Tea polyphenolic compounds against herpes simplex viruses

The constant need for novel antimicrobial treatments is driving pharmaceutical companies to scavenge many natural products. Natural compounds from plants have traditionally been known to treat microbial infections. Plant extracts have been used for centuries to heal cuts and bruises and for other medical emergencies. Several natural compounds such as cerulenin and thiolactomycin are antibacterial agents (Zhang and Rock 2004). Plant extracts have a number of low-molecular-weight metabolites. These metabolites could have arisen as an evolutionary response to microbial attacks on the plants. They serve as an important defense mechanism against pathogens and animal herbivores. If plants can prevent microbial attack, then humans could potentially use these metabolites against human pathogenic microorganisms.