Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.2
4.8
Journals
Biomolecules
Special Issues
The Value of Natural Compounds as Therapeutic Agents: 3rd Edition
share announcement

The Value of Natural Compounds as Therapeutic Agents: 3rd Edition

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural and Bio-derived Molecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1881

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maria Beatrice Morelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Interests: glioblastoma; TRP channel; mucolipins; autophagy; overall survival; transient receptor potential channels; tumor progression; chemotherapy resistance; cancer biology; cancer stem cell; circulating tumor cell; liquid biopsy; biomarkers; ion channel; natural compound; cannabinoids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following a very successful first run, we are pleased to announce the launch of a third edition of a Special Issue on the “The Value of Natural Compounds as Therapeutic Agents: 3rd Edition”.

Naturally occurring substances have long been used by humans for medicinal purposes, as concoctions or concentrated extracts. At present, natural products are gaining popularity. A number of pathological conditions have been treated with plant-derived medicines, including cancer and inflammation.

Therefore, in this Special Issue, we aim to unite experts and scientists who work on natural compounds to gather information and data about their involvement in a wide variety of biological mechanisms at the cellular level. The Special Issue will predominantly focus on cellular processes, such as proliferation and survival, apoptosis, dormancy, differentiation, autophagy and senescence, migration, and invasion. Additionally, analyses of soluble mediators involved with microenvironment modulation will be appreciated.

In summary, we would like to emphasize the existing evidence regarding the various potential advantages of plant extracts and plant extract-based products, in regard to human health. Therefore, we encourage submissions of manuscripts that utilize structurally defined natural products or their derivatives, or well-characterized mixtures. We welcome original research articles, review articles, and communications.

Dr. Maria Beatrice Morelli
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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules 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 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 compound
  • acute and chronic conditions
  • cell proliferation
  • cell death
  • cell differentiation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 3169 KB  
Article
Dehydroandrographolide Alleviates Oxidative Stress, Inflammatory Response, and Pyroptosis in DSS-Induced Colitis Mice by Modulating Nrf2 Signaling Pathway
by Meifen Wang, Zhenyu Li, Xinghua Lei, Ziyue Yang, Shuixing Yu and Guangxin Chen
Biomolecules 2025, 15(11), 1580; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15111580 - 10 Nov 2025
Viewed by 580
Abstract
Dehydroandrographolide (DA), a bioactive diterpenoid from Andrographis paniculata with diverse biological activity, was investigated for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine colitis. In vitro, DA inhibited the inflammatory response by modulating extracellular Signal-Regulated [...] Read more.
Dehydroandrographolide (DA), a bioactive diterpenoid from Andrographis paniculata with diverse biological activity, was investigated for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine colitis. In vitro, DA inhibited the inflammatory response by modulating extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase (Erk), c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (Jnk), p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (P38), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) p65 activation, and downregulated interleukin-6 (il-6) and interleukin-1β (il-1β) mRNA. It also had antioxidant effects by upregulating Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (Nrf2), NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (Nqo-1) and heme oxygenase-1 (Ho-1), promoting protein kinase B (Akt) and 5′-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase-α1 (Ampk-α1) phosphorylation. DA decreased cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNos) levels and alleviated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. In vivo, DA alleviated DSS-induced colitis in wild type (WT) mice by improving weight loss, disease activity index, colonic inflammation, and oxidative stress. The beneficial effects were linked to inhibiting Erk, Jnk, and P38 activation and enhancing Nrf2 signaling pathway. DA inhibited NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (Nlrp3) inflammasome-mediated pryoptosis. However, DA’s protective effects were abolished in DSS-induced nrf2−/− mice, suggesting its efficacy depends on Nrf2 signaling. Overall, DA alleviates oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and pyroptosis in experimental colitis mice mainly by activating Nrf2 signaling pathway, highlighting its potential as a promising therapeutic option for inflammatory bowel disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Value of Natural Compounds as Therapeutic Agents: 3rd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 2253 KB  
Article
Anticancer Activity of Jania rubens in HCT-116 Cells via EMT Suppression, TET Downregulation, and ROS-Mediated Cytotoxicity
by Zeina Radwan, Rayan Kassir, Fouad Al Feghaly, Rouaa Zaiter, Mira Abou Daher, Rabih Roufayel, Ziad Fajloun, Hiba Mawlawi, Marwan El-Sabban and Zeina Dassouki
Biomolecules 2025, 15(10), 1361; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15101361 - 25 Sep 2025
Viewed by 908
Abstract
The red seaweed Jania rubens (J. rubens) is prevalent along the Lebanese coast and has drawn attention for its notable antineoplastic properties. Our previous data showed that its dichloromethane–methanol (DM) extract possesses antioxidant, cytotoxic, and anti-migratory effects on colon cancer cells. [...] Read more.
The red seaweed Jania rubens (J. rubens) is prevalent along the Lebanese coast and has drawn attention for its notable antineoplastic properties. Our previous data showed that its dichloromethane–methanol (DM) extract possesses antioxidant, cytotoxic, and anti-migratory effects on colon cancer cells. In the present study, a GC-MS analysis of DM extract identified a diverse profile of bioactive compounds, including flavonoids and pyrazole derivatives with antioxidant and anticancer activities. In vitro assays demonstrated that the DM extract exerts significant cytotoxic activity against various cancer cell lines, including colon, breast, and cervical types. Further investigation into the underlying molecular mechanisms revealed that the extract induces G2/M cell cycle arrest and reduces the expression of EMT (epithelial–mesenchymal transition) markers, N-cadherin and Twist. In addition, the extract showed anti-metastatic properties through its ability to decrease MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity. Mechanistically, DM caused a substantial reduction in Ten-Eleven Translocation (TET) enzymes TET-1, TET-2, and TET-3, which are essential DNA demethylation regulators, thus decreasing their enzymatic product 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC). Interestingly, despite a significant increase in intracellular ROS (reactive oxygen species), suggesting a contribution to cytotoxicity, no substantial change in the biogenesis of promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) was detected. These findings demonstrate that J. rubens DM extract contains bioactive compounds with multiple anticancer effects, thus making it a promising candidate for developing new therapeutic agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Value of Natural Compounds as Therapeutic Agents: 3rd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

19 pages, 2951 KB  
Review
Dimerized Power: The Antimicrobial and Antiviral Promise of Biflavonoids
by Hatice Duman, Sercan Karav, Anita Šalić and Dunja Šamec
Biomolecules 2026, 16(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16010024 - 23 Dec 2025
Abstract
Biflavonoids, a unique class of naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds formed by the dimerization of flavonoid units, have attracted increasing scientific interest due to their diverse biological activities and structural complexity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of their natural occurrence, synthetic strategies, and [...] Read more.
Biflavonoids, a unique class of naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds formed by the dimerization of flavonoid units, have attracted increasing scientific interest due to their diverse biological activities and structural complexity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of their natural occurrence, synthetic strategies, and antimicrobial properties, with a particular focus on their antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. Comparative analyses indicate that biflavonoids often display enhanced or distinct biological effects compared to their monomeric flavonoid counterparts, suggesting that dimerization plays a crucial role in modulating bioactivity. Overall, biflavonoids represent an underexplored yet highly promising group of natural compounds with significant potential for the development of novel antimicrobial and antiviral agents. Continued interdisciplinary research integrating natural product chemistry, pharmacology, and computational modeling will be essential to fully realize their therapeutic potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Value of Natural Compounds as Therapeutic Agents: 3rd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop