Natural compounds as antiquorum sensing agents

Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) is a mechanism of cell-cell communication and gene regulatory that allows bacteria to coordinate biofilm formation, growth, swarming, stress resistance, and production of toxins and secondary metabolites in response to new situations occurring in the external environment and to threshold concentrations of QS signals that accumulate within a diffusion-limited environment. Since last years, new natural compounds, from terrestrian and marine source, as well as from food waste/residues and marine biofouling, are investigated for their capability to limit or block quorum sensing mechanism of bacteria. Herein we discuss about the role of such natural compounds in blocking the QS activity in bacteria and how mechanism allows such inhibition. Directions for future investigations and QS-related biotechnological applications are also investigated.