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Molecular Research and Potential Effects of Medicinal Plants
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Molecular Research and Potential Effects of Medicinal Plants

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 2004

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Guan-Jhong Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, No. 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
Interests: metabolic disorders; cancer; inflammation; oxidative stress; natural compounds; molecular signaling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

Medicinal plants are natural reservoirs of bioactive and therapeutic components that play a vital role in preventing disease and improving human health, and their diverse natural products inspire the design, discovery, and development of new drugs. With recent inventions based on molecular targets, there is a growing need for increased chemical diversity in screening. Through continued exploration of global biodiversity, natural products will play an important role in meeting this demand. Although drug discovery from medicinal plants remains an important source of novel therapeutic lead compounds, there is a need for high-throughput screening bioassays, expanded supplies of bioactive molecules, and access to plant materials.

Prof. Dr. Guan-Jhong Huang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • medicinal plants
  • natural products
  • disease treatment
  • drug screening
  • bioassays

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 7413 KiB  
Article
The Effect of the Ethanolic Extracts from Syzygium aromaticum and Syzygium nervosum on Antiproliferative Activity and Apoptosis in HCT116 and HT-29 Cells
by Thunyatorn Yimsoo, Weerakit Taychaworaditsakul, Sunee Chansakaow, Sumet Kongkiatpaiboon, Ngampuk Tayana, Teera Chewonarin, Parirat Khonsung and Seewaboon Sireeratawong
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(14), 6826; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26146826 - 16 Jul 2025
Viewed by 156
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most diagnosed cancer worldwide, and p53 dysfunction plays a significant role in its pathogenesis by impairing cell cycle control and apoptosis. This study aimed to elucidate the phytochemical composition and anticancer potential of extract of residue from [...] Read more.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most diagnosed cancer worldwide, and p53 dysfunction plays a significant role in its pathogenesis by impairing cell cycle control and apoptosis. This study aimed to elucidate the phytochemical composition and anticancer potential of extract of residue from clove hydrodistillation (Syzygium aromaticum, SA) and seed extract from Syzygium nervosum (SN). LC-DAD-MS/MS analysis identified gallic acid (2.68%) and ellagic acid (6.70%) as major constituents in SA, while SN contained gallic acid (0.26%), ellagic acid (3.06%), and 2′,4′-dihydroxy-6′-methoxy-3′,5′-dimethylchalcone (DMC) as major constituents. Both extracts exhibited potent antioxidant effects as evidenced by DPPH and ABTS assays. In vitro assays showed that SA and SN significantly inhibited the proliferation of HCT116 (p53 wild-type) colorectal cancer cells, with minimal effects on HT-29 (p53 mutant) cells. Apoptosis was confirmed in HCT116 via Annexin V-FITC/PI staining and increased caspase-3/7 activity. Cell cycle analysis revealed sub-G1 accumulation, accompanied by upregulated p21 and concurrently downregulated cyclin D1 expression, both hallmarks of p53-mediated checkpoint activation. These molecular effects were not observed in HT-29 cells. In conclusion, SA and SN extracts selectively induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in p53-functional CRC cells, likely mediated by their phenolic constituents. These findings support their potential as promising plant-derived therapeutic agents for targeted colorectal cancer treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research and Potential Effects of Medicinal Plants)
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21 pages, 4013 KiB  
Article
Taraxacum mongolicum Ameliorates DNCB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis-like Symptoms in Mice by Regulating Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, MAPK, and JAK/STAT/TSLP Signaling Pathways
by Wen-Ping Jiang, Hsi-Pin Hung, Jaung-Geng Lin, Ling-Huei Chang, Atsushi Inose and Guan-Jhong Huang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(14), 6601; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26146601 - 9 Jul 2025
Viewed by 320
Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease stemming from genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. It is characterized by immune dysregulation, increased mast cell activity, elevated levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), and excessive proinflammatory mediator expression. These factors contribute to hallmark symptoms [...] Read more.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease stemming from genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. It is characterized by immune dysregulation, increased mast cell activity, elevated levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), and excessive proinflammatory mediator expression. These factors contribute to hallmark symptoms such as pruritus, erythema, and skin barrier dysfunction. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Taraxacum mongolicum (WTM) water extract, as well as its skin barrier regulation and immune functions in AD. In the present study, we explored the therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms of WTM in a BALB/c mouse model of AD induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). Mice were administered WTM orally or topically for 14 consecutive days. The results demonstrated that WTM treatment significantly alleviated clinical severity, showing reductions in skin lesion scores, epidermal thickness, mast cell infiltration, and scratching behavior, compared to the DNCB-treated group. Mechanistically, WTM reduced serum levels of IgE and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-31) while suppressing the expression of the JAK/STAT/TSLP signaling pathway in skin tissues. Furthermore, WTM inhibited the TLR4/NF-κB and MAPK pathways and enhanced antioxidant defense by elevating superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. These findings indicate that WTM attenuates DNCB-induced AD progression in mice, likely through the dual modulation of inflammatory signaling and oxidative stress. These findings suggest that WTM may modulate the immune response and alleviate AD symptoms by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB, MAPK, and JAK/STAT/TSLP pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research and Potential Effects of Medicinal Plants)
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23 pages, 44785 KiB  
Article
Total Alkaloid Extract of Nelumbinis Plumula Promoted Sleep in PCPA-Induced Insomnia Rats by Affecting Neurotransmitters and Their Receptor Activities
by Wenjun Wei, Dongge Wang, Hangying Li, Hongyu Tian, Zhilei Wang and Suxiang Feng
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(8), 3684; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26083684 - 13 Apr 2025
Viewed by 616
Abstract
Insomnia seriously affects people’s health and daily life. There is a growing interest in sleep-promoting agents from natural sources. Nelumbinis Plumula (NP), a traditional Chinese medicine with dual food-medicine homology, has the effects of clearing the heart and calming the mind, showing promising [...] Read more.
Insomnia seriously affects people’s health and daily life. There is a growing interest in sleep-promoting agents from natural sources. Nelumbinis Plumula (NP), a traditional Chinese medicine with dual food-medicine homology, has the effects of clearing the heart and calming the mind, showing promising efficacy in treating insomnia. In this study, the effects of NP extract, total alkaloid extract of NP, and crude polysaccharide of NP were measured in para-chlorophenylalanine-induced insomnia rats combined with the pentobarbital sodium experiment. The results indicated both total alkaloid extract and NP total extract could improve insomnia in rats, with the total alkaloid extract demonstrating a stronger effect than NP total extract. Total alkaloid extract significantly prolonged sleep duration and shortened sleep latency. Therefore, total alkaloids in NP appeared to be the main pharmacological substances that exerted sedative effect. Simultaneously, total alkaloid extract could increase the GABA level and reduce the DA level as well as affect the activities of GABRA1, DRD2, 5-HT1A, and AChE proteins. This study can lay an experimental foundation for the further development and application of NP as a remedy for treating insomnia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research and Potential Effects of Medicinal Plants)
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Review

