Anticancer and Antibacterial Activities of Bioactive Compounds from Plants and Foods
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 112
Editors
Interests: biotechnology; green growth; microbial pathogenesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: aquatic biotoxins; cyanogenic glycosides; furocoumarins; lectins; mycotoxins; pyrrolizidine alkaloids; solanines and chaconine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Plant-derived and dietary sources represent extensive reservoirs of bioactive secondary metabolites, encompassing polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and glucosinolates. Historically, these compounds have served as essential scaffolds for the development of modern pharmaceuticals, including paclitaxel, vincristine, and artemisinin. Amidst the escalating global incidence of cancer and the critical challenge of antimicrobial resistance, there is a resurgence of interest in these natural products. Nevertheless, the translation of these compounds from laboratory settings or dietary intake into clinical therapeutics is hindered by substantial chemical, biological, and pharmacological obstacles.
The future of anticancer and antibacterial therapies derived from these sources resides at the intersection of traditional ethnopharmacology and modern chemical innovation. Although challenges regarding bioavailability, stability, and resistance persist, advancements in semi-synthesis, nanomedicine, green chemistry, and artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery offer promising solutions. The research paradigm is shifting from the mere isolation of crude extracts toward the design of chemically optimized, targeted, and sustainable therapeutic agents capable of effectively addressing both oncological and resistant bacterial challenges.
This Special Issue invites contributions addressing various facets of this field, including, but not limited to, the following: Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) Limitations: Challenges such as suboptimal bioavailability, rapid metabolism, clearance, and chemical instability; Complexity and Standardization: Issues concerning extract variability, as well as the interplay between synergistic and antagonistic effects; Biological and Clinical Hurdles: Obstacles related to target specificity, toxicity, and the mechanisms of antimicrobial and multidrug resistance in oncology. Furthermore, we welcome manuscripts focused on structural optimization, semi-synthesis, advanced drug delivery systems (nanochemistry), green chemistry, sustainable extraction, and the application of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, metabolomics, network pharmacology, and synthetic biology.
Dr. Felipe Ascencio
Dr. Norma Hernández-Saavedra
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- bioactive secondary metabolites
- antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
- pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
- nanomedicine
- green chemistry
- drug discovery
- chemotherapeutic agents
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