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Antimicrobial Agents: Natural Products or Synthetic Compounds 2nd Edition
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Antimicrobial Agents: Natural Products or Synthetic Compounds 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 930

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Anna Duda-Madej

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Chałubińskiego 4, 50-368 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: flavonoid; natural compounds; biological activity; anticancer activity; antioxidant activity; chalcone; multidrug-resistant pathogens; food science; antimicrobial agents; cytotoxicity assays; amyloid; Crohn’s disease; AIEC; biofilm
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the era of widespread multidrug resistance amongst various microorganisms, the search for new compounds that are effective against multidrug-resistant strains which can effectively protect against their severe infections is of paramount importance.

Such compounds could already be known as unmodified natural compounds or their derivatives that are achievable via various chemical modifications. On the other hand, new synthesized compounds or old synthesized molecules opportunely modified could also be developed as novel antimicrobial devices that are also effective against strains which have acquired resistence to the current available antibiotics. Conceiving combination therapies that use the above-mentioned substances represent a promising strategy that is currently being extensively studied.

This Special Issue welcomes papers, including experimental and review articles, on the development of molecules and macromolecules effective against infectious diseases sustained by multidrug-resistant strains.

Dr. Anna Duda-Madej
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. 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

  • multidrug resistance
  • natural antimicrobial agents
  • synthetic antimicrobial compounds
  • combination therapy
  • severe infectious diseases

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 2330 KB  
Article
Assessing 5-Aminolevulinic Acid as a Natural Biocide Precursor for Light-Activated Eradication of Pseudomonas spp.
by Irena Maliszewska and Anna Zdubek
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(15), 7153; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157153 - 24 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 721
Abstract
Photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) involves the interaction of three components: non-toxic photosensitizer molecules (PS), low-intensity visible light, and molecular oxygen. This interaction leads to the generation of toxic reactive oxygen species. The present work demonstrated the efficacy of light-induced antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation against Pseudomonas [...] Read more.
Photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) involves the interaction of three components: non-toxic photosensitizer molecules (PS), low-intensity visible light, and molecular oxygen. This interaction leads to the generation of toxic reactive oxygen species. The present work demonstrated the efficacy of light-induced antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) as a prodrug to produce the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX. The photoeradication efficiency of these pathogens under blue (405 nm; 45 mW cm−2) and red (635 nm; 53 mW cm−2) light was investigated. Results showed that at least 30 min of blue light irradiation was necessary to achieve a 99.999% reduction of P. aeruginosa, whereas red light was less effective. P. putida exhibited limited susceptibility under similar conditions. To enhance aPDI efficiency, exogenous glucose was added alongside 5-ALA, which significantly increased the photodynamic efficacy—particularly against P. aeruginosa—leading to complete eradication after just 5 min of exposure. Spectroscopic analyses confirmed that glucose increased the levels of protoporphyrin IX, which correlated with enhanced photodynamic efficacy. Furthermore, multiple aPDI exposure reduced key virulence factors, including alkaline protease activity, biofilm formation, and swarming motility (in P. aeruginosa). These findings suggest that 5-ALA-mediated photodynamic inactivation offers a promising strategy to improve efficacy against resistant Gram-negative pathogens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Agents: Natural Products or Synthetic Compounds 2nd Edition)
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Review

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26 pages, 1660 KB  
Review
Berberine in Bowel Health: Anti-Inflammatory and Gut Microbiota Modulatory Effects
by Anna Duda-Madej, Szymon Viscardi, Jakub Piotr Łabaz, Ewa Topola, Wiktoria Szewczyk and Przemysław Gagat
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(24), 12021; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262412021 (registering DOI) - 13 Dec 2025
Abstract
Disruption of the gut-microbiome-brain axis contributes to the development of chronic inflammation, impaired intestinal barrier integrity, and progressive tissue damage, ultimately reducing quality of life and increasing risk of comorbidities, including neurodegenerative diseases. Current therapies are often limited by adverse effects and insufficient [...] Read more.
Disruption of the gut-microbiome-brain axis contributes to the development of chronic inflammation, impaired intestinal barrier integrity, and progressive tissue damage, ultimately reducing quality of life and increasing risk of comorbidities, including neurodegenerative diseases. Current therapies are often limited by adverse effects and insufficient long-term efficacy, highlighting the need for more comprehensive therapeutic approaches. Berberine (BRB), a plant-derived isoquinoline alkaloid, has attracted growing attention due to its pleiotropic immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, and gut-homeostasis-modulating properties, which involve reshaping the gut microbiota and underscore its therapeutic relevance within the gut–microbiome–brain axis. The aim of this review is to synthesize current scientific evidence regarding the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of BRB in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We compare its activity with first-line therapies and discuss its impact on microbial composition, including the bidirectional regulation of specific bacterial taxa relevant to intestinal and systemic disorders that originate in the gut. Furthermore, we emphasize that gut bacteria convert BRB into bioactive metabolites, contributing to its enhanced intraluminal activity despite its low systemic bioavailability. By integrating molecular and microbiological evidence, this review fills a critical knowledge gap regarding the comprehensive therapeutic potential of BRB as a promising candidate for future IBD interventions. The novelty of this work lies in unifying fragmented findings into a framework that explains how BRB acts simultaneously at the levels of host immunity, microbial ecology, and neuroimmune communication—thus offering a new conceptual model for its role within the gut–microbiome–brain axis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Agents: Natural Products or Synthetic Compounds 2nd Edition)
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