Treatment Of Microbial Infections Research Articles

STRYCHNOS SPINOSA LAM: COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON ITS MEDICINAL AND NUTRITIONAL USES.

Background: Most of the people living in developing countries rely on local remedies from traditional medicines to take care of their healthcare needs. In recent years, the use of medicinal plants increased considerably. Consequently, studies on medicinal plants are necessary to produce more effective drugs with fewer side-effects. This work aims to compile the dispersal data on Strychnos spinosa Lam., a medicinal plant with great therapeutic potential in traditional medicine, on its ethnobotanical uses, chemical compounds, as well as its pharmacological and nutritional effects. Material and Methods: To achieve the aforementioned aim, electronic databases such as Pubmed, Science Direct, Google scholar, Scopus and SciFinder were scanned. Results: Literature survey revealed that S. spinosa is used in the treatment of microbial infections, malaria, trypanosomiasis, intestinal worms, tuberculosis, infertility, gastrointestinal disorders, snake bite, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus among other ailments. The plant is also used as food material. S. spinosa contains many chemical compounds, such as alkaloids, terpenes, sterols, fatty acids, flavonoids, saponin, and others. The fruits are a source of important nutrients such as carbohydrates, sugars, proteins, vitamins and fibres. Experimental studies have shown numerous pharmacological properties, including antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, anti-trypanosomal, anti-leishmanial, anti-nematicidal, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antidiabetic and other activities. Conclusion: This review article provides comprehensive information on S. spinosa and its various extracts. Due to the promising effects of the plant extracts on various diseases and its nutritional values, there is a need for toxicity studies and clinical trials to assess the effects of its identified bioactive compounds.

Inhibition of Polymicrobial Biofilms of Candida albicans-Staphylococcus aureus/Streptococcus mutans by Fucoidan-Gold Nanoparticles.

The polymicrobial proliferation and development of complex biofilm morphologies by bacterial and fungal pathogens in the host are some of the key factors contributing to the failure of antimicrobial treatments. The polymicrobial interaction of Candida albicans and some bacterial species has been extensively studied in both in vitro and in vivo model systems. Alternative strategies for disrupting polymicrobial interaction and biofilm formation are constantly needed. Among several alternative strategies, the use of nanoparticles synthesized using a natural product in the treatment of microbial infection has been considered a promising approach. The current study aimed to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using a natural product, fucoidan, and to test their efficacy against mono and duo combinations of fungal (Candida albicans) and bacterial (Staphylococcus aureus/Streptococcus mutans) biofilms. Several methods were used to characterize and study Fu-AuNPs, including UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, FTIR, FE-TEM, EDS, DLS, zeta potential, and XRD. The concentration-dependent inhibition of early-stage biofilms and the eradication of mature biofilms of single species of C. albicans, S. aureus, and S. mutans have been observed. Early biofilms of a dual-species combination of C. albicans and S. aureus/S. mutans were also suppressed at an increasing concentration of Fu-AuNPs. Furthermore, Fu-AuNPs significantly eradicated the established mature biofilm of mixed species. The treatment method proposed in this study, which involves the use of marine-bioinspired nanoparticles, is a promising and biocompatible agent for preventing the growth of polymicrobial biofilms of bacterial and fungal pathogens.

Advances in Liposome-Encapsulated Phthalocyanines for Photodynamic Therapy

This updated review aims to describe the current status in the development of liposome-based systems for the targeted delivery of phthalocyanines for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Although a number of other drug delivery systems (DDS) can be found in the literature and have been studied for phthalocyanines or similar photosensitizers (PSs), liposomes are by far the closest to clinical practice. PDT itself finds application not only in the selective destruction of tumour tissues or the treatment of microbial infections, but above all in aesthetic medicine. From the point of view of administration, some PSs can advantageously be delivered through the skin, but for phthalocyanines, systemic administration is more suitable. However, systemic administration places higher demands on advanced DDS, active tissue targeting and reduction of side effects. This review focuses on the already described liposomal DDS for phthalocyanines, but also describes examples of DDS used for structurally related PSs, which can be assumed to be applicable to phthalocyanines as well.

