Table 3.

Major classes of antimicrobial compounds from plants.

Class	Subclass	Example(s)	Mechanism	References
Phenolics	Simple phenols	Catechol	Substrate deprivation	[83]
		Epicatechin	Membrane disruption	[84]
	Phenolic acids	Cinnamic acid	Hydrogen atom transfer, sequential proton loss electron transfer.	[85]
	Quinones	Hypericin	Bind to adhesins, complex with cell wall, inactivate enzymes	[86]
	Flavonoids	Chrysin	Bind to adhesins	[87]
	Flavones		Complex with cell wall
		Abyssinone	Inactivate enzymes Inhibit HIV reverse transcriptase	[88]
	Flavonols	Totarol	Control the accumulation of reactive oxygen species	[89]
	Tannins	Ellagitannin	Bind to proteins Bind to adhesins Enzyme inhibition Substrate deprivation Complex with cell wall Membrane disruption Metal ion complexation	[90]
	Coumarins	Warfarin	Interaction with eukaryotic DNA (antiviral activity)	[91]
Terpenoids, essential oils		Capsaicin	Membrane disruption	[92]
Alkaloids		Berberine	Intercalate into cell wall and/or DNA	[93]
Lectins and polypeptides		Mannose-specific agglutinin Fabatin	Block viral fusion or adsorption Form disulfide bridges	[94]
Polyacetylenes		8S-Heptadeca-2(Z),9(Z)-diene- 4,6-diyne-1,8-diol	Pleiotropic profile of bioactivity	[95]