Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds during Pregnancy: Benefits and Risks
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2024 | Viewed by 991
Special Issue Editor
Interests: natural products pharmacology; toxicology; biomedicine of reproduction; phytonutrients; functional foods
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This open access Special Issue aims to present a wide spectrum of original research data and review articles on the use of bioactive compounds of plant origin during pregnancy. This Special Issue will highlight their activity in different stages of pregnancy and fetal development, obtained from in vitro studies, animal models, and clinical trials, providing insight also into the molecular mechanisms involved. Bearing in mind the abundance of food and pharmaceutical products and their wide repertoire of biological properties, including antioxidative and antiinflammatory, the use of plant-derived bioactive compounds could also be a promising strategy for preventing or alleviating some pregnancy disorders. Despite the growing body of studies highlighting the potential benefits, evidence for the safe use of phytonutrients during pregnancy is still insufficient and there is a lack of evidence-based data. As in vitro, animal and human studies suggest, these compounds, especially in excessive dosages, may have adverse effects on fetal health and pregnancy outcome.
The main feature of this Special Issue is to provide a platform to share novel research from the fields of biomedical nutrition and reproduction that can advance our understanding of effects of phytonutrients consumption on physiological and pathophysiological processes in pregnancy.
Dr. Andrea Pirković will assist Dr. Dragana Dekanski in managing this Special Issue. The scope of this Special Issue is to summarize and improve the knowledge surrounding the benefits and risks of plant-derived bioactive compounds intake during pregnancy. Clarification of these points is essential for issuing future dietary guidelines.
Topics of this Special Issue include but are not limited to:
- Pharmacological and toxicological research of plant-derived bioactive compounds in pregnancy.
- Possible effects of phytonutrients at the site of embryo implantation and in the formation of the placenta.
- Research on the molecular mechanisms behind the effects of plant-derived bioactive compounds at the feto–maternal interface under homeostatic conditions.
- Possible risk of plant-derived bioactive compounds consumption on pregnancy outcomes.
- Research on activity and safety of these compounds in pregnancy-related disorders, including gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, and fetal growth restriction.
- The importance and novel aspects of the role of dietary plant-derived bioactive compounds in advanced maternal age.
- The influence of these compounds present in prenatal nutrition on transgenerational health promotion.
Dr. Dragana Dekanski
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- phytonutrients
- dietary polyphenols
- antioxidants
- pregnancy
- placenta
- placental barrier
- embryo implantation
- embryo development
- cell culture
- animal model
- clinical trial
- preeclampsia
- gestational diabetes mellitus
- intrauterine growth restriction
- advanced maternal age
- transgenerational health promotion