Dissolving microneedles based on ZnO nanoparticles and an ionic liquid as synergistic antibacterial agents.

The use of nanomaterials to replace antibiotics has developed rapidly in the past decade, among which zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have been proven to exhibit antibacterial properties and low toxicity in the treatment of microbial infections, and have been applied in antibacterial agent preparation. However, one of the problems of ZnO NPs is that these particles do not disperse well in some media, which reduces their antibacterial effects. Ionic liquids (ILs) are a class of low melting point salts containing organic cations and organic/inorganic anions; they have good biocompatibility and can not only enhance the dispersion of ZnO NPs but also have antibacterial properties. Microneedles (MNs) are an emerging transdermal drug delivery platform, which can effectively establish a transport channel in the epidermis and deliver the drug to a predetermined depth without causing pain, skin damage or overstimulation. Dissolving microneedles (DMNs) have developed rapidly because of several advantages. In this study, it is verified that ZnO NPs dispersed in the imidazolidinyl IL exhibit excellent and enhanced antibacterial effects compared with single ZnO NPs and a single IL. Therefore, ZnO NPs/IL dispersion showed good antibacterial activity. Then, ZnO NPs/IL dispersions with synergistic antibacterial properties were used as antibacterial agents to prepare DMNs. In vitro antibacterial results showed that DMNs also had good antibacterial properties. Furthermore, DMNs were applied to treat wound infection. Antibacterial DMNs were inserted into the infected wound and then dissolved and released, resulting in microbial death and acceleration of wound healing.

Phytochemical Screening and Antimicrobial Activity of Sarcocephalus latifolius Smith Roots Extracts

Aims: This work aims to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Sarcocephalus latifolius extracts.
 Methodology: Thus, phytochemical screening was qualitatively accessed using colorations or precipitations methods. Ethanolic and aqueous extracts were used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial activity, using the diffusion method, was evaluated on eight strains including two reference strains (Streptococcus pneumoniae ATCC 49619 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853) and six clinically isolated S. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa strains. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were determined by the microdilution method. 
 Results: The phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoids, anthocyanins, mucilages, saponosides, C-heterosides and O-heterosides. Antimicrobial activity showed that the ethanolic extract with the lowest MIC (1.25 mg/ml) inhibited reference strains (S. pneumoniae ATCC 49619 and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853) and clinical isolated S. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa strains. The largest inhibition diameter (19± 1.33) was obtained with the ethanolic extract against clinical isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa and (15.5± 1) against the reference one. The aqueous extract inhibited only reference strains.
 Conclusions: The data of this study indicate that the extracts of S. latifolius present antimicrobial properties. This may justify its traditional use in the treatment of microbial infections.

Antimicrobial Activity of Propolis from the Brazilian Stingless Bees Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides and Scaptotrigona depilis (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini).

Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides and Scaptotrigona depilis are species of stingless bees capable of producing propolis, which has considerable bioprospecting potential. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine the chemical compositions and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of propolis produced by M. q. anthidioides and S. depilis. The ethanolic extracts of propolis of M. q. anthidioides (EEP-M) and S. depilis (EEP-S) were prepared, and their chemical constituents were characterized by HPLC-ESI-MS. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against bacteria and fungi, isolated from reference strains and hospital origin resistant to the action of antibiotics. From EEP-M, phenolic compounds were annotated, including gallic acid, ellagic acid, and flavonoids, as well as diterpenes and triterpenes. EEP-S showed mainly triterpene in its chemical composition. Both extracts inhibited the growth of medically relevant bacteria and fungi, including hospital-acquired and antimicrobial-resistant. In general, EEP-S showed better antimicrobial activity compared to EEP-M. The MIC of EEP-S against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis was 3.50 mg/mL, while the MIC of EEP-M was 5.33 ± 0.16 mg/mL. In conclusion, this study shows that propolis produced by M. q. anthidioides and S. depilis has the potential to be used for the prevention or treatment of microbial infections.

