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The Discovery, Extraction, Synthesis, and Application of Natural Products
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The Discovery, Extraction, Synthesis, and Application of Natural Products

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 1468

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hah Young Yoo

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Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology, Sangmyung University, Seoul 03016, Republic of Korea
Interests: biotechnology; bioprocess engineering; microbiology; biomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Kang Hyun Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Bio-Convergence Engineering, Dongyang Mirae University, Seoul 08221, Republic of Korea
Interests: biotechnology; bioprocess engineering; biomass conversion; fermentation
Dr. Taek Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 01897, Republic of Korea
Interests: nanobiotechnology; biosensor; biomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products are receiving attention as they can be a source of value-added products in various fields, including food, biomedical, and cosmetic industries. Biomass is a feedstock of natural products such as bioactive molecules (e.g., terpenes, phenols, and flavonoids), proteins, and polysaccharides. Among various biomass, (1) plants are a major source of bioactive (antioxidant and antimicrobial) molecules, and many natural products have been discovered in plants over the centuries. (2) Marine biomass, including algae, is emerging as a promising source of potent or novel bioactive compounds, and new marine biomolecules have been identified. (3) Microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast are employed to biosynthesis bioactive compounds with relatively high yields. (4) Organic waste (e.g., food waste) is classified as next-generation biomass for sustainable production of bioactive molecules in the circular bioeconomy concept.

Different challenges exist in bioprocess engineering that produce natural products from each type of biomass. For instance, marine biomass is a reservoir of bioactive natural products that are still undiscovered, and optimization of microbial cell factories is required for industrial applications. In general, processing organic waste to obtain bioactive compounds is an extraction process, but it can also be utilized as a feedstock for fermentation processes to produce natural products. These challenges must be addressed for the sustainable production and application of natural products.

This Special Issue, “The Discovery, Extraction, Synthesis, and Application of Natural Products”, covers different aspects of biotechnology and bioprocess engineering for producing and applying natural products and fundamental research on the discovery and biosynthesis of natural products. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Molecular identification and utilization of unexplored plants and marine biomass as a feedstock for natural products.
  • Discovery, identification, and modification of natural products with biological activities.
  • Optimization of microbial cell factories or bioprocess to produce bioactive compounds via statistical optimization.
  • Natural products from organic wastes via extraction or fermentation process.
  • Development and characterization of value-added products (biomedicines, bioactive polymers, functional foods, etc.).

Special Issue is supervised by Dr. Hah Young Yoo & Dr. Kang Hyun Lee & Dr. Taek Lee and assisted by our Topical Advisory Panel Member Dr. Weizhuo Xu (Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Wenhua Road 103 Shenhe District China).

Dr. Hah Young Yoo
Dr. Kang Hyun Lee
Dr. Taek Lee
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • antibiotics
  • antioxidants
  • biomass
  • bioactive molecule
  • biological activity
  • biosynthesis
  • biosensor
  • biomedicine
  • biotechnology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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14 pages, 3322 KiB  
Article
Efficient Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Bioactive Molecules from Brown Macroalga Sargassum horneri: Optimal Extraction, Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Evaluation
by Yunseok Song, Jeongho Lee, Hyeok Ki Kwon, Minji Kim, Soeun Shin, Seunghee Kim, Hyerim Son, Chulhwan Park and Hah Young Yoo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2749; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062749 - 19 Mar 2025
Viewed by 436
Abstract
Sargassum horneri (SH) is a promising marine bioresource for producing bioactive compounds. Recently, the biological functions (including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities) of SH extracts have been revealed; however, efficient extraction processes to produce bioactive molecules (such as tannin and phenol) have not [...] Read more.
Sargassum horneri (SH) is a promising marine bioresource for producing bioactive compounds. Recently, the biological functions (including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities) of SH extracts have been revealed; however, efficient extraction processes to produce bioactive molecules (such as tannin and phenol) have not been carefully designed. In this study, the ultrasound-assisted extraction process was optimized based on the response surface methodology (RSM) to efficiently produce tannin and phenol from SH. Significant RSM models (p < 0.05) for predicting tannin and phenol yields were developed, and prethanol A concentration, temperature, and solid loading were significantly affected by tannin or phenol yield (p < 0.05). Following numerical optimization, the tannin and phenol yields achieved 14.59 and 13.83 mg/g biomass, respectively, under optimal conditions (39.1% solvent, 61.9 °C, 52.0 g/L solid loading, and 49.0% amplitude), similar to the model-predicted values (12.95 and 13.37 mg/g, respectively). Then, time profiling under optimal conditions determined the optimal time as 10.0 min, resulting in the highest yield (15.88 mg tannin and 14.55 mg phenol/g). The extracts showed antioxidant activity (IC50: 79.86 μg/mL) comparable to that of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). It was found to be particularly non-toxic, raising its potential as a functional ingredient in food or cosmetics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Discovery, Extraction, Synthesis, and Application of Natural Products)
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Review

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25 pages, 2441 KiB  
Review
Archaeal Lipids: Extraction, Separation, and Identification via Natural Product Chemistry Perspective
by Tuo Li, Youyi Luo, Changhong Liu, Xuan Lu and Baomin Feng
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(7), 3167; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26073167 - 29 Mar 2025
Viewed by 521
Abstract
Archaeal lipids, defining a primordial life domain alongside Bacteria and Eukarya, are distinguished by their unique glycerol-1-phosphate backbone and ether-linked isoprenoid chains. Serving as critical geochemical biomarkers, archaeal lipids like glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) underpin paleoclimate proxies, while their phylum-specific distributions illuminate [...] Read more.
Archaeal lipids, defining a primordial life domain alongside Bacteria and Eukarya, are distinguished by their unique glycerol-1-phosphate backbone and ether-linked isoprenoid chains. Serving as critical geochemical biomarkers, archaeal lipids like glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) underpin paleoclimate proxies, while their phylum-specific distributions illuminate phylogenetic divergence. Despite the maturity of Mass Spectrometry-based quantitative biomarkers—predominantly those with established structures—becoming well-established in geochemical research, systematic investigation of archaeal lipids as natural products has notably lagged. This deficit manifests across three key dimensions: (1) Extraction methodology lacks universal protocols adapted to diverse archaeal taxa and sample matrices. While comparative studies exist, theoretical frameworks guiding method selection remain underexplored. (2) Purification challenges persist due to the unique structures and complex isomerization profiles of archaeal lipids, hindering standardized separation protocols. (3) Most critically, structural characterization predominantly depends on decades-old foundational studies. However, the existing reviews prioritize chemical structural, biosynthetic, and applied aspects of archaeal lipids over analytical workflows. This review addresses this gap by adopting a natural product chemistry perspective, integrating three key aspects: (1) the clarification of applicable objects, scopes, and methodological mechanisms of various extraction technologies for archaeal lipids, encompassing both cultured and environmental samples; (2) the elucidation of separation principles underlying polar-gradient lipid fractionation processes, leveraging advanced chromatographic technologies; (3) the detailed exploration of applications for NMR in resolving complex lipid structures, with specialized emphasis on determining the stereochemical configuration. By synthesizing six decades of methodological evolution, we establish a comprehensive analytical framework, from lipids extraction to structural identification. This integrated approach constructs a systematic methodological paradigm for archaeal lipid analysis, bridging theoretical principles with practical implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Discovery, Extraction, Synthesis, and Application of Natural Products)
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