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17 pages, 1747 KiB  
Review
Advances in the Evolutionary Mechanisms and Genomic Studies of Sexual Differentiation in Lauraceae Plants
by Siqi Wang, Yangdong Wang, Yicun Chen, Yunxiao Zhao and Ming Gao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(9), 4335; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094335 - 2 May 2025
Viewed by 462
Abstract
The Lauraceae family, a keystone group in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest ecosystems, exhibits exceptional diversity in sexual systems (including hermaphroditic flowers, functionally unisexual flowers, and pseudo-dioecy), serving as a natural model for studying plant sexual differentiation mechanisms. This review synthesizes advances in the [...] Read more.
The Lauraceae family, a keystone group in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest ecosystems, exhibits exceptional diversity in sexual systems (including hermaphroditic flowers, functionally unisexual flowers, and pseudo-dioecy), serving as a natural model for studying plant sexual differentiation mechanisms. This review synthesizes advances in the evolutionary mechanisms and genomic studies of sexual differentiation in Lauraceae, focusing on three key areas: (1) the evolution of taxonomic classification and floral morphology, (2) molecular trajectories of sexual differentiation, and (3) challenges and future directions in sex determination research (e.g., sex-linked marker development and gene-editing-assisted breeding). Morphological and phylogenetic analyses suggest that ancestral Lauraceae species were late Cretaceous hermaphroditic trees, with recent radiation of unisexual lineages (e.g., Cinnamomum and Laurus) linked to pollinator pressure, genome duplication events (WGD), and incipient sex chromosome evolution. Despite progress, critical challenges remain, including unresolved thresholds for sex chromosome origination, unquantified molecular pathways integrating environmental signals (e.g., photoperiod, temperature) with genetic networks, and the lack of efficient sex-specific markers and genetic transformation systems. Future studies should integrate single-cell omics, epigenetic profiling, and cross-species comparative genomics to elucidate spatiotemporal dynamics and evolutionary drivers of sexual differentiation. These efforts will advance genetic improvement and ecological restoration strategies. This review provides a systematic framework for advancing plant sexual evolution theory and promoting sustainable utilization of Lauraceae resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research and Potential Effects of Medicinal Plants)
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