In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Garcinia Kola Aqueous Stem Extract on Bacterial Isolated from Patient Visiting a Tertiary Health Facility in South- South Nigeria

The study of medicinal plants used in folklore remedies in the treatment of microbial infections have attracted the attention of many scientists as possible alternatives to the existing drugs to which many infectious microorganisms have become resistant. Presently, there are global problems of multiple antibiotics resistance as well as emergence of new and resurrection of previously eradicated diseases. Reports on ethnobotanical records indicate a consensus on the use of antimicrobially active medicinal plants to provide cheaper drugs.

In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Garcinia Kola Aqueous Stem Extract on Bacterial Isolated from Patient Visiting a Tertiary Health Facility in South- South Nigeria

The study of medicinal plants used in folklore remedies in the treatment of microbial infections have attracted the attention of many scientists as possible alternatives to the existing drugs to which many infectious microorganisms have become resistant. Presently, there are global problems of multiple antibiotics resistance as well as emergence of new and resurrection of previously eradicated diseases. Reports on ethnobotanical records indicate a consensus on the use of antimicrobially active medicinal plants to provide cheaper drugs.

Co-interaction of nitrofurantoin and saponins surfactants with biomembrane leads to an increase in antibiotic’s antibacterial activity

Limited bioavailability of antibiotics is an urgent problem in the treatment of microbial infections. To increase transport of nitrofurantoin (NFT) into the bacterial cells the proposed strategy is to use the natural surfactants - saponins, extracted from Sapindus mukorossi L. This study aimed to investigate whether and in which way saponins may increase the antibacterial action of nitrofurantoin against Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa NFT3 strain. The results clearly show that the cell activity of bacteria treated with NFT was nearly 35% lower after 8 h, but in the presence of S. mukorossi L. saponins over 75% reduction in the activity of the cells was observed. The Langmuir monolayer technique proved the incorporation of plant surfactant molecules into the phospholipid membrane and the lack of membrane interaction of NFT itself. The analysis with live bacterial cells showed a significant decrease in total cell membrane permeability, which was observed in the presence of NFT (reduction from 16% to 7%) with a negligible effect of saponins alone on this parameter. TEM and AFM imaging confirmed the deformation of the bacterial cell wall in the presence of saponins. To conclude, the synergistic co-action of the S. mukorossi L. saponins and NFT was proved, and it could be explained by membrane relaxation caused by saponins, which facilitates the bioavailability of NFT on the bacteria and increases its effectiveness as a biocidal agent. The research results indicate the possibility of using new, biodegradable surfactants, i.e. saponins, in antibiotic therapies.

Contemporary Tools for the Cure against Pernicious Microorganisms: Micro-/Nanorobots

One of the most pressing concerns to global public health is the emergence of drug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms due to increased unconscious antibiotic usage. With the rising antibiotic resistance, existing antimicrobial agents lose their effectiveness over time. This indicates that newer and more effective antimicrobial agents and methods should be investigated. Many studies have shown that micro-/nanorobots exhibit promise in the treatment of microbial infections with their great properties, such as the intrinsic antimicrobial activities owing to their oxidative stress induction and metal ion release capabilities, and effective and autonomous delivery of antibiotics to the target area. In addition, they have multiple simultaneous mechanisms of action against microbes, which makes them remarkable in antimicrobial activity. This review focuses on the antimicrobial micro-/nanorobots and their strategies to impede biofilm formation, following a brief introduction of the latest advancements in micro-/nanorobots, and their implementations against various bacteria, and other microorganisms.

A Review on Synthesis and Characterisation of Benzimidazole

In the field of Medicinal Chemistry, the uses of heterocyclic compounds increased day by day, because in many biological materials, heterocyclic compound is a part of its structure. Benzimidazole is a heterocyclic compound which formed by fusion of benzene and imidazole. Benzimidazole contains two nitrogen’s as heteroatom. Benzimidazole derivatives are more effective, medicinally useful compounds and extensive biochemicals. Derivatives of benzimidazole have found practical applications in various fields. Derivatives of Benzimidazole show many Pharmacological activities such as antihypertensive, anticancer, antiviral, antidiabetic, antimicrobial etc. Due to the applications of these drugs in treatment of microbial infections and other biological activities, motivates for the development of more potent and significant drugs. Pharmacological studies have been shown that these molecules are effective against various strains of microorganisms. The present review summarizes the various derivatives of benzimidazoles and their biological activities.

