The prospect of using flavonoids as a means to solve the problem of antibiotic resistance in veterinary medicine (scoping review)

Abstract

Introduction. The production of livestock products is inextricably linked with the use of various antimicrobial agents. However, inaccurate treatment regimens or improper preventive measures lead to a decrease in the susceptibility of pathogenic microorganisms responsible for the nosological process to antibiotics. Over the past decades, the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance has been actively and widely documented, representing a significant problem in both clinical and veterinary medicine and requiring consideration of various approaches to address it.
Aim. To characterize the potential of using flavonoids as a tool to address the problem of antibiotic resistance in livestock production.
Materials and methods. This review covers scientific works in Russian and English languages retrieved from the following databases: PubMed, Springer, ResearchGate, Science Direct, Frontiers, and Elibrary. The criteria for inclusion of a scientific work in this review were as follows: the work contains information on the antibacterial properties of flavonoids, the mechanisms of action of antibiotics, or the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance; and the full-text version of the work is available in open access.
Results. This review analyzes 52 scientific sources. The antibacterial properties of different flavonoid groups were identified and described, and a comparison was made with the currently known mechanisms of antibiotic action. The processes underlying the development of antibiotic resistance was examined.
Conclusion. The analysis showed that flavonoids possess significant potential as agents exhibiting bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties. Moreover, the antibacterial mechanisms of action of certain flavonoids differ from those of known antibiotics. It can be hypothesized that flavonoids represent a promising direction for addressing the problem of antibiotic resistance.

To cite: Zemlyansky R.D. The prospect of using flavonoids as a means to solve the problem of antibiotic resistance in veterinary medicine (scoping review). Agrarian Bulletin of the North Caucasus. 2026;16(2):10-21. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31279/2949-4796-2026-16-2-10-21