细菌感染仍然是人类死亡的主要原因之一，在全球公共卫生体系中构成了巨大的威胁。抗生素是治疗细菌性疾病的主要药物。目前，抗生素的发现已经陷入僵局，并且由于滥用抗生素导致细菌产生抗药性，研究人员迫切希望开发新的抗菌剂以应对日益恶化的抗菌状况。天然查尔酮是一类含有两个酚环和一个三碳α，β-不饱和酮基的黄酮化合物，具有多种生物和药理活性，包括抗癌、抗炎、抗菌等。由于其强大的抗菌性能，天然查尔酮具有成为绕过已有抗生素抗药性的新型传染病治疗方法的潜力。目前，对天然查尔酮的研究主要集中在其合成、生物和药理活性等方面，只有少数研究对其抗菌活性和机制进行了探索。因此，本综述着重探讨了17种天然查尔酮的抗菌活性和机制。首先，根据不同的抗菌机制，将这17种天然查尔酮进行了分类。其次，总结了这17种天然查尔酮的分离和生物活性，并重点关注了它们的抗菌活性。第三，概述了天然查尔酮的抗菌机制，包括作用于细菌细胞膜、生物大分子、生物膜和群体感应系统的机制。本综述旨在为基于查尔酮的新型抗菌剂的发现奠定基础。版权所有 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd.。保留所有权利。

Bacterial infection, which is still one of the leading causes of death in humans, poses an enormous threat to the worldwide public health system. Antibiotics are the primary medications used to treat bacterial diseases. Currently, the discovery of antibiotics has reached an impasse, and due to the abuse of antibiotics resulting in bacterial antibiotic resistance, researchers have a critical desire to develop new antibacterial agents in order to combat the deteriorating antibacterial situation. Natural chalcones, the flavonoids consisting of two phenolic rings and a three-carbon α, β-unsaturated carbonyl system, possess a variety of biological and pharmacological properties, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and so on. Due to their potent antibacterial properties, natural chalcones possess the potential to become a new treatment for infectious diseases that circumvents existing antibiotic resistance. Currently, the majority of research on natural chalcones focuses on their synthesis, biological and pharmacological activities, etc. A few studies have been conducted on their antibacterial activity and mechanism. Therefore, this review focuses on the antibacterial activity and mechanisms of seventeen natural chalcones. Firstly, seventeen natural chalcones have been classified based on differences in antibacterial mechanisms. Secondly, a summary of the isolation and biological activity of seventeen natural chalcones was provided, with a focus on their antibacterial activity. Thirdly, the antibacterial mechanisms of natural chalcones were summarized, including those that act on bacterial cell membranes, biological macromolecules, biofilms, and quorum sensing systems. This review aims to lay the groundwork for the discovery of novel antibacterial agents based on chalcones.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.