Evaluation of the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) stems extracts

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) stems in the form of infusions and decoctions are traditionally consumed for diuretic and anti-inflammatory purposes. This study aimed to evaluate antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of ethanolic and methanolic extract made from sweet cherry stems. Extracts are obtained by the Soxhlet extraction and maceration procedures. For the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration, the broth microdilution method is employed, and the assessment of the microbiocidal activity of the extracts is conducted. The antibiofilm activity was tested through the tissue culture plate method, which also allowed the determination of the biofilm-forming categories of investigated strains. The final step involved the calculation of the biofilm inhibition percentage. Examined extracts with the balanced activity inhibited the growth of all microorganisms, with Gram-negative bacteria being more sensitive in comparison to Gram-positive. The values of the minimum inhibitory concentration were 125 µg/ml, and 250 µg/ml, respectfully. Candida albicans was the most susceptible and the minimum inhibitory concentration of both extracts was 62.50 µg/ml. The microbiocidal activity of the extracts was not recorded. Extracts exhibited different impacts on the biofilm-forming capacity of the investigated microbes, and both inhibition and stimulation effects are noted. The percentage of the biofilm inhibition was from 14.27% to 84.78%, with the highest inhibition recorded for the multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli, treated with the ethanolic extract. Sweet cherry stems are a valuable source of natural bioactive compounds, but their usage in the treatment of microbial infections should be correctly and carefully implemented.

In vitro antibacterial and cytotoxic effects of Euphorbia grandicornis Blanc chemical constituents

BackgroundEuphorbia grandicornis is widely utilized in traditional medicine for the treatment of microbial infections including sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhoea and for healing of wounds.ObjectiveThe aim of this work was to isolate and evaluate the antibacterial and anticancer activities of Euphorbia grandicornis chemical constituents.MethodsChemical constituents were isolated and identified using various spectroscopic techniques such as IR, MS, and NMR. The single point growth inhibitory potential of the compounds was determined using a 96-well plate based assay.ResultsThe CH2Cl2 crude extracts exhibited potent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 with percentage growth of 94.90 ± 4.24 and 29.47 ± 4.89 respectively. Hence, the CH2Cl2 crude extract was further subjected to column chromatography which resulted in the isolation of methyl 2,5-dihydroxybenzoate (1), n-octyl benzoate (2), friedelanol (3), and germanicol (4) and identification of compounds 12–24 for the first time in the species based on the LC-MS/MS spectroscopic data. The purified compounds (1–4), and previously reported compounds (5–11) were evaluated for antibacterial activities against S. aureus and E. coli, as well as the cytotoxicity effects against HeLa cells. Of the purified compounds, methyl 2,5-dihydroxybenzoate (1), was the most active against E.coli and S. aureus with a percentage growth of 19.12 ± 0.65 and 23.32 ± 0.23 respectively. β-amyrin (6), and β-sitosterol (8), were active against S. aureus with percentage growth of 27.17 ± 0.07, and 47.79 ± 2.99 respectively.ConclusionThe results obtained from this study indicate that E. grandicornis, is a rich source of chemical constituents that may provide new lead compounds for the development of antibacterial agents.

