EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY IN SPECIES OF THE GENUS CROTON: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria affect around 700,000 people a year worldwide, according to data from the World Health Organization in 2021. Bacterial infections occur as a result of microbiota imbalance, inefficiency of the immune system and toxicity of the virulence factors of each species. Antibiotics act through mechanisms of action that inhibit the synthesis of the cell wall, proteins and genetic material (DNA and RNA), in addition to causing alterations in the permeability of the bacterial cell membrane. The indiscriminate use and therapeutic indication errors contribute to the growing number of resistant species that occur from genetic mutations that inactivate the pharmacological action of these drugs. The search for therapeutic alternatives of natural origin makes the selection of active biomolecules less expensive and faster in relation to other drug classes due to the emergence of new resistant strains. The empirical use of medicinal plants for various diseases is an ancient practice that over the years has been the subject of scientific studies that contribute to the safety and effectiveness of their consumption. From bibliographic searches in virtual databases of scientific works, the following results were obtained: Science Direct, 11 articles were selected from 345 results; Capes journals selected 1 article out of 6; and Google Scholar, 8 articles out of 400 were selected, in the other databases, articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were not selected. The present study compiled articles that investigated the antimicrobial action in species of the genus Croton against bacterial species. Where in 6 virtual databases 20 articles were selected, categorized in tests with standard bacterial strains, resistant strains producing biofilm and resistant strains against the association of the medicinal plant and commercialized antibiotics.