Natural compounds to combat microbial biofilms

Biofilms are an important and well-recognized virulence factor expressed by some pathogenic bacteria, contributing to both bacterial persistence and resistance to antibiotic treatments. The increasingly frequent emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, combined with the loss of efficacy of available treatments, has led to the search for therapeutic alternatives. Some of these have focused on combating the production of biofilms. These strategies include the investigation of natural compounds due to their relative abundance and low toxicity levels when implemented as a treatment. These include terpenes, flavonoids, and alkaloids. This chapter describes the source, structure, function, and the studies performed to evaluate the antimicrobial and antibiofilm action of these three large groups of natural compound.