The emergence of multidrug resistant pathogens is a great challenge to the medical field and a major global health threat requiring novel therapeutic strategies. Among plant products, essential oils have significant antimicrobial properties that make them promising agents in the fight against drug resistant human pathogens. The aim of the present review was to highlight the most important essential oil-based antimicrobial strategies as revealed by recent studies. Synergistic interactions between essential oils or their bioactive compounds in combination with known antibiotics are presented. Also, nanoformulation approaches to boost the antimicrobial activity of essential oils are reviewed in terms of bioefficiency, stability and design of the nanostructured delivery systems. The focus was mainly put on the antimicrobial activity against multi-drug resistant pathogens, also called “ESKAPE” organisms (Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp., Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.). Thus, essential oils in combinatorial and nano-based strategies may cope with infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria and may offer possibilities for reducing antibiotic use. Research on the in vivo efficacy and safety of such strategies is required for further clinical antimicrobial chemotherapy. In this regard, the understanding of the interactions between essential oil-based strategies and biological interface is essential.

多药耐药病原体的出现是医学领域的巨大挑战，也是需要新的治疗策略的主要全球健康威胁。在植物产品中，香精油具有显着的抗菌特性，使其成为抗药性人类病原体的有希望的药物。本综述的目的是强调最近的研究揭示的最重要的基于精油的抗菌策略。提出了精油或其生物活性化合物与已知抗生素之间的协同相互作用。另外，从生物效率，稳定性和纳米结构递送系统的设计方面综述了提高精油抗微生物活性的纳米制剂方法。肠球菌，金黄色葡萄球菌，克雷伯菌，鲍曼不动杆菌，铜绿假单胞菌和肠杆菌。因此，以组合和基于纳米策略的精油可以应对由耐药菌引起的感染，并可能减少抗生素的使用。研究体内效力和这样的策略的安全性，需要进一步的临床抗微生物化疗。在这方面，对基于精油的策略与生物界面之间相互作用的理解至关重要。