molecules-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Research on Chemical Composition and Activity of Natural Products

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 9215

Special Issue Editors

Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, 15A Vasil Aprilov Boulevard, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Interests: natural product chemistry; bioactivity; chromatography; yeasts; plants
Institute for Roses and Aromatic Plants, Agricultural Academy, 49 Osvobojdenie Blvd., 6100 Kazanlak, Bulgaria
Interests: essential oils; processing technology; distillation; extraction; chemistry of natural products; essential-oil-bearing plants; medicinal plants
Laboratory of Biologically Active Substances, Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 139 Ruski Blvd., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Interests: food chemistry; functional foods; nutraceuticals; biologically active substances; extraction; secondary metabolites; antioxidants; polyphenols

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nature is an inexhaustible source of biologically active substances, and interest in their research will always be relevant, regardless of whether new molecules will be discovered or new activities of already known compounds will be proven. For centuries, people have used the bounty of nature in the areas they inhabited, both for food and medicine. Today, the borders have taken on another dimension, and the accumulated knowledge about the benefits of natural products is becoming available to many more people around the world. From an ecological point of view, it is extremely important to recover waste from agriculture and the food sector, which is a potential source of biologically important molecules. Modern science allows studying the metabolism of compounds of natural origin at the cellular level, modifying natural molecules in order to obtain derivatives with better activity or lower toxicity, and conducting in-depth research on a wide range of pharmacological effects.

Therefore, this Special Issue of Molecules aims to promote the latest advances in the isolation and identification of new molecules, the modification of known ones, and the demonstration of in vitro and in vivo activities of biologically active substances from terrestrial and marine plants and animals or microorganisms. Authors are encouraged to submit original articles and well as reviews.

Dr. Stela Dimitrova
Dr. Ana M. Dobreva
Prof. Dr. Petko Denev
Guest Editors

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 bioactive compounds
  • isolation and analysis
  • metabolism
  • in vitro and in vivo experiments
  • pharmacological study

Published Papers (8 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 1904 KiB  
Article
A New Glucosyl Flavone with Inhibitory Activity of Cancer Cell Viability and Other Bioactive Constituents from the Traditional Kurdish Plant Plantago loeflingii L.
by Hawraz Ibrahim M. Amin, Kamaran Younis M. Amin, Chabaco Armijos, Faiq H. S. Hussain, Zanko Hassan Jawhar, Diego Caprioglio, Mariella Mella and Giovanni Vidari
Molecules 2024, 29(5), 1079; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29051079 - 29 Feb 2024
Viewed by 440
Abstract
A new glucosyl flavone, 5,7,2′,5′-tetrahydroxyflavone 7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, named loeflingiin, together with apigenin 6-C-glucoside (isovitexin), coumarins citropten and isompinellin, triterpenoids betulin and betulinic acid, and a mixture of phytosterols β-sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol were isolated for the first time [...] Read more.
A new glucosyl flavone, 5,7,2′,5′-tetrahydroxyflavone 7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, named loeflingiin, together with apigenin 6-C-glucoside (isovitexin), coumarins citropten and isompinellin, triterpenoids betulin and betulinic acid, and a mixture of phytosterols β-sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol were isolated for the first time from the leaves of wild Plantago loeflingii L. (Plantaginaceae) collected in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. The plant is used by local people to treat wounds and as a vulnerary remedy. The structures of isolated compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis. The activities of isovitexin and loeflingiinon the viability of breast (MCF7), ovarian (BG-1), endometrial (Ishikawa), and mesothelioma (IST-MES1) human cancer cells and two normal cell lines were determined with an MTT assay. Notably, the new 7-O-glucosyl flavone showed effects higher than cisplatin against the Ishikawa and IST-MESI cell lines. The significant biological activities exhibited by all the compounds isolated from P. loeflingii provided scientific evidence to support the use of the plant in the Kurdish traditional medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Chemical Composition and Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 3195 KiB  
Article
Teadenol B as a Component of Microorganism-Fermented Tea Extract Inhibited Breast Cancers by Promoting Autophagy
by Ying Zhao, Zhang-Gui Ding, Yu-Jie Yan, Rui Yang, Miao-Miao Qi, Shu-Kang Pan, Ji-Ling Xie, Yu-Hui Sun and Jin Xiang
Molecules 2024, 29(4), 872; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29040872 - 16 Feb 2024
Viewed by 571
Abstract
Breast cancer is a significant threat to life and health, which needs more safe and effective drugs to be explored. Teadenol B is a characteristic chemical component of microbial fermented tea. This study discovered that teadenol B could exhibit obvious inhibitory effects on [...] Read more.
Breast cancer is a significant threat to life and health, which needs more safe and effective drugs to be explored. Teadenol B is a characteristic chemical component of microbial fermented tea. This study discovered that teadenol B could exhibit obvious inhibitory effects on all four different clinical subtype characteristics of breast cancer cells. Proteomic studies show that deoxycytidine triphosphate deaminase (DCTD), which could block DNA synthesis and repair DNA damage, had the most significant and consistent reduction in all four types of breast cancer cells with the treatment of teadenol B. Considering MDA-MB-231 cells exhibit poor clinical prognosis and displayed substantial statistical differences in KEGG pathway enrichment analysis results, we investigated its impact on the size and growth of MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast tumors transplanted into nude mice and demonstrated that teadenol B significantly suppressed tumor growth without affecting body weight significantly. Finally, we found that the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II in MDA-MB-231 increased significantly with teadenol B treatment. This proved that teadenol B could be a strong autophagy promotor, which explained the down-regulation of DCTD to some extent and may be the potential mechanism underlying teadenol B’s anti-breast cancer effects. This finding provides new evidence for drinking fermented tea to prevent breast cancer and highlights the potential of teadenol B as a novel therapeutic option for breast cancer prevention and treatment, necessitating further investigations to clarify its exact target and the details involved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Chemical Composition and Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 1213 KiB  
