Natural terpenoids as a valuable resource of selective health-beneficial biofilm promoters

Abstract

This chapter reviews natural terpenoids and provides descriptions of their structure origin, biological roles and multifunctional properties, like promoting activity on health-beneficial bacteria. Our study is focused on a natural sesquiterpene ketone, 9,10-dehydrofukinone (DHF), a versatile bioactive molecule, mainly distributed in various plant species of Senecio genus, that exerts a selective stimulant activity on gut-probiotic Lactobacillus biofilms without to increase planktonic growth or biofilms of pathogenic bacteria used in our laboratory. It includes isolation and elucidation techniques of DHF, utilized as a model of sesquiterpenoid structure. Its possible role in natural environments, mode of action on probiotic bacteria, and potential applications of exacerbated Lactobacillus biofilms mediated by the DHF action on human health are discussed herein.