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Phytochemistry and Biological Activity Perspectives of Medicinal Plants
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Phytochemistry and Biological Activity Perspectives of Medicinal Plants

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 2654

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Nour Eddine Es-Safi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Materials Science Center (MSC), Mohammed V University in Rabat, LPCMIO, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Rabat, Morocco
Interests: medicinal plants; natural products; polyphenols; essential oils; extraction; isolation; characterization; biological properties; chromatography; spectroscopy; nuclear magnetic resonance; mass spectrometry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Medicinal plants have been used since ancient times and humans have always turned to vegetal resources for food or medicine. Medicinal plants have thus been a source of metabolites of medical interest. Nowadays, despite the development of many synthetic products with potent medical properties, natural products from medicinal plants remain always topical. The renewed interest that we are witnessing today, the dedication to and the infatuation with natural products, comes from the fact that they are usually considered safer and healthier than synthetic products and are often free of artificial additives.

In view of their leading role as reservoirs of many metabolites with medical prominence and their important role in drug discovery and development, medicinal plants have been the subject of several scientific research works. However, although a number of manuscripts have been published on the phytochemical composition and the biological properties of medicinal plants, this field continue to be an open research area of constant interest.

This Special Issue devoted to “Phytochemistry and Biological Activity of Medicinal Plants” aims to be a platform for the publication of the latest advances in the field of medicinal plants. Research works on the extraction, structural characterization, and quantitative isolation of natural products from medicinal plants using powerful and potent sophisticated analytical tools are welcome. Synthesis of natural products and the use of isolated natural substances as starting materials or precursors for the formation of active ingredient with enhanced biological activities are also welcome. Finally, manuscripts related to the biological activities of medicinal plants extracts‘, their toxicity, and their bioavailability are welcome as well.

We sincerely look forward to receiving your contributions focusing on the phytochemistry and biological activities of medicinal plants. We hope that this Special Issue of Molecules will be of a great interest for a broad research scientific community and will enhance our knowledge of natural products.

Prof. Dr. Nour Eddine Es-Safi
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

  • medicinal plants
  • natural products
  • bioactive compounds
  • extraction
  • eco-extraction
  • isolation
  • bioguided isolation
  • characterization
  • synthesis
  • biological properties
  • bioavailability
  • toxicity
  • industrial application

