Definition:
A potentiator is a compound with minimal or no antimicrobial activity itself but which enhances the activity of an antibiotic against a bacterial pathogen, including strains that have developed antimicrobial resistance.
Potentiators can act through diverse mechanisms, such as increasing antibiotic uptake, inhibiting bacterial resistance pathways, disrupting protective cellular structures, or altering bacterial physiology to restore or improve antibiotic susceptibility. By boosting the efficacy of existing antibiotics or enabling them to overcome resistance barriers, potentiators represent an important strategy for expanding the utility of current antimicrobial agents and supporting the development of effective combination therapies.