Molecular Insights into Medicinal Fungi and Plants: From Bioactive Compounds to Therapeutic Mechanisms
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: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 10
Special Issue Editors
Interests: mushrooms; mycomedicines; mycofood; fungi
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: chemistry of natural products; antimicrobial activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue invites original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and short communications that explore the molecular-level properties and therapeutic potential of medicinal fungi and plants. We welcome contributions that span chemical profiling (e.g., metabolomics, LC-HRMS/MS, GC-MS), bioactivity screening (e.g., antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity, wound-healing), mechanistic investigations (e.g., network pharmacology, molecular docking, MM/PBSA, gmx_MMPBSA), formulation development (e.g., extracts, powders, sachets), as well as translational aspects such as in vitro/in vivo validation, delivery systems, and clinical relevance. Interdisciplinary studies linking plant/fungal-derived bioactives to molecular pathways, omics signatures, and therapeutic outcomes are especially encouraged. By bringing together cutting-edge analytical chemistry, molecular biology, pharmacology, and formulation science, this Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of how natural-source fungi and plants can contribute to molecular medicine and bioactive-driven therapeutic discovery.
Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Isolation and structural elucidation of fungal and plant secondary metabolites;
- Metabolomic or proteomic fingerprinting of medicinal fungi/plants;
- Bioactivity assays and mechanistic studies of extracts or purified compounds;
- Molecular docking, in silico modelling, and network pharmacology of natural compounds;
- Development of novel formulations or delivery systems of fungal/plant bioactives;
- Safety, toxicology, and pharmacokinetics of fungal/plant-derived therapeutics;
- Synergistic interactions (fungi + plants or plant–plant / plant–fungi) in therapeutic contexts;
- Translational research toward clinical or nutraceutical/functional food applications.
Dr. Jasmina Glamočlija
Dr. Ana Ćirić
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
- medicinal fungi
- medicinal plants
- molecular mechanisms
- bioactive compounds
- metabolomics
- phytochemistry
- natural products
- network pharmacology
- molecular docking
- functional foods
- therapeutic development
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