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Plants Extractions in Health Care
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Plants Extractions in Health Care

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 10487

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Betty Yuen-Kwan Law

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa 999078, China
Interests: molecular and chemical biology; autophagy and neurodegenerative disorders; natural products and pharmacology
Dr. Anguo Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
Interests: natural products and pharmacology; analytical chemistry and herbal chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the current trend in advocating medicine–food homology and green healthcare, the discovery of plant compounds and extractions for the prevention or modulation of diseases are becoming more important in the development of novel therapeutics for complex diseases caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as neurodegenerative orders and cancers. With the characteristic of containing multiple chemicals components for multi- targeting purposes, plant extract has a strong potential for diseases modulation through the poly-pharmacological approach. Therefore, with the complexity of the signaling network underlying pathogenesis of diseases, plant extracts represent a promising source of effective remedies due to their pharmacological potency and safety. This Special Issue will focus on the potential of the novel identification or repurposing of natural or plant-based bioactive compounds or extractions for treating different human diseases and health care. A collection of original research and review articles about the recent advances in the biotechnology, development, and application of natural compounds and extracts with topics include (but not limited to): (1) natural novel anti-oxidants or anti-inflammatory agents for oxidative stress conditions, complex diseases, anti-aging, or healthcare; (2) advances in the extraction or synthesis pathways of bioactive compounds from natural sources for pharmacological applications; and (3) the identification of novel herbal extracts or compounds for pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical purposes, such as health and skin care supplements, medicines or cosmetics.

Dr. Betty Yuen-Kwan Law
Dr. Anguo Wu
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 products
  • health care
  • molecular pharmacology
  • drug discovery
  • novel therapeutics
  • complex diseases