Article
Non-Volatile Component and Antioxidant Activity: A Comparative Analysis between Litsea cubeba Branches and Leaves
by Wei Dai, Boyi Li, Yanli Xiong, Liping Dai, Yuan Tian, Liangqian Zhang, Qi Wang and Guoqiang Qian
Molecules 2024, 29(4), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29040788 - 08 Feb 2024
Viewed by 615
Abstract
Litsea cubeba, which is found widely distributed across the Asian region, functions as both an economic tree and a medicinal plant with a rich historical background. Previous investigations into its chemical composition and biological activity have predominantly centered on volatile components, leaving [...] Read more.
Litsea cubeba, which is found widely distributed across the Asian region, functions as both an economic tree and a medicinal plant with a rich historical background. Previous investigations into its chemical composition and biological activity have predominantly centered on volatile components, leaving the study of non-volatile components relatively unexplored. In this study, we employed UPLC-HRMS technology to analyze the non-volatile components of L. cubeba branches and leaves, which successfully resulted in identifying 72 constituents. Comparative analysis between branches and leaves unveiled alkaloids, organic acids, and flavonoids as the major components. However, noteworthy differences in the distribution of these components between branches and leaves were observed, with only eight shared constituents, indicating substantial chemical variations in different parts of L. cubeba. Particularly, 24 compounds were identified for the first time from this plant. The assessment of antioxidant activity using four methods (ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, and CUPRAC) demonstrated remarkable antioxidant capabilities in both branches and leaves, with slightly higher efficacy observed in branches. This suggests that L. cubeba may act as a potential natural antioxidant with applications in health and therapeutic interventions. In conclusion, the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of L. cubeba provides a scientific foundation for its development and utilization in medicine and health products, offering promising avenues for the rational exploitation of L. cubeba resources in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Chemical Composition and Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 1892 KiB  
Article
Valorization of Prunus Seed Oils: Fatty Acids Composition and Oxidative Stability
by Sandra Rodríguez-Blázquez, Esther Gómez-Mejía, Noelia Rosales-Conrado, María Eugenia León-González, Beatriz García-Sánchez and Ruben Miranda
Molecules 2023, 28(20), 7045; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28207045 - 12 Oct 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1020
Abstract
Prunus fruit seeds are one of the main types of agri-food waste generated worldwide during the processing of fruits to produce jams, juices and preserves. To valorize this by-product, the aim of this work was the nutritional analysis of peach, apricot, plum and [...] Read more.
Prunus fruit seeds are one of the main types of agri-food waste generated worldwide during the processing of fruits to produce jams, juices and preserves. To valorize this by-product, the aim of this work was the nutritional analysis of peach, apricot, plum and cherry seeds using the official AOAC methods, together with the extraction and characterization of the lipid profile of seed oils using GC-FID, as well as the measurement of the antioxidant activity and oxidative stability using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging method. Chemometric tools were required for data evaluation and the obtained results indicated that the main component of seeds were oils (30–38%, w). All seed oils were rich in oleic (C18:1n9c) and linoleic (C18:2n6c) acids and presented heart-healthy lipid indexes. Oil antioxidant activity was estimated in the range IC50 = 20–35 mg·mL−1, and high oxidative stability was observed for all evaluated oils during 1–22 storage days, with the plum seed oil being the most antioxidant and stable over time. Oxidative stability was also positively correlated with oleic acid content and negatively correlated with linoleic acid content. Therefore, this research showed that the four Prunus seed oils present interesting healthy characteristics for their use and potential application in the cosmetic and nutraceutical industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Chemical Composition and Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

