Medicinal Geophytes as Natural Antimicrobial Agents – An Ethnobotanical Review on the Example of Georgia

The accelerating global crisis of antimicrobial resistance has created an urgent demand for novel therapeutic agents, particularly those derived from natural sources. Medicinal plants have historically served as a primary source of bioactive compounds, many of which have yielded modern pharmaceuticals. Within this context, geophytes—perennial plants possessing underground storage organs such as bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes—represent a particularly promising yet underexplored group. Georgia, a biodiversity hotspot located at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, harbors a rich geophyte flora, including numerous endemic species. These plants have been deeply integrated into the country’s traditional medical practices for centuries, often employed in the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases.

This ethnobotanical review synthesizes traditional Georgian knowledge and modern scientific evidence to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of selected geophyte species: Galanthus woronowii, G. caucasicus, G. lagodechianus, Ornithogalum magnum, O. caudatum, Muscari szovitsianum, Polygonatum glaberrimum, and P. orientale. The methodology combined the critical analysis of Georgian ethnobotanical literature—detailing morphological characteristics, ethnomedical applications, and harvesting practices—with systematic searches in international databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar) for peer-reviewed studies assessing antimicrobial activity. Priority was given to studies employing standardized microbiological assays such as disk diffusion, agar well diffusion, broth microdilution, and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values.

The findings reveal two principal categories. The first comprises species with both robust ethnobotanical documentation and experimentally validated antimicrobial activity. For example, O. caudatum and P. orientale exhibited significant inhibitory effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans, confirming traditional uses. The second category consists of species strongly associated with infection management in traditional medicine but lacking sufficient laboratory validation, such as G. woronowii, G. lagodechianus, O. magnum, M. szovitsianum, and P. glaberrimum. In these cases, evidence from congeneric species or related taxa suggests potential antimicrobial properties, yet direct testing remains scarce.

Analysis of phytochemical profiles indicates that these geophytes contain diverse classes of secondary metabolites—alkaloids (e.g., galanthamine in Galanthus spp.), steroidal saponins (Polygonatum spp.), flavonoids, and phenolic acids—many of which possess established antimicrobial properties. Nevertheless, gaps remain in correlating traditional preparation methods (infusions, decoctions, poultices) with extraction protocols used in laboratory assays, potentially underestimating in vitro activity compared to in vivo ethnomedical efficacy.

This review underscores the value of integrating traditional ethnobotanical knowledge into contemporary antimicrobial research, not only to accelerate the discovery of novel agents but also to guide resource prioritization in bioprospecting. Given the high biodiversity of Georgia’s flora and the persistence of unique medical traditions, systematic pharmacological evaluation of these species is warranted. Future research should expand antimicrobial testing to include multi-drug-resistant clinical isolates, utilize bioassay-guided fractionation to isolate active compounds, and assess pharmacokinetics and toxicity in appropriate in vivo models.

In conclusion, the medicinal geophytes of Georgia represent an important and largely untapped reservoir of antimicrobial agents. Bridging the gap between ethnomedicine and modern science offers a pathway toward sustainable drug discovery while contributing to biodiversity conservation and the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.