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Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Phytochemicals
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Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Phytochemicals

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 November 2025 | Viewed by 2536

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dalia Urbonaviciene

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Research Institute of Natural and Technological Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
2. Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: chemical composition; antioxidant activity determination; biologically active compounds qualitative and quantitative analysis; development and application of plant materials processing technologies; modelling and optimization of extraction parameters of biologically active compounds; creation of functional products
Dr. Vytaute Starkute

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Food Safety and Quality, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
2. Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: plant protein; nutraceuticals; development of higher value food/feed raw materials; new food/feed products development; new technologies optimization for the food/feed industry; sustainable and alternative agro-biological resources

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to announce a new Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences entitled “Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Phytochemicals”. This Special Issue emphasizes the significance of phytochemicals as bioactive compounds derived from plant sources, including fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, herbs, and other plant-based foods. Phytochemicals exhibit biological activity when ingested by humans. Over the past two decades, bioactive phytochemicals have been extensively investigated through in vitro and in vivo models, yielding valuable insights into the structure–function relationships that may underlie their disease risk-reducing properties. These findings underscore the potential of phytochemicals as integral components of dietary strategies aimed at promoting health and preventing chronic diseases. Their phytochemical quality and antioxidant activity are therefore of particular interest in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals industries. Moreover, the increased phytochemical richness in productive vegetation has the potential to enhance animal health and, in turn, benefit human health. Concurrently, many phytochemicals exhibit significant antibacterial activity against a range of pathogenic microorganisms, contributing to their potential as alternative therapeutic agents. Many phytochemicals also exhibit noteworthy antibacterial properties against various pathogenic microorganisms, positioning them as promising alternative therapeutic agents. We invite scientists who want to present their phytochemical-based solutions, optimizing the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of such agents, to submit their work to this Special Issue. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Bioavailability of phytochemicals;
  • Phytochemicals implications for health;
  • Role of phytochemicals in preventing chronic diseases;
  • Phytochemicals exhibit antioxidant properties;
  • Phytochemicals with notable antibacterial activity;
  • Functional food and phytochemicals;
  • Synergistic effects of phytochemicals;
  • Use of phytochemicals in food preservation;
  • Innovative extraction techniques to increase phytochemical efficiency;
  • Phytochemicals in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries;
  • Dietary phytonutrients and animal health.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Dalia Urbonavičienė
Dr. Vytaute Starkute
Guest Editors

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.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • phytochemicals
  • natural preservatives
  • antioxidants
  • antibacterial properties
  • food, cosmetics
  • pharmaceuticals
  • animal feed

