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Life
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Phytochemicals in Focus: Bioactivity, Safety, and Therapeutic Potential
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Phytochemicals in Focus: Bioactivity, Safety, and Therapeutic Potential

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 1930

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Naeem Khan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
Interests: phytohormones; plant-microbe interactions; abiotic stresses; plant breeding; plant metabolites; plant protection; soil microbiology; microbial cleaning of polluted lands

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research focused on the biological activity, safety evaluation, and therapeutic potential of phytochemicals derived from medicinal plants, herbs, and other botanical sources. Plant-derived compounds are increasingly recognized for their diverse pharmacological actions, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties.

We welcome studies that investigate the in vitro and in vivo biological effects of phytochemicals, particularly in relation to oxidative stress modulation, free radical scavenging, and cellular protection. Research evaluating the antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic properties of plant extracts and isolated compounds is especially encouraged.

Submissions addressing the toxicity, safety profiles, and risk assessment of natural products are also considered essential, particularly for their application in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and food systems.

We invite original research articles and reviews that contribute to the understanding of how phytochemicals can be safely and effectively utilized for therapeutic purposes.

Dr. Naeem Khan
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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
  • antioxidant activity
  • antimicrobial properties
  • toxicity evaluation
  • natural products
  • medicinal plants and bioactivity
  • oxidative stress plant extracts
  • therapeutic potential
  • safety assessment
  • bioactive compounds

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1471 KB  
Article
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Thai Shallot (Allium ascalonicum cv. chiangmai) and Cha-Miang (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) Extracts on Human Embryonic Kidney Cell Line (HEK293)
by Jiraporn Laoung-on, Chalermpong Saenjum, Kongsak Boonyapranai and Sakaewan Ounjaijean
Life 2026, 16(1), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/life16010141 - 15 Jan 2026
Viewed by 831
Abstract
Oxidative stress and inflammation are key drivers in the pathogenesis of various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes. This study evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of SHE, CME, and FCME, all cultivated in northern Thailand. Human [...] Read more.
Oxidative stress and inflammation are key drivers in the pathogenesis of various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes. This study evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of SHE, CME, and FCME, all cultivated in northern Thailand. Human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293) were exposed to FeSO4 to induce oxidative stress and to LPS to stimulate inflammation. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay, while intracellular ROS production was measured using the DCFH-DA. Lipid peroxidation was quantified using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay, and the interleukin-6 (IL-6) release was determined by ELISAs. All extracts demonstrated low cytotoxicity; however, cell death increased at 48 h compared to 24 h. At 200 µg/mL, SHE, CME, and FCME significantly reduced the H2O2-induced ROS generation, with the combined treatment of SHE and FCME producing a more pronounced reduction than the individual treatments. Furthermore, the combination of SHE and FCME markedly decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and IL-6 levels compared with other groups. These findings suggest that shallot and cha-miang extracts, particularly in combination, exhibit promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in kidney cell models. This combination could therefore be explored as a nutraceutical strategy for the prevention and management of chronic kidney disease, in which oxidative stress and inflammation play pivotal roles. Overall, our finding highlight the potential of the combined use of SHE and FCME as a functional ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Focus: Bioactivity, Safety, and Therapeutic Potential)
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25 pages, 14917 KB  
Article
Medicinal Plant Rhizospheres as Reservoirs of Aspergillus-Derived Phytochemicals with Antimicrobial and Insecticidal Potential
by Sidra Farooq, Asif Mehmood, Nasir Ali, Amjad Khan and Naeem Khan
Life 2025, 15(12), 1886; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15121886 - 10 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 636
Abstract
The rhizosphere, a dynamic interface shaped by plant root exudates, fosters microbial communities with significant biochemical potential. This study investigated the interplay between soil properties and fungal bioactivity in the rhizospheres of Withania coagulans and Justicia adhatoda in Pakistan. Physicochemical analysis revealed silty [...] Read more.
The rhizosphere, a dynamic interface shaped by plant root exudates, fosters microbial communities with significant biochemical potential. This study investigated the interplay between soil properties and fungal bioactivity in the rhizospheres of Withania coagulans and Justicia adhatoda in Pakistan. Physicochemical analysis revealed silty loam textures with divergent phosphorus [25.7 vs. 71.5 mg/kg] and potassium [108 vs. 78 mg/kg] levels, alongside near-neutral pH, influencing microbial dynamics. Two fungal isolates, Aspergillus luchuensis and A. flavus, were identified through morphological traits and ITS-region sequencing. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry [GC-MS] profiling of ethyl acetate extracts uncovered 30 and 25 previously uncharacterized metabolites in A. luchuensis and A. flavus, respectively, including bioactive compounds such as tetradecanoic acid and nonadecane. Bioassays demonstrated broad-spectrum efficacy against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates, with A. flavus exhibiting notable inhibition against Salmonella typhi [31.7 mm zone] and A. luchuensis against Shigella spp. [23 mm]. Both extracts suppressed Lemna minor growth by 70%, indicating phytotoxic potential, and displayed species-specific insecticidal activity, inducing 70% mortality by A. luchuensis against Blattodea and 50% by A. flavus against the same species. These findings underscore the rhizosphere’s role as a reservoir of bioactive fungi, with Aspergillus spp. producing metabolites of pharmaceutical and agrochemical relevance. The study highlights the necessity for advanced structural elucidation and ecotoxicological assessments to harness these compounds, advocating integrated approaches combining metabolomics and genomic mining to unlock novel biotechnological applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Focus: Bioactivity, Safety, and Therapeutic Potential)
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