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 7037 KiB  
Article
Edgeworthia gardneri (Wall.) Meisn. Ethanolic Extract Attenuates Endothelial Activation and Alleviates Cardiac Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
by Xiaoya Lang, Chao Zhong, Lingqing Su, Manman Qin, Yanfei Xie, Dan Shan, Yaru Cui, Min Shi, Min Li, Hexiu Quan, Liang Qiu, Guoyue Zhong and Jun Yu
Molecules 2024, 29(5), 1068; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29051068 - 29 Feb 2024
Viewed by 520
Abstract
Endothelial pro-inflammatory activation is pivotal in cardiac ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury pathophysiology. The dried flower bud of Edgeworthia gardneri (Wall.) Meisn. (EG) is a commonly utilized traditional Tibetan medicine. However, its role in regulating endothelium activation and cardiac I/R injury has not been investigated. [...] Read more.
Endothelial pro-inflammatory activation is pivotal in cardiac ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury pathophysiology. The dried flower bud of Edgeworthia gardneri (Wall.) Meisn. (EG) is a commonly utilized traditional Tibetan medicine. However, its role in regulating endothelium activation and cardiac I/R injury has not been investigated. Herein, we showed that the administration of EG ethanolic extract exhibited a potent therapeutic efficacy in ameliorating cardiac endothelial inflammation (p < 0.05) and thereby protecting against myocardial I/R injury in rats (p < 0.001). In line with the in vivo findings, the EG extract suppressed endothelial pro-inflammatory activation in vitro by downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators (p < 0.05) and diminishing monocytes’ firm adhesion to endothelial cells (ECs) (p < 0.01). Mechanistically, we showed that EG extract inhibited the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways to attenuate EC-mediated inflammation (p < 0.05). Collectively, for the first time, this study demonstrated the therapeutic potential of EG ethanolic extract in alleviating I/R-induced inflammation and the resulting cardiac injury through its inhibitory role in regulating endothelium activation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants Extractions in Health Care)
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18 pages, 4598 KiB  
Article
Dendrobium Nobile Alcohol Extract Extends the Lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans via hsf-1 and daf-16
by Linfeng Li, Zhen Liu, Huiling Hu, Renming Cai, Jingdou Bi, Qin Wang, Xiaogang Zhou, Huairong Luo, Chun Zhang and Runlan Wan
Molecules 2024, 29(4), 908; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29040908 - 19 Feb 2024
Viewed by 849
Abstract
Dendrobium nobile is a traditional Chinese herb with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. However, its antiaging effects are unclear. Herein, we studied the aging-related functions and the mechanism of action of the alcohol extract of Dendrobium nobile (DnAE) in the model organism Caenorhabditis [...] Read more.
Dendrobium nobile is a traditional Chinese herb with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. However, its antiaging effects are unclear. Herein, we studied the aging-related functions and the mechanism of action of the alcohol extract of Dendrobium nobile (DnAE) in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The results indicated that 1 mg/mL DnAE slowed lipofuscin accumulation, decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species, elevated superoxide dismutase activity, enhanced oxidative and heat stress resistance, extended the lifespan of nematodes, protected their dopamine neurons from 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurodegeneration, and reduced Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. DnAE upregulated the mRNA expression of the transcription factors DAF-16 and HSF-1, promoted the nuclear localization of DAF-16, and enhanced the fluorescence intensity of HSP-16.2. However, it had no effect on the lifespan of DAF-16 mutants. Thus, DnAE can significantly extend lifespan, enhance heat stress tolerance, and delay age-related diseases through a DAF-16-dependent pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants Extractions in Health Care)
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13 pages, 1871 KiB  
Article
Germacrane Sesquiterpene Dilactones from Mikania micrantha and Their Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Activity
by Li-Mei Dong, Qiao-Lin Xu, Shao-Bo Liu, Shan-Xuan Zhang, Meng-Fei Liu, Jin-Long Duan, Jin-Kui Ouyang, Jia-Tao Hu, Fen-Yu Fu and Jian-Wen Tan
Molecules 2023, 28(5), 2119; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28052119 - 24 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1605
Abstract
Four new germacrane sesquiterpene dilactones, 2β-hydroxyl-11β,13-dihydrodeoxymikanolide (1), 3β-hydroxyl-11β,13-dihydrodeoxymikanolide (2), 1α,3β-dihydroxy-4,9-germacradiene-12,8:15,6-diolide (3), and (11β,13-dihydrodeoxymikanolide-13-yl)-adenine (4), together with five known ones (5 [...] Read more.
Four new germacrane sesquiterpene dilactones, 2β-hydroxyl-11β,13-dihydrodeoxymikanolide (1), 3β-hydroxyl-11β,13-dihydrodeoxymikanolide (2), 1α,3β-dihydroxy-4,9-germacradiene-12,8:15,6-diolide (3), and (11β,13-dihydrodeoxymikanolide-13-yl)-adenine (4), together with five known ones (5–9) were isolated from the aerial parts of Mikania micrantha. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compound 4 is featured with an adenine moiety in the molecule, which is the first nitrogen-containing sesquiterpenoid so far isolated from this plant species. These compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity against four Gram-(+) bacteria of Staphyloccocus aureus (SA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus cereus (BC) and Curtobacterium. flaccumfaciens (CF), and three Gram-(–) bacteria of Escherichia coli (EC), Salmonella. typhimurium (SA), and Pseudomonas Solanacearum (PS). Compounds 4 and 7–9 were found to show strong in vitro antibacterial activity toward all the tested bacteria with the MIC values ranging from 1.56 to 12.5 µg/mL. Notably, compounds 4 and 9 showed significant antibacterial activity against the drug-resistant bacterium of MRSA with MIC value 6.25 µg/mL, which was close to reference compound vancomycin (MIC 3.125 µg/mL). Compounds 4 and 7–9 were further revealed to show in vitro cytotoxic activity toward human tumor A549, HepG2, MCF-7, and HeLa cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 8.97 to 27.39 μM. No antibacterial and cytotoxic activity were displayed for the other compounds. The present research provided new data to support that M. micrantha is rich in structurally diverse bioactive compounds worthy of further development for pharmaceutical applications and for crop protection in agricultural fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants Extractions in Health Care)
