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Medicinal Plants and Natural Compounds in Health and Disease: Progresses, Challenges, Opportunities, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 2893

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: atherosclerosis; coronary artery disease; scavenger receptors; anesthetic preconditioning; endothelial progenitor cells; non coding RNA; nutraceuticals; phytocompounds
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Guest Editor
Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: oxidative stress; antioxidants; medicinal plants; ethnopharmacology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Humankind has a multi-millennial tradition of treating diseases by means of natural remedies. Phytocompounds isolated from the herbs described in traditional pharmacopeia, alongside other natural bioactive elements, have been proven to regulate a wide array of biological processes, such as inflammation, immune response, apoptosis, cell proliferation, cholesterol trafficking, or neuronal plasticity. In addition, combining synthetic drugs with plant-based agents, vitamins, or other natural compounds has been recognized as an efficient strategy for preventing and treating multifactorial diseases or mitigating side effects.

According to various WHO reports, although only 17% out of 250,000 higher plant species around the world have been scientifically studied for their therapeutic potential, over 40% of the pharmacological agents are based on natural products and landmark drugs inspired by traditional medicine. Adequately investigated, this ancient medical knowledge may reveal new bioresources with a valuable potential for accelerating bioprospection and drug discovery.

In this Special Issue, we welcome original contributions and scientific reviews on the cellular and molecular aspects of phytochemicals, vitamins, and other natural compounds and their therapeutic effects, with a recommended emphasis on the differences and similarities between their pharmacological characteristics and those of synthetic drugs; the pharmacokinetics of herbal medicines, herb–herb interactions, herb–drug interactions, natural compounds–drug interactions; the clinical efficacy and safety of natural compounds; the preservation of ethnobotanical knowledge; the innovative plant-based therapeutic approaches built on ancient medical heritage; the use of technology to expand the horizon of traditional medical knowledge; the development of databases on the cellular and molecular actions of medicinal plants, phytochemicals, and natural compounds, etc.

Dr. Adelina Vlad
Prof. Dr. Marilena Gilca
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • medicinal plants
  • phytochemicals
  • vitamins
  • oxidative stress
  • gene expression
  • protein expression
  • cellular signaling
  • ethnopharmacology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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17 pages, 6918 KiB  
Article
Induction of Cell Death and Regulation of Autocrine Vitamin D Metabolism in Cervical Cancer by Physiological and GI20 Doses of 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol
by Esther Zhou, Sachin Bhoora, Tahir S. Pillay and Rivak Punchoo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(9), 4008; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094008 - 24 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Vitamin D and its metabolites exert anti-cancer properties in various cancers; however, their effects on cervical cancer remain largely unexplored. To investigate this gap, we exposed HeLa adenocarcinoma cervical cells to physiological and the growth inhibition 20% (GI20) concentration of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, the precursor [...] Read more.
Vitamin D and its metabolites exert anti-cancer properties in various cancers; however, their effects on cervical cancer remain largely unexplored. To investigate this gap, we exposed HeLa adenocarcinoma cervical cells to physiological and the growth inhibition 20% (GI20) concentration of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, the precursor hormone of active 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. We then assessed its impact on cell health, and the expression of the genes and proteins involved in the activation and catabolism of vitamin D at the cellular level by autocrine vitamin D metabolism via the vitamin D metabolizing system (VDMS). Cell health was evaluated by crystal violet and alamarBlue assays, while cell cycle progression and apoptotic cell death markers were assessed by flow cytometry. Gross morphology and ultrastructure were observed using brightfield microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Gene and protein analyses of the autocrine VDMS were assessed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. Our findings reveal that 25(OH)D3 inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in HeLa cervical cells in a dose-dependent manner through the autocrine upregulation of CYP27B1 and VDR. These autocrine effects most likely promote the bioactivation of 25(OH)D3 and intracellular signaling of pro-apoptotic genomic pathways by liganded VDR. Furthermore, the upregulation of CYP24A1 at GI20 treatment likely increases the catabolism of 25(OH)D3 and 1,25(OH)2D3, and therefore may mitigate the anti-cancer action of the high-treatment dose. In summary, 25(OH)D3 holds immense potential as a complementary therapeutic treatment for cervical cancer. Full article
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55 pages, 8204 KiB  
Review
Bioactive Compounds from Vegetal Organs of Taraxacum Species (Dandelion) with Biomedical Applications: A Review
by Maria-Virginia Tanasa (Acretei), Ticuta Negreanu-Pirjol, Laura Olariu, Bogdan-Stefan Negreanu-Pirjol, Anca-Cristina Lepadatu, Larisa Anghel (Cireasa) and Natalia Rosoiu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(2), 450; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26020450 - 7 Jan 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2271
Abstract
Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) is a perennial flowering plant of the Asteraceae family that has spread globally and is well-known for its traditional uses. The aim of this work is to provide a detailed review of scientific literature on the genus Taraxacum from the [...] Read more.
Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) is a perennial flowering plant of the Asteraceae family that has spread globally and is well-known for its traditional uses. The aim of this work is to provide a detailed review of scientific literature on the genus Taraxacum from the last two decades, with particular emphasis on the biological and pharmacological characteristics of dandelions. The traditional use of Taraxacum species and their potential use in medicine are assessed. In addition, individual papers describing principal pathways and molecules modulated by Taraxacum in antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities are presented. This review of phytochemical studies reveals that dandelions contain a wide range of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, phytosterols, flavonoids, carotenoids, terpene, and coumarins, whose biological activities are actively explored in various areas of human health, some constituents having synergistic activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. The study provides a screening of Taraxacum sp. chemical composition, an assessment of the main pharmacological properties, and a description of relevant studies supporting the use of dandelion for its particularly valuable and diversified therapeutic potential in different diseases. Full article
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