Molecular Research on the Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antibacterial Activities 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: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 6
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biomaterials; antioxidants; biotechnology; microencapsulation; nanoencapsulation; bioactive compounds; drug delivery; bioaccessibility and bioavailability of compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The quest for novel therapeutic agents has, for centuries, looked toward the natural world. From ancient herbal remedies to the isolation of life-saving compounds, natural products remain an unrivaled source of chemical diversity. Compounds derived from plants, microorganisms, marine organisms, and agro-industrial byproducts have demonstrated a broad spectrum of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. However, as we move further into the 21st century, the focus has shifted from mere discovery to a profound molecular understanding of how these compounds interact with complex biological systems. This shift is fueled by a global urgency for safer, more sustainable, and more effective alternatives to conventional synthetic drugs. This Special Issue, “Molecular Research on the Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antibacterial Activities of Natural Products,” seeks to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and mechanistic rigor.
Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are central mechanisms underlying the development and progression of numerous non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic syndromes, and cancer. Simultaneously, the global rise in antimicrobial resistance has turned the search for novel antibacterial agents with alternative modes of action into a global priority. Natural products, particularly those rich in phenolic compounds, terpenoids, alkaloids, peptides, and polysaccharides, offer structurally diverse scaffolds capable of modulating key molecular targets involved in redox balance, inflammatory signaling pathways, and microbial virulence.
Advances in molecular biology, omics technologies, computational modeling, and nanotechnology have fundamentally expanded our ability to elucidate the mechanisms of action of natural bioactives. Studies integrating molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and pathway analysis are providing deeper insights into structure–activity relationships, target specificity, and synergistic interactions. Additionally, innovative delivery systems, such as nanoemulsions, nanoparticles, liposomes, and hydrogels, are enhancing the stability, bioavailability, and biological efficacy of natural compounds, bridging the gap between fundamental research and practical applications.
We invite the scientific community to contribute high-quality original research and comprehensive reviews that delve into the molecular mechanisms, signaling pathways, and targets underlying these essential bioactivities. We particularly welcome studies that utilize in vitro, in vivo, or in silico models to explore structure–function relationships, synergistic effects, and pioneering formulation strategies. Together, we aim to build a collection that reflects the cutting edge of natural product research.
Dr. Carmen Lizette Del Toro Sánchez
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- natural bioactive compounds
- antioxidant mechanisms
- anti-inflammatory pathways
- antibacterial activity
- agro-industrial byproducts
- molecular docking
- structure–activity relationship (SAR)
- omics technologies
- drug delivery systems
- nanobiotechnology
- bioavailability
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