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2300 KiB  
Article
Chemical Composition, Nutritional, and Biological Properties of Extracts Obtained with Different Techniques from Aronia melanocarpa Berries
by Alessandra Piras, Silvia Porcedda, Antonella Smeriglio, Domenico Trombetta, Mariella Nieddu, Franca Piras, Valeria Sogos and Antonella Rosa
Molecules 2024, 29(11), 2577; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29112577 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
This study investigates the chemical composition, nutritional, and biological properties of extracts obtained from A. melanocarpa berries using different extraction methods and solvents. Hydrodistillation and supercritical fluid extraction with CO2 allowed us to isolate fruit essential oil (HDEX) and fixed [...] Read more.
This study investigates the chemical composition, nutritional, and biological properties of extracts obtained from A. melanocarpa berries using different extraction methods and solvents. Hydrodistillation and supercritical fluid extraction with CO2 allowed us to isolate fruit essential oil (HDEX) and fixed oil (SFEEX), respectively. A phenol-enriched extract was obtained using a mild ultrasound-assisted maceration with methanol (UAMM). The HDEX most abundant component, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), was italicene epoxide (17.2%), followed by hexadecanoic acid (12.4%), khusinol (10.5%), limonene (9.7%), dodecanoic acid (9.7%), and (E)-anethole (6.1%). Linoleic (348.9 mg/g of extract, 70.5%), oleic (88.9 mg/g, 17.9%), and palmitic (40.8 mg/g, 8.2%) acids, followed by α-linolenic and stearic acids, were the main fatty acids in SFEEX determined using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector and an evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-DAD/ELSD). HPLC-DAD analyses of SFEEX identified β-carotene as the main carotenoid (1.7 mg/g), while HPLC with fluorescence detection (FLU) evidenced α-tocopherol (1.2 mg/g) as the most abundant tocopherol isoform in SFEEX. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-MS (LC-ESI-MS) analysis of UAMM showed the presence of quercetin-sulfate (15.6%, major component), malvidin 3-O-(6-O-p-coumaroyl) glucoside-4-vinylphenol adduct (pigment B) (9.3%), di-caffeoyl coumaroyl spermidine (7.6%), methyl-epigallocatechin (5.68%), and phloretin (4.1%), while flavonoids (70.5%) and phenolic acids (23.9%) emerged as the most abundant polyphenol classes. UAMM exerted a complete inhibition of the cholesterol oxidative degradation at 140 °C from 75 μg of extract, showing 50% protection at 30.6 μg (IA50). Furthermore, UAMM significantly reduced viability (31–48%) in A375 melanoma cells in the range of 500–2000 μg/mL after 96 h of incubation (MTT assay), with a low toxic effect in normal HaCaT keratinocytes. The results of this research extend the knowledge of the nutritional and biological properties of A. melanocarpa berries, providing useful information on specific extracts for potential food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemistry and Biological Activity Perspectives of Medicinal Plants)
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13 pages, 23994 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical and Micro-Morphological Characterization of Atraphaxis pyrifolia Bunge Growing in the Republic of Kazakhstan
by Alima Abilkassymova, Raushan Kozykeyeva, Jennyfer Andrea Aldana-Mejía, Sebastian John Adams, Ubaidilla Datkhayev, Aknur Turgumbayeva, Kulpan Orynbassarova, Seethapathy G. Saroja, Ikhlas A. Khan and Samir A. Ross
Molecules 2024, 29(4), 833; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29040833 - 13 Feb 2024
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Abstract
Atraphaxis pyrifolia is a native species of Central Asia, known for curing several disorders. The species has little knowledges about its chemical composition and any information about its morphological characteristics despite its importance in traditional Asian medicine. This is one of the first [...] Read more.
Atraphaxis pyrifolia is a native species of Central Asia, known for curing several disorders. The species has little knowledges about its chemical composition and any information about its morphological characteristics despite its importance in traditional Asian medicine. This is one of the first approaches to the phytochemical and morphological characterization of this species. Micro-morphology was performed on the stem, and leaf parts of this plant to profile the morpho-anatomical characters using brightfield, fluorescence, polarized and scanning electron microscopy. Leaves were extracted with hexane and methanol. The hexane extract was analyzed using GC-MS analysis revealing the major presence of γ-sitosterol and nonacosane. The methanolic extract was submitted to Vacuum Liquid Chromatography and Sephadex LH-20. HPTLC, HR-ESI-MS and NMR techniques were used to identify the main compounds. Four glycosylated flavonoids were isolated: 8-O-acetyl-7-O-methyl-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosylgossypetin (Compound 1), and 7-O-methyl-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosylgossypetin (Compound 3), and two other compounds reported for the first time in the literature (Compounds 2 and 4). The findings presented herein furnish pertinent information essential for the identification and authentication of this medicinal plant. Such insights are invaluable for facilitating robust quality control measures and serve as a foundational framework for subsequent endeavours in metabolic, pharmacological, and taxonomical analyses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemistry and Biological Activity Perspectives of Medicinal Plants)
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14 pages, 1309 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Assessment of the Antidiabetic and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia vulgaris and Trigonella foenum-graecum Extracts Processed Using Membrane Technologies
by Elena Neagu, Gabriela Paun, Camelia Albu, Oana Teodora Apreutesei and Gabriel Lucian Radu
Molecules 2023, 28(20), 7156; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28207156 - 18 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1214
Abstract
Recently, there has been increased interest in the discovery of new natural herbal remedies for treating diabetes and inflammatory diseases. In this context, this work analyzed the antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory potential of Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia vulgaris and Trigonella foenum-graecum herbs, which have [...] Read more.
Recently, there has been increased interest in the discovery of new natural herbal remedies for treating diabetes and inflammatory diseases. In this context, this work analyzed the antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory potential of Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia vulgaris and Trigonella foenum-graecum herbs, which have been studied less from this point of view. Therefore, extracts were prepared and processed using membrane technologies, micro- and ultrafiltration, to concentrate the biologically active principles. The polyphenol and flavone contents in the extracts were analyzed. The qualitative analysis of the polyphenolic compounds was performed via HPLC, identifying chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid and rutin in A. absinthium; chlorogenic acid, luteolin and rutin in A. vulgaris; and genistin in T. foenum-graecum. The antidiabetic activity of the extracts was analyzed by testing their ability to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and the anti-inflammatory activity was analyzed by testing their ability to inhibit hyaluronidase and lipoxygenase. Thus, the concentrated extracts of T. foenum-graecum showed high inhibitory activity on a-amylase—IC50 = 3.22 ± 0.3 μg/mL—(compared with acarbose—IC50 = 3.5 ± 0.18 μg/mL) and high inhibitory activity on LOX—IC50 = 19.69 ± 0.52 μg/mL (compared with all standards used). The concentrated extract of A. vulgaris showed increased α-amylase inhibition activity—IC50 = 8.57 ± 2.31 μg/mL—compared to acarbose IC50 = 3.5 ± 0.18 μg/mL. The concentrated extract of A. absinthium showed pronounced LOX inhibition activity—IC50 = 19.71 ± 0.79 μg/mL—compared to ibuprofen—IC50 = 20.19 ± 1.25 μg/mL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemistry and Biological Activity Perspectives of Medicinal Plants)
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