Essential oil–bearing plants as antibacterial agents against multidrug- resistant (MDR) pathogens: A descriptive publication analysis and evidence synthesis (2022–2026)

The global rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens—including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), carbapenem- and colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae—has intensified interest in essential oils (EOs) from aromatic and medicinal plants as alternative or adjunctive antibacterial agents. This descriptive publication analysis and narrative evidence synthesis searched PubMed using seven complementary query strings restricted to January 2022–June 2026. After deduplication, 80 unique records were retained for metadata extraction and qualitative thematic synthesis. Annual publication output rose from 1 record (2022) to 39 (2025); although based on a relatively short observation window and a single database, this trajectory is consistent with growing research interest over the study period. S. aureus/MRSA was the dominant target organism (n=46, 57.5%), followed by A. baumannii (n=11, 13.8%) and E. coli (n=9, 11.3%). Origanum, Melaleuca, Syzygium, Thymus, and Rosmarinus were the most frequently studied genera. Of 80 records, 54 (67.5%) were in vitro only, 19 (23.8%) combined in vitro and in vivo/ex vivo evidence, 6 (7.5%) were reviews, and 1 (1.2%) was in silico only. No human clinical trial was identified. Mechanistic themes included membrane disruption, biofilm/quorum-sensing (QS) inhibition, efflux pump blockade, and enzyme targeting; antibiotic synergy (FICI ≤0.5) and nanoformulation-based delivery were the predominant translational directions. The evidence base remains overwhelmingly preclinical. Notably, this synthesis is limited to PubMed-indexed records, and no formal quality or risk-of-bias assessment of included studies was performed, which may affect the completeness and certainty of the conclusions. Future priorities include EO chemotype standardisation, toxicokinetic and selectivity profiling, and early-phase clinical trials, particularly for topical MDR- wound and burn-care applications.