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Natural Product for the Interventions of Chronic Diseases: From Source...
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Natural Product for the Interventions of Chronic Diseases: From Source to Therapy—2nd Edition

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Discovery, Development and Delivery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1715

Editor

Dr. Qilei Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: natural products; drug discovery; pharmacognosy; inflammation; nanotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, titled "Natural Product for the Interventions of Chronic Diseases: From Source to Therapy—2nd Edition", invites innovative research works that bridge the gap between the natural world and therapeutic applications for chronic conditions. Chronic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and various forms of cancer, represent a growing burden on global health. Natural products have historically provided a rich source of pharmacological agents, and their role in chronic disease intervention remains a rich area for exploration. This Special Issue will focus on the discovery, analysis, and application of natural compounds in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Submissions should highlight advancements in the selective extraction and refinement of bioactive components, the evaluation of their therapeutic potential, and the exploration of the molecular mechanisms through which these compounds exert their effects. We welcome studies that employ state-of-the-art techniques for the identification and enhancement of the therapeutic properties of natural products, as well as research that offers insight into the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of these potential treatments. By integrating traditional understanding with modern scientific approaches, this Special Issue aims to further the development of natural products as efficacious agents in the long-term management of chronic diseases. This Special Issue only includes research “with defined molecular compound”.

Dr. Qilei Chen
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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
  • chronic diseases
  • drug discovery
  • pharmacodynamics
  • pharmacokinetics
  • nanotechnology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

31 pages, 4507 KB  
Article
Multi-Target Neuroprotective Effects of Cordycepin and Adenosine from Cordyceps militaris Against Amyloid-β-Induced Neurotoxicity
by Ewen Se Thoe, Hao Dong Tan, Ayesha Fauzi, Sunita Chamyuang, Yin Quan Tang and Adeline Yoke Yin Chia
Biomedicines 2026, 14(8), 1862; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14081862 - 20 Aug 2026
Viewed by 220
Abstract
Background: Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) is a medicinal mushroom recognized for its diverse pharmacological activities, largely attributed to its principal bioactive nucleosides, cordycepin and adenosine. Although accumulating evidence supports their neuroprotective potential, the molecular mechanisms underlying their effects against Alzheimer’s [...] Read more.
Background: Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) is a medicinal mushroom recognized for its diverse pharmacological activities, largely attributed to its principal bioactive nucleosides, cordycepin and adenosine. Although accumulating evidence supports their neuroprotective potential, the molecular mechanisms underlying their effects against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remain incompletely understood. This study investigated the neuroprotective effects of cordycepin and adenosine against amyloid-β (Aβ42)-induced neurotoxicity and explored their potential molecular mechanisms using integrated experimental and computational approaches. Methods: SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were pretreated with cordycepin (COR), adenosine (ADE), or donepezil (DNPZ) prior to Aβ42 exposure, and cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay. Drug-likeness and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) properties were evaluated in silico, followed by network pharmacology to identify potential therapeutic targets and enriched biological pathways. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to elucidate the interactions of the compounds with selected Alzheimer’s disease-related proteins. Results: COR and ADE significantly attenuated Aβ42-induced cytotoxicity and improved SH-SY5Y cell viability. Network pharmacology identified 84 shared molecular targets, including 9 AD-associated genes. Protein–protein interaction analysis revealed hub genes involved in signal transduction, epigenetic regulation, and purine metabolism, while Gene Ontology and KEGG enrichment analyses highlighted pathways associated with neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction, calcium signaling, and inflammatory regulation. ADMET analysis predicted favorable pharmacokinetic properties for both compounds, although cordycepin was predicted to be AMES-positive. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated stable interactions of COR and ADE with liver X receptors (LXRα and LXRβ), whereas donepezil exhibited stronger binding affinity toward β-secretase (BACE1). Conclusions: COR and ADE exert neuroprotective effects through coordinated modulation of multiple AD-related signaling pathways rather than a single molecular target. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the neuroprotective activities of C. militaris-derived nucleosides and support further investigation of their potential as multi-target therapeutic candidates for AD and other neurodegenerative disorders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Product for the Interventions of Chronic Diseases: From Source to Therapy—2nd Edition)
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21 pages, 40018 KB  
Article
D-Pinitol Mitigates Renal Senescence via Targeting the SARM1-cGAS-STING Signaling Axis to Restore Mitochondrial Function and Dampen Inflammatory Responses
by Xiaofan Yin, Kaizhi Wen, Kena Yu, Zhengxin Liu and Weiming He
Biomedicines 2026, 14(5), 1092; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14051092 - 12 May 2026
Viewed by 866
Abstract
Background: Renal aging represents a pivotal contributor to the pathogenesis and progression of age-related kidney disorders. D-Pinitol (DP), a bioactive cyclitol naturally present in food plants, exhibits multiple beneficial biological activities. Nevertheless, its role in counteracting renal aging remains unclear. Methods: [...] Read more.
Background: Renal aging represents a pivotal contributor to the pathogenesis and progression of age-related kidney disorders. D-Pinitol (DP), a bioactive cyclitol naturally present in food plants, exhibits multiple beneficial biological activities. Nevertheless, its role in counteracting renal aging remains unclear. Methods: This study employed both in vitro (HK-2 cells) and in vivo (C57BL/6J mice) models of D-galactose (DG)-induced renal aging. A panel of experimental approaches was applied to characterize the protective effects and molecular mechanisms of DP against renal aging, including Western blot, qPCR, ELISA, transcriptomic profiling, transmission electron microscopy, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence staining. Results: DP significantly attenuated DG-induced renal aging-like changes in vitro and in vivo by preserving mitochondrial function and alleviating inflammatory responses. Transcriptomic analysis suggested SARM1 as a potential key target responsible for the beneficial effects of DP. In DG-induced aging models, SARM1 was remarkably upregulated in a tubule-specific pattern and acted as a critical mediator of mitochondrial dysfunction. Damaged mitochondria released mtDNA, which further activated the cGAS–STING innate immune signaling pathway, consequently promoting the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and renal inflammation. Mechanistically, molecular docking and related assays suggested that DP may stabilize the auto-inhibitory conformation of SARM1, thereby potentially preventing its activation. Conclusions: DP attenuates DG-induced renal aging-like changes via suppressing the SARM1–cGAS–STING axis, thereby restoring mitochondrial homeostasis and mitigating inflammation. Given the lack of effective interventions targeting renal aging, these findings suggest SARM1 as a novel potential therapeutic target for renal aging and highlight DP as a promising food-derived anti-aging ingredient for renal protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Product for the Interventions of Chronic Diseases: From Source to Therapy—2nd Edition)
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