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Molecular Research in Natural Products
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Molecular Research in 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: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 441

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Marika Lanza

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D׳Alcontres, 31-98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: molecular biology; biotechnology; neuroinflammation; central nervous system; molecular pathways
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Natural products have long served as a fundamental source of therapeutic agents, offering diverse structures and bioactivities that continue to inspire modern drug discovery. With the advancement of molecular biology, analytical chemistry, and omics technologies, the study of natural compounds has entered a new era of precision and depth. This Special Issue aims to highlight the latest progress in molecular research related to natural products, focusing on their mechanisms of action, biosynthetic pathways, pharmacological properties, and potential applications in medicine and biotechnology.

We invite contributions that explore the identification of novel bioactive molecules from plants, marine organisms, or microorganisms; studies on molecular targets and signaling pathways influenced by natural compounds; and research on synthetic biology approaches to optimize or engineer natural product biosynthesis. Particular attention will be given to multi-omics integration (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) that enhances our understanding of natural products at the systems biology level.

By gathering interdisciplinary studies from researchers around the world, this Special Issue seeks to deepen our insight into the molecular underpinnings of natural products and to foster innovation in their application as therapeutic agents. We look forward to receiving original articles and reviews that advance this exciting and ever-evolving field

Dr. Marika Lanza
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 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.

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Keywords

  • synaptic plasticity regulation
  • bioactive compounds
  • signal transduction pathways
  • gene expression regulation
  • molecular neurobiology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 2641 KiB  
Article
The Discovery of Potential Repellent Compounds for Zeugodacus cucuribitae (Coquillett) from Six Non-Favored Hosts
by Yu Fu, Yupeng Chen, Yani Wang, Xinyi Fu, Shunda Jin, Chunyan Yi, Xue Bai, Youqing Lu, Wang Miao, Xingyu Geng, Xianli Lu, Rihui Yan, Zhongshi Zhou and Fengqin Cao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(14), 6556; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26146556 - 8 Jul 2025
Viewed by 307
Abstract
Zeugodacus cucuribitae (Coquillett) (Z. cucuribitae) is a global extremely invasive quarantine pest which has a wide host range of fruits and vegetables. At present, there are a few control measures for Z. cucuribitae, and deltamethrin and avermectin are commonly used. [...] Read more.
Zeugodacus cucuribitae (Coquillett) (Z. cucuribitae) is a global extremely invasive quarantine pest which has a wide host range of fruits and vegetables. At present, there are a few control measures for Z. cucuribitae, and deltamethrin and avermectin are commonly used. Among the hosts of Z. cucuribitae, Luffa acutangular, Luffa cylindrica, Sechium edule, Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, Musa nana, and Fragaria × ananassa are non-favored hosts. However, it is still not clear why these hosts are non-favored and whether there are any repellent components of Z. cucuribitae in these hosts. In this study, the components of these six hosts were collected from the literature, and the genes of odor and chemical sensation were determined from the genome of Z. cucuribitae. After the potential relationships between these components and genes were determined by molecular docking methods, the KEGG and GO enrichment analysis of these genes was conducted, and a complex network of genes vs. components vs. Kegg pathway vs. GO terms was constructed and used to select the key components for experiments. The results show that oleanolic acid (1 mg/mL, 0.1 mg/mL, and 0.01 mg/mL), rotenone (1 mg/mL, 0.1 mg/mL, and 0.01 mg/mL), and beta-caryophyllene oxide (1 mg/mL, 0.1 mg/mL, and 0.01 mg/mL) had a significant repellent effect on Z. cucuribitae, and three components, rotenone (1 mg/mL and 0.1 mg/mL), echinocystic acid (1 mg/mL, 0.1 mg/mL, and 0.01 mg/mL), and beta-caryophyllene oxide (1 mg/mL, and 0.1 mg/mL) had significant stomach toxicity in Z. cucuribitae. Furthermore, a complex signaling pathway was built and used to predict the effect of these components on Z. cucuribitae. These components probably play roles in the neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction (ko04080) and calcium signaling (ko04020) pathways. This study provides a reference for the prevention and control of Z. cucuribitae and a scientific reference for the rapid screening and development of new pest control drugs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research in Natural Products)
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