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Molecules
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Bioactivity of Natural Compounds: From Plants to Humans
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Bioactivity of Natural Compounds: From Plants to Humans

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 1869

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Guglielmina Froldi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: natural compounds; anti-senescence activities; new drugs; aging; diabetes mellitus; atherosclerosis; gender differences; advanced glycation end products; ROS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bioactive natural compounds are secondary metabolites isolated from plants and marine organisms that can influence the human body and can also act as beneficial agents against disease. The use of isolated active compounds versus crude extracts allows one to define the precise dosage of the principle useful to induce efficacy. Studies on isolated compounds can support the use of natural products in traditional medicine and can drive the discovery of new active compounds that can be further developed as drugs.

Biologically active compounds are divided into three main classes, such as phenolic, terpene, and nitrogen compounds. Several compounds in these groups may be beneficial in cardiovascular diseases. Endothelial dysfunction is involved in several human diseases, including arteriosclerosis, arterial stiffness, vascular thrombosis and many others. Among all, soluble adhesion molecules, such as E-selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1, and factors of the coagulation pathway, such as Willebrand factor and soluble thrombomodulin, in addition to various cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, and C-reactive protein, are involved in vascular dysfunction. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are implicated in tissue damages. Therefore, the search for new agents that can selectively inhibit markers of cardiovascular damage is especially interesting in the development of new drugs.

In this Special Issue, we welcome research articles and reviews on the identification of new active compounds of natural origin, as well as compounds already known for which new mechanisms of action or new activities are highlighted. Studies on natural compounds, both in vitro and in vivo, are of interest. In addition, clinical studies of natural compounds that focus on the effectiveness and adverse reactions in human subjects will be carefully examined.

Prof. Dr. Guglielmina Froldi
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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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

  • natural compounds
  • blood vessel
  • endothelium dysfunction
  • advanced glycation end products (AGEs)
  • ROS
  • cytokines
  • ADMET properties
  • pharmacokinetics
  • gender difference

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2060 KiB  
Article
Pterodon emarginatus Seed Preparations: Antiradical Activity, Chemical Characterization, and In Silico ADMET Parameters of β-caryophyllene and Farnesol
by Guglielmina Froldi, Francesco Benetti, Andrea Mondin, Marco Roverso, Elisa Pangrazzi, Francine Medjiofack Djeujo and Paolo Pastore
Molecules 2023, 28(22), 7494; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28227494 - 09 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 710
Abstract
The study of medicinal plants and their active compounds is relevant to maintaining knowledge of traditional medicine and to the development of new drugs of natural origin with lower environmental impact. From the seeds of the Brazilian plant Pterodon emarginatus, six different preparations [...] Read more.
The study of medicinal plants and their active compounds is relevant to maintaining knowledge of traditional medicine and to the development of new drugs of natural origin with lower environmental impact. From the seeds of the Brazilian plant Pterodon emarginatus, six different preparations were obtained: essential oil (EO), ethanol extract (EthE) prepared using the traditional method, and four extracts using solvents at different polarities, such as n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol (HexE, ChlE, EtAE, and MetE). Chemical characterization was carried out with gas chromatography, allowing the identification of several terpenoids as characteristic components. The two sesquiterpenes β-caryophyllene and farnesol were identified in all preparations of Pterodon emarginatus, and their amounts were also evaluated. Furthermore, the total flavonoid and phenolic contents of the extracts were assessed. Successively, the antiradical activity with DPPH and ORAC assays and the influence on cell proliferation by the MTT test on the human colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29) cell line of the preparations and the two compounds were evaluated. Lastly, an in silico study of adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) showed that β-caryophyllene and farnesol could be suitable candidates for development as drugs. The set of data obtained highlights the potential medicinal use of Pterodon emarginatus seeds and supports further studies of both plant preparations and isolated compounds, β-caryophyllene and farnesol, for their potential use in disease with free radical involvement as age-related chronic disorders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactivity of Natural Compounds: From Plants to Humans)
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Review

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19 pages, 1198 KiB  
Review
Phenolic Compounds from Apples: From Natural Fruits to the Beneficial Effects in the Digestive System
by Lidija Jakobek and Petra Matić
Molecules 2024, 29(3), 568; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29030568 - 23 Jan 2024
Viewed by 856
Abstract
Conditions in the gastrointestinal tract and microbial metabolism lead to biotransformation of parent, native phenolic compounds from apples into different chemical forms. The aim of this work was to review current knowledge about the forms of phenolic compounds from apples in the gastrointestinal [...] Read more.
Conditions in the gastrointestinal tract and microbial metabolism lead to biotransformation of parent, native phenolic compounds from apples into different chemical forms. The aim of this work was to review current knowledge about the forms of phenolic compounds from apples in the gastrointestinal tract and to connect it to their potential beneficial effects, including the mitigation of health problems of the digestive tract. Phenolic compounds from apples are found in the gastrointestinal tract in a variety of forms: native (flavan-3-ols, phenolic acids, flavonols, dihydrochalcones, and anthocyanins), degradation products, various metabolites, and catabolites. Native forms can show beneficial effects in the stomach and small intestine and during the beginning phase of digestion in the colon. Different products of degradation and phase II metabolites can be found in the small intestine and colon, while catabolites might be important for bioactivities in the colon. Most studies connect beneficial effects for different described health problems to the whole apple or to the amount of all phenolic compounds from apples. This expresses the influence of all native polyphenols from apples on beneficial effects. However, further studies of the peculiar compounds resulting from native phenols and their effects on the various parts of the digestive tract could provide a better understanding of the specific derivatives with bioactivity in humans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactivity of Natural Compounds: From Plants to Humans)
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