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Molecules
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Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Natural Sources
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Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Natural Sources

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 2074

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Míchel Frédérich

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Center of Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Interests: pharmacognosy; antimalarial natural products; strychnos alkaloids
Prof. Dr. Anne Bialecki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de la Réunion, 15 Avenue René Cassin, CS 92003, CEDEX 09, 97744 Saint-Denis, France
Interests: natural products; bioactivity; chemistry of plants; marine invertebrates and microorganisms; analytical chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aim: This Special Issue aims to explore the diverse chemical constituents and biological activities of natural compounds. This Special Issue seeks to enhance our understanding of the chemical diversity and therapeutic potential of medicinal plants and other natural sources, including marine organisms and microorganisms, providing a platform for researchers to share their latest findings, methodologies, and insights into the bioactive compounds derived from natural sources.

Scope: The scope of this Special Issue includes the following topics:

  • Isolation, identification, and structural elucidation of novel natural compounds.
  • Bioactivity-based molecular networking for the discovery of natural drugs leads.
  • Biological activity screening and mechanism-of-action studies.
  • Pharmacological and toxicological evaluations of natural compounds.
  • Quality control and standardization of herbal medicines.
  • Chemical studies of plants in relation to ethnopharmacology and traditional medicine practices.
  • Advances in analytical techniques for natural product research.
  • Synergistic effects of natural products.

We invite original research articles and reviews that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in these areas. Submissions should provide significant insights into the chemical and biological properties of natural compounds and their potential applications in medicine, agriculture, and other fields.

Prof. Dr. Míchel Frédérich
Prof. Dr. Anne Bialecki
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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • natural compounds
  • biological activities
  • isolation, identification and structural elucidation
  • pharmacological evaluation

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 3286 KiB  
Article
Serum Starvation Enhances the Antitumor Activity of Natural Matrices: Insights into Bioactive Molecules from Dromedary Urine Extracts
by Maria Noemi Sgobba, Biagia Musio, Carlos Iglesias Pastrana, Stefano Todisco, Nikola Schlosserovà, Federica Mastropirro, Maria Favia, Antonio Radesco, Iola F. Duarte, Anna De Grassi, Mariateresa Volpicella, Vito Gallo, Ciro Leonardo Pierri, Elena Ciani and Lorenzo Guerra
Molecules 2025, 30(4), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30040821 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 633
Abstract
Natural matrices have historically been a cornerstone in drug discovery, offering a rich source of structurally diverse and biologically active compounds. However, research on natural products often faces significant challenges due to the complexity of natural matrices, such as urine, and the limitations [...] Read more.
Natural matrices have historically been a cornerstone in drug discovery, offering a rich source of structurally diverse and biologically active compounds. However, research on natural products often faces significant challenges due to the complexity of natural matrices, such as urine, and the limitations of bioactivity assessment assays. To ensure reliable insights, it is crucial to optimize experimental conditions to reveal the bioactive potential of samples, thereby improving the validity of statistical analyses. Approaches in metabolomics further strengthen this process by identifying and focusing on the most promising compounds within natural matrices, enhancing the precision of bioactive metabolite prioritization. In this study, we assessed the bioactivity of 17 dromedary urine samples on human renal cells under serum-reduced conditions (1%FBS) in order to minimize possible FBS-derived interfering factors. Using viability assays and Annexin V/PI staining, we found that the tumor renal cell lines Caki-1 and RCC-Shaw were more sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of the small molecules present in dromedary urine compared to non-tumor HK-2 cells. Employing NMR metabolomics analysis combined with detected in vitro activity, our statistical model highlights the presence of bioactive compounds in dromedary urine, such as azelaic acid and phenylacetyl glycine, underscoring its potential as a sustainable source of bioactive molecules within the framework of green chemistry and circular economy initiatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Natural Sources)
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Review

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32 pages, 8985 KiB  
Review
Natural Products as Novel Therapeutic Agents for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Current Evidence, Mechanisms, Challenges, and Opportunities
by Qingzhou Li, Zhen Ye, Guilin Wang, Yuhui Chen, Jinghong Deng, Dong Wang and Yumei Wang
Molecules 2025, 30(6), 1201; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30061201 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 931
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) tops the list of causes for female fatalities globally, with the elusive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) constituting 10–20% of all cases. Current clinical strategies for combating TNBC encompass a multifaceted approach, including surgical intervention, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and advanced targeted [...] Read more.
Breast cancer (BC) tops the list of causes for female fatalities globally, with the elusive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) constituting 10–20% of all cases. Current clinical strategies for combating TNBC encompass a multifaceted approach, including surgical intervention, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and advanced targeted drugs and immunotherapies. While these modalities have catalyzed significant advancements in TNBC management, lingering limitations continue to pose formidable challenges. There is an acute need for novel therapeutics in the realm of TNBC treatment. Natural products (NPs) have emerged as a rich reservoir for pharmaceutical innovation, owing to their extraordinary range of structures and physicochemical properties. Scholars have reported diverse evidence of NPs’ efficacy against TNBC. This review aims to comprehensively explore the bioactive constituents, specifics and commonalities of chemical structure, and pharmacological mechanisms of NPs, specifically examining their multifaceted roles in impeding TNBC. NPs, which have recently garnered significant interest, are intriguing in terms of their capacity to combat TNBC through multifaceted mechanisms, including the suppression of tumor cell proliferation, the induction of apoptosis, and the inhibition of tumor metastasis. These natural agents primarily encompass a range of compounds, including terpenoids, glycosides, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids. An in-depth exploration has unveiled their involvement in key signaling pathways, including the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT), Wingless/Int-1 (Wnt) /β-catenin, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Meanwhile, this review also looks at the challenges and opportunities that arise from harnessing natural compounds to influence TNBC, while outlining the prospective trajectory for future research in the field of NPs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Natural Sources)
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29 pages, 3559 KiB  
Review
A Comprehensive Review of the Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Other Applications of Euphorbiae Humifusae Herba
by Jian Xiao, Hong Gu, Jiaqing Zhang, Yuqian Xue, Yunyi Chen, Weizhong Zhu, Hong Zhang, Boyi Fan and Wenli Wang
Molecules 2025, 30(5), 1094; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30051094 - 27 Feb 2025
Viewed by 456
Abstract
Euphorbiae Humifusae Herba (EHH) is a globally distributed plant commonly utilized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and health food within China. The dried aerial parts of EHH are well-recognized as health foods for the management of diarrhea and other intestinal diseases. Known for [...] Read more.
Euphorbiae Humifusae Herba (EHH) is a globally distributed plant commonly utilized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and health food within China. The dried aerial parts of EHH are well-recognized as health foods for the management of diarrhea and other intestinal diseases. Known for its therapeutic effects, such as heat-clearing, detoxification, blood cooling, hemostasis, dampness, elimination, and jaundice relief, EHH has yielded 197 bioactive compounds identified to date, including terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, alkaloids, sterols, lactones, coumarins, and other constituents, with flavonoids and terpenoids, highlighting its wide-ranging pharmacological properties and medicinal significance. Despite its popularity in research, limited systematic and comprehensive information has been provided on the EHH. Therefore, we provide an in-depth overview of EHH, covering its botanical characteristics, traditional uses, phytochemical composition, pharmacological properties, and additional applications. Furthermore, it addresses the current challenges and limitations in modern research on EHH, offering critical perspectives to guide future studies in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Natural Sources)
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