The Role of Bioactive Natural Products in Health and Disease

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2024 | Viewed by 2037

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Chair, Department of Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wielkopolskich Ave. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: plant extract; antioxidants; extraction technique; natural products; skin penetration study; HPLC; pharmaceutical sciences; medical biology; cosmetics

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Guest Editor
Department of Human Nutrition and Metabolomics, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 24 Broniewskiego Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: antioxidants; plant extracts; food products; polyphenolic compounds; edible flowers; matcha green tea; food contamination; mycotoxins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Chair and Department of Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: skin penetration study; HPLC; pharmaceutical sciences; plant extraction techniques; antioxidants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products are an important part of various industries, such as the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. In recent years, we have observed a growing interest in natural products from researchers from various fields, including those closely related to human health. Natural products are the subject of research by scientists from various fields, including medical sciences, pharmacology, biology, chemistry, engineering, microbiology, cosmetology, dietetics, and various other fields relating to human health. A vast amount of published research focuses on the use of bioactive natural products in the treatment of diseases. New drugs are being developed whose pharmacological action is based on natural products or their derivatives. However, in order for natural substances to be used in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, multidisciplinary research is necessary.

Therefore, we are pleased to invite you to publish original scientific articles and reviews regarding, among others:

  • Isolation of active ingredients from natural resources;
  • Standardization methods for bioactive natural products;
  • Identification and characterization of bioactive ingredients of natural origin;
  • Bioavailability, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and clinical studies of natural products;
  • Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-aging activity of natural products;
  • The effect of bioactive natural products on skin;
  • Bioactive natural products as health-promoting food;
  • In vitro and in vivo analyses confirming the health-promoting and therapeutical properties of the bioactive natural products.

Therefore, this Special Issue will be devoted to a multidisciplinary discussion on the health-promoting and therapeutic effects of bioactive natural products.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Anna Muzykiewicz-Szymańska
Dr. Karolina Jakubczyk
Dr. Anna Nowak
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • natural products
  • medicinal plants
  • chemistry
  • pharmacology
  • plant extract
  • isolation method
  • natural drugs
  • chromatography
  • antioxidants
  • natural food

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 761 KiB  
Article
Designing the Quality Characteristics of Berry Processing Byproducts Using Fermentation
by Sylwia Sady, Marta Ligaj, Bogdan Pachołek, Alfred Błaszczyk, Zuzanna Płaczek, Nikola Dłużniewska, Patrycja Kawałek, Karolina Pakuła, Adam Konopelski and Eryk Gołaszewski
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(7), 3110; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14073110 - 08 Apr 2024
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Abstract
In recent years, there has been increasing interest in berry fruit processing byproducts, namely, seeds, pulp, and peel, due to the high content of nutritionally valuable ingredients. The market is seeing an increase in the popularity of fermented products, especially those from vegetables [...] Read more.
In recent years, there has been increasing interest in berry fruit processing byproducts, namely, seeds, pulp, and peel, due to the high content of nutritionally valuable ingredients. The market is seeing an increase in the popularity of fermented products, especially those from vegetables or fruits. Fermented fruit pomace can be used as an ingredient or food additive. Many studies have confirmed that the fermentation process can increase the antioxidant activity of plant extracts due to the decomposition of cell walls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality and antioxidant potential of fermented berry pomace (from chokeberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, and strawberry) in terms of its potential use as an alternative source of valuable ingredients for the design of new food products. The scope of this research included assessing microbiological quality, vitamin C and total phenolic compound (TPC) contents, and antioxidant activity using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays. The polyphenolic compound and vitamin C contents, as well as antioxidant activity, depended on the mixture of microbial strains used for fermentation and the type of fruit pomace. The most favorable parameters for TPC, ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP were obtained for chokeberry pomace samples inoculated with yeast cultures. Chokeberry pomace exhibited the highest vitamin C content when inoculated with a mixture of bacteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Bioactive Natural Products in Health and Disease)
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13 pages, 1066 KiB  
Article
Interaction of Selected Commercial Antiseptics with Natural Products against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strain
by Monika Sienkiewicz, Paulina Młodzińska, Anna Kilanowicz, Ewa Dudzińska and Paweł Kwiatkowski
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(5), 2060; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14052060 - 01 Mar 2024
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Abstract
The carriage of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains may determine the subsequent occurrence of infection, which mainly affects patients after surgeries. Therefore, its eradication with the use of antibiotics or antiseptics is a crucial method of preventing staphylococcal self-infections. The observed increase in [...] Read more.
The carriage of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains may determine the subsequent occurrence of infection, which mainly affects patients after surgeries. Therefore, its eradication with the use of antibiotics or antiseptics is a crucial method of preventing staphylococcal self-infections. The observed increase in bacterial resistance to known antibacterial substances poses a huge challenge to scientists. The aim of this study was to analyze the interaction of selected commercial antiseptics (Braunol, CITROclorex 2%, Microdacyn 60 Wound Care, Octenisept and Prontoderm Solution) with natural products (carvacrol, β-citronellol, geraniol, eugenol, farnesol, (-)-menthone, eucalyptol, limonene, linalyl acetate and trans-anethole) against the MRSA standard strain. The antistaphylococcal activity of commercial antiseptics in combination with natural products against MRSA was determined using the checkerboard method. The obtained results showed that most combinations decreased the MIC level of the commercial antiseptic and natural compounds. A statistically significant decrease in the MIC value of the antiseptic and natural constituent was observed for the Braunol–β-citronellol combination. Such a significant decrease in the MIC value of the natural compound against the analyzed strain was also detected for the Octenisept–β-citronellol and Prontoderm Solution–β-citronellol combinations. The interaction analysis showed that out of all 20 combinations of individual antiseptics with substances of natural origin, two combinations showed a synergistic effect (Braunol–β-citronellol, Braunol–carvacrol), and three combinations showed an additive effect (Braunol–eugenol, Braunol–geraniol, Prontoderm Solution–β-citronellol). The use of Braunol in combination with β-citronellol or carvacrol may become an alternative method of eradicating MRSA strains. However, further studies are needed to determine the toxicity of the analyzed combinations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Bioactive Natural Products in Health and Disease)
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