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Chemical Analyses and Therapeutic Properties of Plant Extracts

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 4909

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Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Opara

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Guest Editor

School of Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London N7 8DB, UK
Interests: herbs; spices; medicinal plants; bioactivity; phytochemicals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Kenneth N. White

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Guest Editor

School of Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London, UK
Interests: the impact of iron on heath and disease; beta cell dysfunction in diabetes; macrophage differentiation; phytochemical treatments of diabetes; development of nanomedicines/formulations for oral bioavailability

Dr. Peter Orji Uvere

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410105, Nigeria
Interests: food biotechnology; food chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is an impressive body of work on the therapeutic properties of medicinal and culinary plant extracts and their bioactive constituents (e.g., polyphenols, carotenoids, alkaloids, terpenes and saponins). In vivo and in vitro studies have revealed a plethora of properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-carcinogenic, antimalarial, and analgesic, that may be of significance in the treatment of communicable and/or non-communicable diseases. On its own, the ongoing identification of the chemical composition and therapeutic properties of extracts of plants indigenous to different regions of the world provides sufficient justification for this Special Issue. However, and taking the rationale for this Special Issue one step further, ascertaining the clinical significance of these therapeutics’ properties and understanding how best to utilize them puts a spotlight on the following challenge: identifying the contribution of the bioactive constituents of plant extracts to their therapeutic properties. Factors that add to the difficulty of resolving these challenges include the impact of extraction techniques on the therapeutic properties of plant extracts; ensuring the efficient extraction of bioactive constituents from plants; developing and utilizing methods that simulate and model as closely as possible disease processes in humans; and utilizing appropriate biomarkers of therapeutic effect. This Special Issue aims to bring together works that range from the identification of the therapeutic properties of plant extracts and their bioactive constituents to those that provide insights into the clinical significance of these properties.

We welcome contributions to this Special Issue in the form of original research articles and reviews that augment our knowledge and understanding of this exciting area of research.

Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Opara
Prof. Dr. Kenneth N. White
Dr. Peter Orji Uvere
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

medicinal plants
culinary plants
extracts
bioactive constituents
therapeutic properties
clinical significance

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 1294 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chenopodium murale Juice Shows Anti-Fungal Efficacy in Experimental Oral Candidiasis in Immunosuppressed Rats in Relation to Its Chemical Profile

by Samah A. El-Newary, Asmaa S. Abd Elkarim, Nayera A. M. Abdelwahed, Elsayed A. Omer, Abdelbaset M. Elgamal and Wael M. ELsayed

Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4304; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28114304 - 24 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1366

Abstract

Chenopodium murale (Syn. Chenopodiastrum murale) (amaranthaceae) is used in the rural Egypt to treat oral ulcers in newborn children. The current study aimed to discover new natural products suitable for treating candidiasis disease with minimal side effects. Characterization of bioactive compounds by LC-QTOF-HR-MS/MS from Chenopodium murale fresh leaves’ juice (CMJ) was carried out in order to elucidate their potential anti-fungal and immunomodulatory effects in oral candidiasis in immunosuppressed rats. An oral ulcer candidiasis model was created in three stages: (i) immunosuppression by drinking dexamethasone (0.5 mg/L) for two weeks; (ii) Candida albicans infection (3.00 × 10⁶ viable cell/mL) for one week; and (iii) treatment with CMJ (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg orally) or nystatin (1,000,000 U/L orally) for one week. Two doses of CMJ exhibited antifungal effects, for example, through a significant reduction in CFU/Petri (236.67 ± 37.86 and 4.33 ± 0.58 CFU/Petri), compared to the Candida control (5.86 × 10⁴ ± 1.21 CFU/Petri), p ≤ 0.001. In addition, CMJ significantly induced neutrophil production (32.92% ± 1.29 and 35.68% ± 1.77) compared to the Candida control level of 26.50% ± 2.44. An immunomodulatory effect of CMJ at two doses appeared, with a considerable elevation in INF-γ (103.88 and 115.91%), IL-2 (143.50, 182.33%), and IL-17 (83.97 and 141.95% Pg/mL) compared with the Candida group. LC-MS/MS analysis operated in negative mode was used for tentative identification of secondary (SM) metabolites based on their retention times and fragment ions. A total of 42 phytoconstituents were tentatively identified. Finally, CMJ exhibited a potent antifungal effect. CMJ fought Candida through four strategies: (i) promotion of classical phagocytosis of neutrophils; (ii) activation of T cells that activate IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-17; (iii) increasing the production of cytotoxic NO and H₂O₂ that can kill Candida; and (iv) activation of SOD, which converts superoxide to antimicrobial materials. These activities could be due to its active constituents, which are documented as anti-fungal, or due to its richness in flavonoids, especially the active compounds of kaempferol glycosides and aglycone, which have been documented as antifungal. After repetition on another type of small experimental animal, their offspring, and an experimental large animal, this study may lead to clinical trials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Analyses and Therapeutic Properties of Plant Extracts)

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12 pages, 1407 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Composition and Antioxidative and Antibacterial Activities of the Essential Oil from Farfugium japonicum

by Qiang Wei and Yi-Han Zhang

Molecules 2023, 28(6), 2774; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28062774 - 19 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1402

Abstract

The composition of volatile oils of the leaf and stem of Farfugium japonicum (L.) Kitamura were prepared by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE)-CO₂. A total 47 and 40 compounds were identified by GC/MS analysis, respectively, and only 13 compounds coexisted. The main constituent types in the leaf oil included alcohols (34.1%), hydrocarbons (24.1%), terpenoids (16.2%), benzenes (7.5%), and fatty acids (4.9%). In the stem oil, the constituent types chiefly included benzenes (18.8%), ketones (13.9%), terpenoids (17.0%), fatty acids (8.8%), phenolics (8.7%), steroids (8.6%), hydrocarbons (8.0%), and esters (5.7%). The predominant volatile compounds in the stem were 2-(1-cyclopent-1-enyl-1-methylethyl) cyclopentanone (11.7%), 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro- 9,10-dimethyl-anthracene (8.4%), 5-heptylresorcinol (6.5%), and α-sitosterol (5.2%). Those in the leaf mainly included (E)-3-hexen-1-ol (13.7%) and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol (14.0%). This demonstrated a significant difference in the composition of both oils. Further study showed that stem oils demonstrated the highest DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-pinylhydrazyl) and ·OH free radical scavenging capacities at IC₅₀ values of 9.22 and 0.90 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, they demonstrated the strongest antibacterial capacity against the Gram-positive bacteria methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.16 mg/mL. This could be due to the SFE-CO₂ extraction and the high accumulation of benzenes, terpenoids, and phenolics in the stem. In particular, the monoterpenes presented in terpenoids could play a special role in these findings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Analyses and Therapeutic Properties of Plant Extracts)

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12 pages, 1817 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Protective Effect of (-)-Tetrahydroalstonine against OGD/R-Induced Neuronal Injury via Autophagy Regulation

by Yumei Liao, Jun-Ya Wang, Yan Pan, Xueyi Zou, Chaoqun Wang, Yinghui Peng, Yun-Lin Ao, Mei Fong Lam, Xiaoshen Zhang, Xiao-Qi Zhang, Lei Shi and Shiqing Zhang

Molecules 2023, 28(5), 2370; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28052370 - 04 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1503

Abstract

Here, (-)-Tetrahydroalstonine (THA) was isolated from Alstonia scholaris and investigated for its neuroprotective effect towards oxygen–glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation (OGD/R)-induced neuronal damage. In this study, primary cortical neurons were pre-treated with THA and then subjected to OGD/R induction. The cell viability was tested by the MTT assay, and the states of the autophagy–lysosomal pathway and Akt/mTOR pathway were monitored by Western blot analysis. The findings suggested that THA administration increased the cell viability of OGD/R-induced cortical neurons. Autophagic activity and lysosomal dysfunction were found at the early stage of OGD/R, which were significantly ameliorated by THA treatment. Meanwhile, the protective effect of THA was significantly reversed by the lysosome inhibitor. Additionally, THA significantly activated the Akt/mTOR pathway, which was suppressed after OGD/R induction. In summary, THA exhibited promising protective effects against OGD/R-induced neuronal injury by autophagy regulation through the Akt/mTOR pathway. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Analyses and Therapeutic Properties of Plant Extracts)

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