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Bioactive Compounds: Innovative Technologies for Extraction, Synthesis, and Functional Evaluation

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: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 538

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), Mangiagalli Street, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: bioactive compounds; extraction; synthesis; functional evaluation; molecular aspects; the structure–activity relationship; mechanism of action; potential applications; future development
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Molecules from natural sources that promote health benefits are called bioactive compounds. These substances mostly belong to diverse structures, ranging from plant secondary metabolites like polyphenols, flavonoids, and terpenoids to other types of living organisms such as peptides and vitamins.

Innovative technologies have assisted the extraction of bioactive compounds from different sources such as plants, animals, microbes, and even food wastes. These technologies have a main impact on the functionality and the bioavailability of the extracted compounds.

Recent advances in molecular aspects of bioactive compounds have revealed their potential in disease treatment and prevention and as therapeutic agents and health supplements in the form of nutraceuticals. The specific chemical structure of a bioactive compound determines its biological activity and how it interacts with the body's systems. Therefore, their interaction with biological systems is of high interest.

Synthetic bioactive compounds have also shown many desirable properties in advancing drug development, understanding biological processes, and driving innovative technologies.

This Special Issue aims to collect recent knowledge and developments concerning the innovative technologies of bioactive compound extraction and synthesis, as well as their biological activity at the molecular levels, that can lead to the development of natural or synthetic active compounds in search of promising therapeutic agents and pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Parisa Abbasi Parizad
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • bioactive compounds
  • extraction
  • synthesis
  • functional evaluation
  • molecular aspects
  • mechanism of action

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 1941 KB  
Article
Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant Activity, and Neuroprotective Effects of Bacopa monnieri Extract in a Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Dementia Model
by Abosede Temitope Olajide, Sasithon Aunsorn, Samuel Abiodun Kehinde, Shang Yazhen, Thammarat Kaewmanee and Sasitorn Chusri
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(12), 5229; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27125229 - 9 Jun 2026
Viewed by 217
Abstract
Bacopa monnieri (BM) is a traditional medicinal herb that has been reported to have neuroprotective and cognitive-enhancing properties. In this study, the antioxidant, safety, and neuroprotective properties of BM extract (BME) were assessed in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) model of cognitive impairment. Ethanol was [...] Read more.
Bacopa monnieri (BM) is a traditional medicinal herb that has been reported to have neuroprotective and cognitive-enhancing properties. In this study, the antioxidant, safety, and neuroprotective properties of BM extract (BME) were assessed in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) model of cognitive impairment. Ethanol was used for extraction, after which the ethanolic extract was profiled to characterize total phenolic and flavonoid content and major bioactive constituents. The assessment of antioxidant activity was done through several in vitro tests (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, NBT, OARC, and metal chelation). Toxicity was assessed in Caenorhabditis elegans using pharyngeal pumping and food clearance tests. For in vivo evaluation, rats were pre-treated with BME, and then LPS was administered, followed by evaluation of cognitive performance by the Morris water maze and Y-maze test. Phytochemical examination revealed the existence of phenolics and flavonoids, as well as bacoside A components. The extract showed good antioxidant activity, mainly via hydrogen atom transfer and single-electron transfer, suggesting effective radical scavenging and reducing ability, but no metal chelating activity was observed. Toxicity tests demonstrated that lower concentrations of the extract were well tolerated, and higher concentrations resulted in temporary inhibition of feeding behavior, indicating mild, dose-dependent effects. In the LPS-induced rat model, the inflammatory challenge produced significant cognitive deficits relative to normal controls, validating the model. Pre-treatment with BME at 70 mg/kg did not produce statistically significant rescue of any behavioral endpoint compared with the LPS-only group, although small-to-medium effect sizes in the protective direction were observed for several measures. Additionally, BME modulated LPS-induced neuroinflammatory responses by reducing cortical IL-1β, TNF-α, iNOS, and COX-2 levels while enhancing hippocampal AChE and PGE2 activity, suggesting region-specific anti-inflammatory and cholinergic regulatory effects. The most robust positive findings of this study are therefore the phytochemical characterization and the in vitro antioxidant profile of this standardized extract, which support its potential as a candidate for further investigation in inflammation-related cognitive impairment; the in vivo findings are preliminary and warrant confirmation in larger-scale, dose-ranging studies. Full article
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