Quorum sensing interference by phenolic compounds - A matter of bacterial misunderstanding

Over the past decade, numerous publications have emerged in the literature focusing on the in-hibition of quorum sensing (QS) by plant extracts and phenolic compounds. However, there is still a scarcity of studies that delve into the specific mechanisms by which these compounds inhibit QS. Thus, our question is whether phenolic compounds can inhibit QS in a specific or indirect manner and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved. This study is focused on the most studied QS system, namely, autoinducer type 1 (AI-1), represented by N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signals and the AHL-mediated QS responses. Here, we analyzed the recent literature in order to understand how phenolic compounds act at the cellular level, at sub-inhibitory con-centrations, and evaluated by which QS inhibition mechanisms they may act. The biotechno-logical application of QS inhibitors holds promising prospects for the pharmaceutical and food industries, serving as adjunct therapies and in the prevention of biofilms on various surfaces.