . Commonly, synthetic medicines are expensive and damage the intestinal microbial balance due to their toxicity; by contrast, herbal antibacterial compounds are relatively non-toxic, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly (37) . Microbiota is involved in the control of metabolism in humans and animals via protection against pathogens, enhancement of immune systems, and production of vitamins and short-chain fatty acids (35) . It is known to have an important influence on human and animal health through interaction with the immune system. In the past, medical herbs were used as medicines to prevent and/or treat infection. For example, in ancient China and Egypt, records of medicinal plant use for health maintenance and disease prevention since 3,000 BC have been found (38) . In general, the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes in gut microbiome is highly relevant to the immune system and can vary dramatically depending on the health (35) and age (middle or old age) of the individual (36) . Herbal medicine interacts with the gut microbiome and alters metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, and lipopolysaccharides (35) .