10 pages, 285 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activity of Gentamicin in Combination with Essential Oils Isolated from Different Cultivars and Morphological Parts of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) against Selected Bacterial Strains
by Michalina Adaszyńska-Skwirzyńska, Sławomir Zych, Mateusz Bucław, Danuta Majewska, Małgorzata Dzięcioł and Danuta Szczerbińska
Molecules 2023, 28(15), 5781; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28155781 - 31 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1055
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the antibacterial effects of essential oils isolated from different cultivars and morphological parts of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) in combination with the aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin. This in vitro study analyzed the effectiveness of the [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to investigate the antibacterial effects of essential oils isolated from different cultivars and morphological parts of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) in combination with the aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin. This in vitro study analyzed the effectiveness of the combinations of gentamicin and lavender essential oils against the following strains: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Staphylococcus aureus MRSA and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027. The effect of the combination of lavender oils with gentamicin was tested using the checkerboard method. A synergistic effect against S. aureus strain ATCC 25923 was found when gentamicin was combined with lavender essential oils isolated from flowers and leafy stalks (flowers: ‘Blue River’ FICI—0.192; ‘Ellagance Purple’ FICI—0.288; leafy stalks: ‘Blue River’ FICI—0.192; ‘Ellagance Purple’ FICI—0.320). A synergistic effect was also observed for the combination of gentamicin with lavender essential oils from flowers against the resistant strain of S. aureus (MRSA) (‘Blue River’ FICI—0,191; ‘Ellagance Purple’ FICI—0.263), as well as for the essential oils from leafy stalks (‘Blue River’ FICI—0.076; ‘Ellagance Purple’ FICI—0.089). No interaction was observed for the combination of studied essential oils with gentamicin against P. aeruginosa strain ATCC 9027 (FICI = 1.083–1.300). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Chemical Composition and Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 1600 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Chemical Compositions and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils from Litsea Cubeba, Cinnamon, Anise, and Eucalyptus
by Shutian Liu, Chen Zhao, Yuwei Cao, Yan Li, Zhuo Zhang, Dechao Nie, Weixuan Tang and Yanling Li
Molecules 2023, 28(13), 5051; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28135051 - 28 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1154
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the antioxidant activity of litsea cubeba oil (LCO), cinnamon oil (CO), anise oil (AO), and eucalyptus oil (EUC) in vitro. The chemical compositions of the essential oils (EOs) were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to compare the antioxidant activity of litsea cubeba oil (LCO), cinnamon oil (CO), anise oil (AO), and eucalyptus oil (EUC) in vitro. The chemical compositions of the essential oils (EOs) were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antioxidant activity of the four EOs was evaluated through scavenging DPPH free radicals, chelating Fe2+, scavenging hydroxyl free radicals, and inhibiting yolk lipid peroxidation. The results showed that the major compounds found in LCO, CO, AO, and EUC are citral (64.29%), cinnamaldehyde (84.25%), anethole (78.51%), and 1,8-cineole (81.78%), respectively. The four EOs all had certain antioxidant activity. The ability to scavenge DPPH radical was ranked in the order of LCO > CO > AO > EUC. The hydroxyl radical scavenging ability was ranked in the order of EUC > CO > LCO > AO. The chelating Fe2+ capacity was ranked in the order of EUC > AO > CO > LCO. The yolk lipid peroxidation inhibition ability was ranked in the order of CO > AO > EUC > LCO. In different antioxidant activity assays, the antioxidant activity of the EOs was different. It was speculated that the total antioxidant activity of an EO may be the result of the joint action of different antioxidant capacities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Chemical Composition and Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 2338 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Use of Common Juniper (Juniperus communis L.) Foliage following the Cascade Principle
by Irene Mediavilla, Raquel Bados, Lillian Barros, Virginie Xavier, Tiane C. Finimundy, Tania C. S. P. Pires, Sandrina A. Heleno, Ricardo C. Calhelha, Joana S. Amaral, Andrea Maria Rizzo, David Casini, Giacomo Lombardi, David Chiaramonti, Miguel Cámara, Ana Suárez, Tomás Ardid and Luis Saúl Esteban
Molecules 2023, 28(10), 4008; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28104008 - 10 May 2023
Viewed by 1645
Abstract
Juniperus communis L. is a species commonly grown in regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and is a good candidate to be cultivated in marginal lands. Plants coming from a pruning performed in a natural population located in Spain were used to assess the [...] Read more.
Juniperus communis L. is a species commonly grown in regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and is a good candidate to be cultivated in marginal lands. Plants coming from a pruning performed in a natural population located in Spain were used to assess the yield and quality of different products obtained following the cascade principle. A total of 1050 kg of foliage biomass were crushed, steam-distilled, and separated into fractions to produce biochar and absorbents for the pet industry using pilot plants. The obtained products were analysed. The essential oil, with a yield of 0.45% dry basis and a qualitative chemical composition similar to that described for the berries in international standards or monographs, showed antioxidant activity with promising CAA results (inhibition of 89% of the cell’s oxidation). However, regarding antibacterial and antifungal activities, it only inhibited the growth of microorganisms at the maximum concentration tested, 2.5%. Concerning the hydrolate, it did not show bioactivity. Regarding the biochar, whose yield was 28.79% dry basis, interesting results were obtained for its characterisation as a possible soil improver for agronomic purposes (PFC 3(A)). Finally, promising results were obtained regarding the use of common juniper as absorbent, taking into account the physical characterisation and odour control capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Chemical Composition and Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1078 KiB  
Review
An Overview on the Hallucinogenic Peyote and Its Alkaloid Mescaline: The Importance of Context, Ceremony and Culture
by Marjolein Doesburg-van Kleffens, Amy M. Zimmermann-Klemd and Carsten Gründemann
Molecules 2023, 28(24), 7942; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28247942 - 05 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1859
Abstract
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is a cactus that contains various biologically active alkaloids—such as pellotine, anhalonidine, hordenine and mescaline. Here, mescaline induces the psychoactive effects of peyote through the activation of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor and the subsequent release of calcium [...] Read more.
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is a cactus that contains various biologically active alkaloids—such as pellotine, anhalonidine, hordenine and mescaline. Here, mescaline induces the psychoactive effects of peyote through the activation of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor and the subsequent release of calcium (Ca2+) from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Moreover, an evaluation of the therapeutic benefits of mescaline is also currently the subject of research. It is important to consider that the outcome of taking a psychedelic drug strongly depends on the mindset of the recipient and the context (set and setting principle), including ceremonies and culture. This overview serves to summarise the current state of the knowledge of the metabolism, mechanism of action and clinical application studies of peyote and mescaline. Furthermore, the benefits of the potential of peyote and mescaline are presented in a new light, setting an example for combining a form of treatment embedded in nature and ritually enriched with our current highly innovative Western medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Chemical Composition and Activity of Natural Products)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop