Antibiodegenerative and Antimicrobial Effects of Natural Products

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 7018

Special Issue Editor

Department of Pharmacognosy with the Medicinal Plant Garden, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Collegium Universum, 1 Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Interests: phytochemistry; phytotherapy; phytochemical analysis; biological and pharmacological effects of plant constituents
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

An important motivation for the new Special Issue on antibiodegenerative and antimicrobial agents is the ever-growing interest in phytochemical, bioanalytical, and pharmacological studies of antioxidant components of natural origin involved in complex cellular anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The results of numerous in vitro and in vivo experiments published in the last decade confirm the influence of cytokines and other biological factors on the inflammatory response and activation of the immune system, which can induce tissue damage and organ degeneration. Based on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecular mechanisms, some natural constituents, especially plant phenolics, have proved to be effective hepato-, neuro-, and cardioprotective agents. They can also inhibit vascular atheromatosis and prevent carcinogenesis, which is of importance in the development of medicinal products recommended for age-related diseases. In addition, natural products are now being used as effective antimicrobial agents for the prevention and treatment of external and internal illnesses.

As a Guest Editor, I encourage the researchers to submit review papers and original studies showing novel aspects of the phytochemical, biomedical, and microbiological analysis of natural products. Articles from the aforementioned disciplines and studies describing new pharmacological mechanisms of antibiodegenerative effects shown by natural components are also welcome.

Dr. Grażyna Zgórka
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • antibiodegenerative agents
  • antimicrobials
  • natural products
  • phytochemical and biomedical analysis
  • molecular mechanisms and targets

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2267 KiB  
Article
Antibacterial Activity against Clinical Strains of a Natural Polyphenolic Extract from Albariño White Grape Marc
by Tamara Manso, Marta Lores, José Luis R. Rama, Rosa-Antía Villarino, Lorena G. Calvo, Aly Castillo, María Celeiro and Trinidad de Miguel
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(7), 950; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16070950 - 01 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1108
Abstract
Infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria are becoming increasingly frequent and sometimes difficult to treat due to the limited number of antibiotics active against them. In addition, they can spread between countries and/or continents, which is a problem of great relevance worldwide. It is, [...] Read more.
Infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria are becoming increasingly frequent and sometimes difficult to treat due to the limited number of antibiotics active against them. In addition, they can spread between countries and/or continents, which is a problem of great relevance worldwide. It is, therefore, urgent to find alternatives to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. This study aimed at exploring a possible therapeutic alternative in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Based on the known antibacterial capacity of polyphenols, we tested the antimicrobial activity of a polyphenolic extract of Albariño white grape marc on clinical strains since research on such bacteria has been very scarce until now. First, the extract was obtained using a medium-scale ambient temperature (MSAT) system, which is an efficient and sustainable extractive method. The determinations of the polyphenolic content of the extract and its antioxidant capacity showed good results. Using chromatographic and mass spectrometric tools, 13 remarkable polyphenols were detected in the extract. The antibacterial activity of our grape marc extract against nineteen clinical strain isolates, some of which are multidrug-resistant, was evaluated by means of the calculation of half of the maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) and the value of the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs). In conclusion, the extract showed effectiveness against all clinical strains tested, regardless of their level of antibiotic resistance, and shows promise in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiodegenerative and Antimicrobial Effects of Natural Products)
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13 pages, 814 KiB  
Article
Development and Characterization of Hydroxyethyl Cellulose-Based Gels Containing Lactobacilli Strains: Evaluation of Antimicrobial Effects in In Vitro and Ex Vivo Models
by Marcela Almeida dos Santos de Sousa, Alexia Figueiredo Ferreira, Camila Caetano da Silva, Marcos Andrade Silva, Tamyris Alicely Xavier Nogueira Bazan, Cristina de Andrade Monteiro, Andrea de Souza Monteiro, Joicy Cortez de Sá Sousa, Luís Cláudio Nascimento da Silva and Adrielle Zagmignan
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(3), 468; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16030468 - 22 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2110
Abstract
This study aimed to develop a hydroxyethyl cellulose-based topical formulation containing probiotics and to evaluate its antimicrobial action using in vivo and ex vivo models. Initially, the antagonistic effects of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus ATCC 10863, Limosilactobacillus fermentum ATCC 23271, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum [...] Read more.
This study aimed to develop a hydroxyethyl cellulose-based topical formulation containing probiotics and to evaluate its antimicrobial action using in vivo and ex vivo models. Initially, the antagonistic effects of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus ATCC 10863, Limosilactobacillus fermentum ATCC 23271, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP-G18-A11 were analyzed against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 27853 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 2785. The best action was seen for L. plantarum LP-G18-A11, which presented high inhibition against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Then, lactobacilli strains were incorporated into hydroxyethyl cellulose-based gels (natrosol); however, only the LP-G18-A11-incorporated gels (5% and 3%) showed antimicrobial effects. The LP-G18-A11 gel (5%) maintained its antimicrobial effects and viability up to 14 and 90 days at 25 °C and 4 °C, respectively. In the ex vivo assay using porcine skin, the LP-G18-A11 gel (5%) significantly reduced the skin loads of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa after 24 h, while only P. aeruginosa was reduced after 72 h. Moreover, the LP-G18-A11 gel (5%) showed stability in the preliminary and accelerated assays. Taken together, the results show the antimicrobial potential of L. plantarum LP-G18-A11, which may be applied in the development of new dressings for the treatment of infected wounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiodegenerative and Antimicrobial Effects of Natural Products)
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11 pages, 2594 KiB  
Article
Cichorium intybus L. Hairy Roots as a Platform for Antimicrobial Activity
by Suvi T. Häkkinen, Katarina Cankar, Liisa Nohynek, Jeroen van Arkel, Markus Laurel, Kirsi-Marja Oksman-Caldentey and Bart Van Droogenbroeck
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(2), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16020140 - 18 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1670
Abstract
Industrial chicory is an important crop for its high dietary fibre content. Besides inulin, chicory taproots contain interesting secondary metabolite compounds, which possess bioactive properties. Hairy roots are differentiated plant cell cultures that have shown to be feasible biotechnological hosts for the production [...] Read more.
Industrial chicory is an important crop for its high dietary fibre content. Besides inulin, chicory taproots contain interesting secondary metabolite compounds, which possess bioactive properties. Hairy roots are differentiated plant cell cultures that have shown to be feasible biotechnological hosts for the production of several plant-derived molecules. In this study, hairy roots of industrial chicory cultivars were established, and their potential as a source of antimicrobial ingredients was assessed. It was shown that hot water extracts of hairy roots possessed antimicrobial activity against relevant human microbes, whereas corresponding chicory taproots did not show activity. Remarkably, a significant antimicrobial activity of hot water extracts of chicory hairy roots towards methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was observed, indicating a high potential of hairy roots as a host for production of antimicrobial agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiodegenerative and Antimicrobial Effects of Natural Products)
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22 pages, 4480 KiB  
Article
Combining the In Silico and In Vitro Assays to Identify Strobilanthes cusia Kuntze Bioactives against Penicillin-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae
by Xiaoyu Han, Lu Jin, Zhimin Zhao, Xinjun Xu, Shiyi Liu, Yuquan Huang, Xiaoli Liu, Yuehong Xu, Depo Yang, Wei Huang and Li Wang
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(1), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16010105 - 10 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1602
Abstract
Leaves of Strobilanthes cusia Kuntze (S. cusia) are a widely used alexipharmic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in southern China for the prevention of cold and respiratory tract infectious diseases. One of the most common bacterial pathogens in the respiratory tract is [...] Read more.
Leaves of Strobilanthes cusia Kuntze (S. cusia) are a widely used alexipharmic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in southern China for the prevention of cold and respiratory tract infectious diseases. One of the most common bacterial pathogens in the respiratory tract is the gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. The antibiotic resistance of colonized S. pneumoniae makes it a more serious threat to public health. In this study, the leaves of S. cusia were found to perform antibacterial effects on the penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP). Confocal assay and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) monitored the diminished cell wall integrity and capsule thickness of the PRSP with treatment. The following comparative proteomics analysis revealed that the glycometabolism-related pathways were enriched for the differentially expressed proteins between the samples with treatment and the control. To further delve into the specific single effective compound, the bio-active contents of leaves of S. cusia were analyzed by UPLC-UV-ESI-Q-TOF/MS, and 23 compounds were isolated for anti-PRSP screening. Among them, Tryptanthrin demonstrated the most promising effect, and it possibly inhibited the N-glycan degradation proteins, as suggested by reverse docking analysis in silico and further experimental verification by the surface plasmon resonance assay (SPR). Our study provided a research foundation for applications of the leaves of S. cusia as a TCM, and supplied a bio-active compound Tryptanthrin as a candidate drug skeleton for infectious diseases caused by the PRSP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiodegenerative and Antimicrobial Effects of Natural Products)
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