Synthesis of some novel 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives and evaluation of their antimicrobial activity

Treatment for microbial infections still remains an important health problem for researchers around the world. Despite a broad range of antimicrobial drugs today, there are certain obstacles associated with the use of antimicrobial agents such as drug resistance and toxicity. Thus, medicinal chemists concentrate on designing novel antimicrobial drugs. In the search for new antimicrobial agents; 1,3,4-oxadiazole compounds have come forward due to their hydrolytic stability, good chemical and thermal stability. In the scope of this work, 2-(6-chloropyridin-3-yl)-5-(substitutedphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (4a–4i) were synthesizedusing 6-chloro-N'-(substitutedbenzoyl)nicotinohydrazide (3a–3i). These compounds were screened for their antimicrobial activities against as gram-positive bacteria S. aureus, E. faecalis, as gram-negative bacteria E. coli, P. aeruginosa, as yeast C. parapsilosis, C. albicans, C. glabrata. Among the 1,3,4-oxadiazole compounds, 4h against E. faecalis and 4b, 4f and 4g against E. coli have been found to exhibit as much as potency chloramphenicol with MIC50 values of 62.50 µg/mL.

Biologically Active Compounds and Use of Medicinal Plants in Treatment of Microbial Infections, Sources, Biological Action and Cellular Action

Medicinal plants have been used with practical implementation of certain herbal great source of plant based flavonoids, antioxidants compounds. Medicinal plants were traditionally used for health care and serve as the bases for the emergence of modern medicine. They have possess the high quality of the extracts to evaluate their therapeutic efficacy for their pharmacological action. Large variety of medicinal plants have been used as aromatic purposes and hence valuate for aroma and pharmacological sectors. Medicinal plants snowed stronger binding to the proteins secreted by the parasitic worms thus inhibiting them to proliferate in the cellular tissues thus acting as main source of immunity booster to the living tissues against the dyspepsia, gastritis, hyperacidity, menorrhagia, diabetes. Saraca asoca also used as source of medicinal pant due to its to antibacterial activity because of its potential against the of multiple bacterial strains. Some of the medicinal plants acting as dual nature such as targeting the microbial proteins and peptides playing important role in the development of natural therapies. Nanoparticles based therapies can be utilized for treatment of infectious diseases.

Inherent and Composite Hydrogels as Promising Materials to Limit Antimicrobial Resistance.

Antibiotic resistance has increased significantly in the recent years, and has become a global problem for human health and the environment. As a result, several technologies for the controlling of health-care associated infections have been developed over the years. Thus, the most recent findings in hydrogel fabrication, particularly antimicrobial hydrogels, could offer valuable solutions for these biomedical challenges. In this review, we discuss the most promising strategies in the development of antimicrobial hydrogels and the application of hydrogels in the treatment of microbial infections. The latest advances in the development of inherently and composite antimicrobial hydrogels will be discussed, as well as hydrogels as carriers of antimicrobials, with a focus on antibiotics, metal nanoparticles, antimicrobial peptides, and biological extracts. The emergence of CRISR-Cas9 technology for removing the antimicrobial resistance has led the necessity of new and performant carriers for delivery of the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Different delivery systems, such as composite hydrogels and many types of nanoparticles, attracted a great deal of attention and will be also discussed in this review.

Prediction of the Antibacterial Activity of the Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles against Gram Negative and Positive Bacteria by using Machine Learning Algorithms

With the appearance and growth of microbial organisms resistant to various antibiotics, as well as the need to reduce the cost of care of health, the production of antimicrobials at lower costs has become an inescapable necessity for today’s human societies. Recently, the interdisciplinary field of nanotechnology has developed widely. One of the applications of nanobiotechnology is the use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for new solutions in the treatment of microbial infections. AgNPs have unique properties which help in molecular diagnostics, therapies, and also in devices that are used in several medical procedures. In this field, machine learning algorithms have been used with hopeful results. One of the branches of artificial intelligence (AI) is machine learning (ML) that focuses on data and shows the power of the data. Machine learning techniques are taking considerable attention because of their obvious successes in a broad range of predictive tasks. In this work, we studied machine learning technique to predict the antibacterial activity of AgNPs against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Here, we reviewed 100 articles for completing the data, highlighting the recently used different plants for the synthesis of highly efficient antimicrobial green AgNPs, which consist of key experimental conditions (amount of plant extract, volume of plant extract, volume of solvent, volume of AgNO3 solution, reaction temperature, reaction time, concentration of precursors, and nanoparticle size). The results showed that nanoparticles size and concentration of AgNPs are key factors in predicting the antibacterial effect of AgNPs.

Antibacterial, Antibiofilm, and Efflux Pump Inhibitory Properties of the Crude Extract and Fractions from Acacia macrostachya Stem Bark.

Microbial infections remain a public health problem due to the upsurge of bacterial resistance. In this study, the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and efflux pump inhibitory activities of the stem bark of Acacia macrostachya, an indigenous African medicinal plant, were investigated. In traditional medicine, the plant is used in the treatment of microbial infections and inflammatory conditions. A crude methanol extract obtained by Soxhlet extraction was partitioned by column chromatography to obtain the petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and methanol fractions. Antibacterial, efflux pump inhibition and antibiofilm formation activities were assessed by the high-throughput spot culture growth inhibition (HT-SPOTi), ethidium bromide accumulation, and the crystal violet retention assay, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the crude extract and major fractions ranged from 250 to ≥500 μg/mL. At a concentration of 3.9–250 μg/mL, all extracts demonstrated >80% inhibition of biofilm formation in S. aureus. In P. aeruginosa, the EtOAc fraction showed the highest antibiofilm activity (59–69%) while the pet-ether fraction was most active against E. coli biofilms (45–67%). Among the test samples, the crude extract, methanol, and ethyl acetate fractions showed remarkable efflux pump inhibition in S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. At ½ MIC, the methanol fraction demonstrated significant accumulation of EtBr in E. coli having superior efflux inhibition over the standard EPIs: chlorpromazine and verapamil. Tannins, flavonoids, triterpenoids, phytosterols, coumarins, and saponins were identified in preliminary phytochemical studies. Stigmasterol was identified in the EtOAc fraction. This study justifies the use of A. macrostachya in the treatment of infections in traditional medicine and highlights its potential as a source of bioactive compounds that could possibly interact with some resistance mechanisms in bacteria to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Efficacy of Persian medicine herbal formulations (capsules and decoction) compared to standard care in patients with COVID‐19, a multicenter open‐labeled, randomized, controlled clinical trial

Persian medicine has recommended clinical experiences and proper herbal remedies for prevention and treatment of microbial infections and respiratory diseases. An open‐label, randomized, controlled, multicenter trial was conducted at five hospitals in Tehran and Isfahan provinces of Iran on 358 hospitalized adult patients. A total of 174 patients received standard care and 184 received herbal remedies (polyherbal decoction every 8 hr and two herbal capsules every 12 hr) plus standard care for 7 days. The primary clinical endpoint was the duration of hospital stay, and secondary outcomes were clinical improvement of symptoms based on self‐assessment questionnaire. Results demonstrated that these natural decoction and capsules treatment plus routine care significantly decreased duration of hospital dyspnea (3.291 day vs. 6.468 days), accelerated clinical improvement, and decreased symptoms such as dry cough, dyspnea, muscle pain, headache, fatigue, anorexia, chills, runny nose, sputum cough, and vertigo in the treatment group compared with standard‐care group. Significant effects of these polyherbal formulations on improving the symptoms of COVID‐19 could be incredibly promising for managing this pandemic with acceptable tolerability.

Flavonoids in Lemon and Grapefruit IntegroPectin*.

Following the analysis of terpenes present in new lemon and grapefruit “IntegroPectin” pectins obtained via the hydrodynamic cavitation of industrial lemon and grapefruit processing waste, the HPLC‐MS analysis of flavonoid and other phenolic compounds reveals the presence of eriocitrin, naringin, hesperidin and kaempferol typical of the respective citrus fruits. The pectic fibers rich in rhamnogalacturonan‐I regions act as chemical sponges adsorbing and concentrating at their outer surface highly bioactive citrus flavonoids and terpenes. These findings, together with the unique molecular structure of these new whole citrus pectins, provide preliminary insight into the broad‐scope biological activity of these new biomaterials. Numerous new biomedical applications are anticipated, including likely use in the prevention and treatment of microbial infections and neurodegenerative disease.