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21 pages, 3627 KiB  
Article
Phenolic Profiles, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Hydrodistillation Wastewaters from Five Lamiaceae Species
by Edoardo Napoli, Giuseppe Ruberto, Alessandra Carrubba, Mauro Sarno, Claudia Muscarà, Antonio Speciale, Mariateresa Cristani, Francesco Cimino and Antonella Saija
Molecules 2022, 27(21), 7427; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27217427 - 01 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1487
Abstract
Distillation is the most widely used method to obtain an essential oil from plant material. The biomass used in the process is returned as a solid residue together with variable amounts of water rich in water-soluble compounds, which currently are not addressed to [...] Read more.
Distillation is the most widely used method to obtain an essential oil from plant material. The biomass used in the process is returned as a solid residue together with variable amounts of water rich in water-soluble compounds, which currently are not addressed to any further application. The scope of this work was to evaluate the phytochemical composition of wastewaters coming from hydrodistillation (DWWs) of five aromatic plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family, and to assess their in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The phenolic profiles of the DWWs were determined by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI/MS. Free radical scavenging ability, oxygen radical antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase mimetic activity of the samples under study were measured. Moreover, to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of the DWWs, an in vitro experimental model of intestinal inflammation was used. The DWW samples’ phytochemical analysis allowed the identification of 37 phenolic compounds, all exhibiting good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Our study contributes to the knowledge on the polyphenolic composition of the DWWs of five aromatic plants of the Lamiaceae family. The results highlight the presence of compounds with proven biological activity, and therefore of great interest in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants Extractions in Health Care)
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12 pages, 1816 KiB  
Article
Chrysanthemum boreale Makino Inhibits Oxidative Stress-Induced Neuronal Damage in Human Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells by Suppressing MAPK-Regulated Apoptosis
by Parkyong Song, Seo Young Choi, Ji Sun Hwang, Hyeon Cheal Park, Keun Ki Kim, Hong-Joo Son, Chang-Oh Hong, Yu-Jin Kim, Wanil Kim and Kwang Min Lee
Molecules 2022, 27(17), 5498; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27175498 - 26 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1842
Abstract
Oxidative stress has been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in the pathological processes of many neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, we demonstrated that Chrysanthemum boreale Makino extract (CBME) suppresses oxidative stress-induced neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and elucidated the underlying [...] Read more.
Oxidative stress has been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in the pathological processes of many neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, we demonstrated that Chrysanthemum boreale Makino extract (CBME) suppresses oxidative stress-induced neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanism. Our observations revealed that CBME effectively protected neuronal cells against H2O2-induced cell death by preventing caspase-3 activation, Bax upregulation, Bcl-2 downregulation, activation of three mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and NF-κB phosphorylation, and iNOS induction. These results provide evidence that CBME has remarkable neuroprotective properties in SH-SY5Y cells against oxidative damage, suggesting that the complementary or even alternative role of CBME in preventing and treating neurodegenerative diseases is worth further studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants Extractions in Health Care)
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Review

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24 pages, 2844 KiB  
Review
Natural Products in Preventing Tumor Drug Resistance and Related Signaling Pathways
by Chuansheng Yang, Zhikai Mai, Can Liu, Shuanghong Yin, Yantao Cai and Chenglai Xia
Molecules 2022, 27(11), 3513; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27113513 - 30 May 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3080
Abstract
Drug resistance is still an obstacle in cancer therapy, leading to the failure of tumor treatment. The emergence of tumor drug resistance has always been a main concern of oncologists. Therefore, overcoming tumor drug resistance and looking for new strategies for tumor treatment [...] Read more.
Drug resistance is still an obstacle in cancer therapy, leading to the failure of tumor treatment. The emergence of tumor drug resistance has always been a main concern of oncologists. Therefore, overcoming tumor drug resistance and looking for new strategies for tumor treatment is a major focus in the field of tumor research. Natural products serve as effective substances against drug resistance because of their diverse chemical structures and pharmacological effects. We reviewed the signaling pathways involved in the development of tumor drug resistance, including Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Renin-angiotensin system (Ras), Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), Wnt, Notch, Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and their specific signaling pathway inhibitors derived from natural products. This can provide new ideas for the prevention of drug resistance in cancer therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants Extractions in Health Care)
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