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Applied Sciences
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Natural Products: Biological Activities and Applications
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Natural Products: Biological Activities and Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical and Molecular Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 1115

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rodrigo Cruz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Postgraduate program in pharmaceutical sciences, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá 68903-419, AP, Brazil
Interests: natural products chemistry; phytochemistry; pharmacognosy; nanobiotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Irlon Ferreira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biocatalysis and Applied Organic Synthesis Laboratory, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá 68903-419, AP, Brazil
Interests: organic synthesis; biocatalysis and biotransformation of organic compounds
Prof. Dr. Lorane Izabel Da Silva Hage-Melim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá 68903-419, AP, Brazil
Interests: organic synthesis; biocatalysis and biotransformation of organic compounds

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The biodiversity that exists today has been shaped by millennia of co-evolution among the various types of living beings that coexist in the Earth's varied ecological environments. As a result, animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and other types of living beings have developed the ability to biosynthesize metabolites that are active against their natural enemies or that confer some competitive advantage on them. In this way, nature can be considered as a vast library of bioactive compounds that are potentially useful to humanity.

In fact, many of the modern medicines used today have their direct or indirect origins in the study of natural products. Studies in this area are not limited to the evaluation of the biological activities of natural products, but also include studies on the synthesis or biotransformation of natural substances, their mechanisms of action and their potential biotechnological applications.

In this context, the current Special Issue is open to the submission of scientific research on the isolation and identification of new natural bioactive compounds; evaluation of the biological action of extracts or natural compounds; in silico, in vitro or in vivo studies of the mechanism of action of natural compounds; preparation of new bioactive natural compounds via synthesis or biotransformation; and preparation of new formulations capable of improving the properties of bioactive compounds.

Dr. Rodrigo Cruz
Prof. Dr. Irlon Ferreira
Prof. Dr. Lorane Izabel Da Silva Hage-Melim
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. Applied Sciences 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 2400 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

  • pharmacology
  • nanotechnology
  • phytochemistry
  • essential oil
  • antimicrobial
  • foods
  • liposomes
  • biopesticides

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

28 pages, 3755 KB  
Article
Therapeutic Potential of Quercetin in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: In Silico, In Vitro and In Vivo Approach
by Franciane N. Souza, Nayana K. S. Oliveira, Henrique B. de Lima, Abraão G. Silva, Rodrigo A. S. Cruz, Fabio R. Oliveira, Leonardo B. Federico and Lorane I. S. Hage-Melim
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(19), 10340; https://doi.org/10.3390/app151910340 - 24 Sep 2025
Viewed by 705
Abstract
Background: The pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is strongly linked to damage to the cholinergic systems of the central nervous system (CNS), mainly due to the formation of β-amyloid peptide plaques, which trigger intense inflammatory responses and are currently the main cause [...] Read more.
Background: The pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is strongly linked to damage to the cholinergic systems of the central nervous system (CNS), mainly due to the formation of β-amyloid peptide plaques, which trigger intense inflammatory responses and are currently the main cause of the symptoms of the disease. Among the therapeutic strategies under investigation, classes of natural products with immunomodulatory properties, action on the CNS, and potent antioxidant activity, which contribute to neuroprotection, stand out. Methods: We aimed to evaluate the flavonoid quercetin using in silico, in vitro, and in vivo methods for the treatment of AD. Initially, the compounds were selected, and molecular dynamics simulations were performed. The in vitro assays included tests of antioxidant activity (DPPH), enzymatic inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and prediction of oral toxicity. The in vivo studies investigated the effects on scopolamine-induced learning deficits and conducted histopathological analysis of the brain. Results: Quercetin showed structural stability in the complex with (AChE), with no significant alterations in the Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD), SASA and radius of gyration (Rg) parameters. Through the same method it was possible to predict stability between the quercetin and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) complex, a possible mechanism for quercetin immunomodulation in the CNS. In the AChE inhibition test, the IC50 obtained for quercetin was 59.15 μg mL−1, while in the antioxidant test with DPPH, the concentration of 33.1 µM exhibited 50% of the scavenging of reactive oxygen species. This corroborates the perspective of quercetin having neuroprotective activity. This activity was also corroborated in vivo, in a zebrafish model, in which quercetin reduced the cognitive deficit induced by scopolamine. Histopathological analysis revealed its ability to prevent atrophy, caused by scopolamine, in the nervous tissue of animals, reinforcing the potential of quercetin as a neuroprotective agent. Conclusions: The results of the tests carried out with quercetin suggest that this molecule has antioxidant, AChE inhibitory, and neuroprotective activities, making it a good candidate for use in future clinical trials to ensure its efficacy and safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products: Biological Activities and Applications)
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