Acylated and non-acylated anthocyanins as antibacterial and antibiofilm agents

Natural products have served as an essential source of medicinal compounds in drug discovery, with their high abundance in nature and structural complexity being beneficial for various biological activities. Anthocyanins are a natural food colourant that belongs to the flavonoid group of compounds responsible for the colour of various fruits, vegetables, and flowers. There has been a growing interest in these compounds, especially for their health benefits. Antimicrobial resistance is on the rise, making the prognosis for bacterial infection treatment rather difficult. The discovery of alternative agents and treatment approaches is needed. Many in vitro and some in vivo studies demonstrated the potential effects of anthocyanins or their fraction from various natural sources to prevent and treat bacterial infections and biofilm formation. This review reports the recent literature and focuses on the potential role of anthocyanins and their acylation or functional groups for antibacterial and antibiofilm activities and their use as potential antibiotic substitutes or adjuvants. Their possible mechanism of action and prospects of their uses are also discussed.