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Plant-Derived Natural Substances as Multi-target Therapeutic Modalities in Experimental Models of Non-communicable Diseases

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2025 | Viewed by 2110

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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: antioxidants; antioxidant activity; lipid peroxidation; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are a rich source of compounds with various therapeutic properties. The traditional medicines of many countries depend on these natural products to treat various ailments. To this day, plant medicines, such as morphine, codeine, galantamine, atropine, etc., are used in hospitals. Numerous secondary metabolites with different structures and pharmacological properties have been identified in plants. Their identification and screening for biological activity are fundamental for the production of pharmaceutical products. Advances in biotechnological sciences, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics increase the chance and contribution of natural products in the discovery of new drug targets and promising molecules. Plants produce various signaling molecules and secondary metabolites (cytokinins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, etc.) that play a crucial role in their defense mechanisms, while at the same time, they can act as receptor-binding ligands or modulate signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of serious pathological conditions and fatal diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, etc. However, studies on the safety and toxicological characteristics of these plant sources, extracts, and active compounds are important.

This Special Issue aims to publish and disseminate scientific knowledge in the field of metabolomics and proteomics of biologically and pharmacologically active compounds of plant origin. The focus will be on the influence of pathological processes and signal transduction mechanisms in non-communicable diseases of social importance, with minimal adverse reaction, interaction, and toxic potential risks.

Dr. Rumyana Simeonova
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • cytokinins
  • phenolic acids
  • flavonoids
  • alkaloids
  • terpenoids
  • phenylpropanoids
  • natural products
  • toxicological characteristics
  • metabolomics and proteomics

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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18 pages, 2991 KiB  
Article
Protective Effects of Fucoidan on Iodoacetamide-Induced Functional Dyspepsia via Modulation of 5-HT Metabolism and Microbiota
by Tianxu Liu, Muyuan Ma, Yonglin Wu, Ismail Muhammad Asif, Daosen Chen, Lichong Liu, Minghui Zhang, Yijie Chen, Bin Li and Ling Wang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(7), 3273; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26073273 - 1 Apr 2025
Viewed by 310
Abstract
As the major polysaccharide in brown algae, fucoidan possesses broad biological abilities and has been reported to improve gastrointestinal health. Functional dyspepsia, a common non-organic disease, is a complex of symptoms mainly characterized by pathogenesis, such as visceral hypersensitivity, gastric dysmotility, and inflammation. [...] Read more.
As the major polysaccharide in brown algae, fucoidan possesses broad biological abilities and has been reported to improve gastrointestinal health. Functional dyspepsia, a common non-organic disease, is a complex of symptoms mainly characterized by pathogenesis, such as visceral hypersensitivity, gastric dysmotility, and inflammation. To date, the effects of fucoidan in regulating functional dyspepsia with visceral sensitivity remains unclear. In the current study, iodoacetamide was employed to establish a mouse model of visceral hypersensitivity. Meanwhile, fucoidan was orally administrated for fourteen days. Indicators were conducted to evaluate the potential of fucoidan as the ingredient of complementary and alternative medicine for functional dyspepsia, such as levels of serum hormones, expression of receptors, and gut microbial profile. The results show that oral administration of fucoidan led to significant reductions in the secretion of 5-hydroxytryptamine, cortisol, and corticosterone. Additionally, it decreased the expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptors, with regulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolism and improvement of gut microbial imbalance. The above results suggest fucoidan could ameliorate visceral hypersensitivity by modulating 5-HT metabolism and microbiota. The current findings indicate that fucoidan has potential as a biological component in the adjuvant treatment of functional dyspepsia and for its expanded utilization in the food and medical fields. Full article
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12 pages, 2062 KiB  
Article
Prenanthes purpurea and 3,5-DiCQA Alleviate Cellular Stress in H2O2-Induced Neurotoxicity: An In Vitro Comparative Study
by Rositsa Mihaylova, Dimitrina Zheleva-Dimitrova, Viktoria Elincheva, Reneta Gevrenova, Georgi Momekov and Rumyana Simeonova
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(18), 9805; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25189805 - 11 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1050
Abstract
Oxidative stress exerts multiple disruptive effects on cellular morphology and function and is a major detriment to age-related and pathological neurodegenerative processes. The present study introduces an evaluative and comparative investigation of the antioxidant and cytoprotective properties of a Prenanthes purpurea extract and [...] Read more.
Oxidative stress exerts multiple disruptive effects on cellular morphology and function and is a major detriment to age-related and pathological neurodegenerative processes. The present study introduces an evaluative and comparative investigation of the antioxidant and cytoprotective properties of a Prenanthes purpurea extract and its major constituent 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (DiCQA) in an in vitro model of H2O2-induced neurotoxicity. Using validated in vitro and in silico approaches, we established the presence and concentration dynamics of cellular protection in a 24 h pretreatment regimen with the natural products. The conducted cytotoxicity studies and the automated Chou–Talalay analysis for studying drug interactions demonstrated a strong antagonistic effect of the tested substances against oxidative stimuli in an “on demand” manner, prevailing at the higher end of the concentration range. These findings were further supported by the proteomic characterization of the treatment samples, accounting for a more distinct neuroprotection provided by the pure polyphenol 3,5-DiCQA. Full article
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