Potential and Prophylactic Use of Plants Containing Saponin-Type Compounds as Antibiofilm Agents against Respiratory Tract Infections

Epidemic diseases have been observed in every period of human history, and the treatment process has taken time. Causative microorganisms reproduce as biofilm and contribute to the emergence of various infectious diseases. The process that starts with respiratory disorders causes serious lung infections due to bacteria and viruses that accumulate and multiply. The biofilms are difficult to eliminate and show increased resistance to available antimicrobial agents. There is a need to identify and develop potential resources used in treatment. The search for novel biological agents from plants is gaining popularity due to the high abundance, accessibility with consequent lower cost for discovery, and lesser side effects and toxicity. Saponins found in some plants can be alternative to antibiotics, with antimicrobial activities. This review focused on the potency of saponin-containing plants with antimicrobial properties as antibiofilm agents against these infections. For this purpose, keywords were scanned in Web of Science, Scopus, and Google academics databases, and the related literature was compiled. Approximately, 25 plant taxa belonging to 18 families traditionally used in the treatment of respiratory diseases are listed. These taxa mostly belong to Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Apiaceae, and Asparagaceae families, respectively. Most of these taxa have antibacterial, antifungal, antitussive, and anti-inflammatory activities. Especially, plants with antibiofilm activity that can be effective against many microorganisms are compiled in this study. These plants can prevent or treat upper respiratory tract diseases caused by bacteria due to the phytochemicals they contain, especially saponins.