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3475 KiB  
Article
Carvacrol Protects IPEC-J2 Cells from Oxidative Stress by Suppressing Autophagy
by Ming-Chun Hsu, Han-Tsung Wang and Ching-Yi Chen
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(8), 3495; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26083495 - 8 Apr 2025
Viewed by 217
Abstract
Oxidative stress impairs intestinal function and causes poor growth performance in piglets. Carvacrol is a natural essential oil, and its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities in the intestines of piglets have been reported in many studies. However, the mechanisms underlying these protective effects against [...] Read more.
Oxidative stress impairs intestinal function and causes poor growth performance in piglets. Carvacrol is a natural essential oil, and its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities in the intestines of piglets have been reported in many studies. However, the mechanisms underlying these protective effects against oxidative stress remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the possible pathway of carvacrol in the porcine intestine under oxidative stress using an in vitro model. Porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) were treated with carvacrol and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an oxidative stress inducer, to investigate the protective mechanisms of carvacrol under oxidative stress. We found that carvacrol ameliorated a H2O2-induced loss of cell viability, apoptosis, and reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Carvacrol reduced mitochondrial ROS generation and increased citrate synthase activity during oxidative stress. Furthermore, carvacrol attenuated an increase in the autophagy marker LC3II-to-I ratio and reduced the accumulation of lysosomes and autolysosomes induced by H2O2. The increased protein expression of the mitophagy marker PINK1, induced by H2O2, was also reduced by carvacrol treatment. Metformin-activated autophagy diminished the protective effects of carvacrol on cell viability and MDA levels under H2O2 treatment, indicating that autophagy inhibition is necessary for carvacrol-induced protection in IPEC-J2 cells during oxidative stress. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the underlying mechanism that carvacrol exerted its anti-oxidative effects on porcine intestinal epithelial cells by relieving excessive autophagy during weaning stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Phytochemicals)
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19 pages, 5254 KiB  
Article
Biological Activities and Phytochemical Screening of Thuja occidentalis Extracts with In Silico Approaches
by Kareem Younes, Amr Abouzied, Saad Alqarni, Akram Elkashlan, Weiam Hussein, Rawabi Alhathal, Rahaf Albsher, Sarah Alshammari and Bader Huwaimel
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(3), 939; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26030939 - 23 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1240
Abstract
The evergreen coniferous tree Thuja occidentalis is a member of the Cupressaceae family. This study included biological, cytotoxic, and in silico docking analyses in addition to a phytochemical composition analysis of the plant leaves and stem ethanolic extracts. The extracts’ in vitro cytotoxicity [...] Read more.
The evergreen coniferous tree Thuja occidentalis is a member of the Cupressaceae family. This study included biological, cytotoxic, and in silico docking analyses in addition to a phytochemical composition analysis of the plant leaves and stem ethanolic extracts. The extracts’ in vitro cytotoxicity efficacy against various cancer cell lines was examined. Additionally, certain phytochemical compounds were identified by gas chromatographic analysis and subsequently assessed in silico against anticancer molecular targets. Also, their antiviral effect was assessed. Good cytotoxic activity was demonstrated by plant extracts against the lung and colorectal cancer cell lines. With half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of 18.45 μg/mL for the leaf extract and 33.61 μg/mL for the stem extract, apoptosis and S-phase arrest was observed in the lung cancer cell line. In addition, the leaf extract demonstrated effective antiviral activity, with suppression rates of 17.7 and 16.2% for the herpes simplex and influenza viruses, respectively. Gas chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of relevant bioactive components such as Podocarp-7-en-3β-ol, 13β-methyl-13-vinyl, Megastigmatrienone, and Cedrol, which were tested in silico against anticancer molecular targets. Our findings suggest that plant ethanolic extracts may have potential therapeutic uses as anticancer drugs against lung cancer in addition to their antiviral properties, which opens up further avenues for more investigation and applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Phytochemicals)
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Review

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20 pages, 1025 KiB  
Review
Contributions of Dietary Patterns and Factors to Regulation of Rheumatoid Disease
by Jingjie Zhang, Xueli Wang, Juan Fang, Yingying Li, Yonghui Yu, Jing Wang and Baoguo Sun
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2674; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062674 - 16 Mar 2025
Viewed by 761
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that commonly causes pain in joints and the progressive destruction of cartilage and bone, which significantly reduces the quality of life and increases the social burden. However, there is still no cure for RA, so [...] Read more.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that commonly causes pain in joints and the progressive destruction of cartilage and bone, which significantly reduces the quality of life and increases the social burden. However, there is still no cure for RA, so it is highly important to explore additional adjuvant treatment methods. Studies have indicated that malnutrition, changes in intestinal microbiota, and changes in immune status caused by dietary imbalance are directly related to the onset of RA, indicating that dietary intervention may offer a simple, economical, and practical avenue to relieve RA. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the pathogenesis of RA and summarize the influence of different dietary patterns on RA. In particular, we pointed out that high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt diets contribute to RA progression, whereas the Mediterranean diet (MD) is beneficial for preventing RA. Furthermore, the ingredients of food, such as dietary fiber, probiotics, and vitamins, help reduce the level of inflammation and relieve joint pain, which may play critical roles in the treatment of RA. Therefore, dietary intervention provides a potential effective approach for adjuvant therapy of RA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Phytochemicals)
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