Natural Antimicrobial Materials

Microorganisms correspond to a wide variety of viruses, bacteria, among others, that can produce positive or negative effects on the environment. The accumulation of these microorganisms on surfaces is usually very associated with diseases. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an organization that controls possible risks to human health and the environment, in which it also participates in the study of some microorganisms. The research of this organization focuses on ecological processes associated with how to reduce or eliminate the negative consequences produced by a microbe. Therefore, the importance of following green synthesis and the use of renewable natural materials that show beneficial properties and improve global sustainability arises. Furthermore, antimicrobial agents emerge as a possible alternative to eliminate or reduce possible microorganisms. Materials like polymers, organic acids, peptides, polysaccharides are some examples of these bioactive compounds. Each of these materials has a specific mode of action (still unknown in some cases) and properties that have been demonstrated in different strains of bacteria. This chapter details the natural antimicrobial materials commonly used today and how they act on microbiological strains, with powerful biomedical applications.