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Phytochemicals from Diet and Medicinal Plants: Chemical Diversity, Delivery Systems...
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Phytochemicals from Diet and Medicinal Plants: Chemical Diversity, Delivery Systems and Bioactivity

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 23302

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Bo Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
2. Tea Research Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Interests: natural products; food functional ingredients; tea; bioactivity; health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Phytochemicals from foods and medicinal plants possess various health benefits and fewer side effects compared with drugs, and thus have gained increasing attention in recent years. There have been several academic advances in this field with the discovery of new functions and mechanisms, metabolism and pharmacokinetics, chemical modification, green synthesis and delivery systems for increasing the stability and bioactivities of phytochemicals. These researches will be helpful for the extensive application of natural products in medicine, food, agriculture, daily chemical use and other fields.

This Special Issue welcomes original research and reviews on all aspects of phytochemicals from diet and medicinal plants, including but not limited to chemical structure, chemical modification and synthesis, extraction and isolation, determination methods, delivery systems, metabolism, bioactivities and application.

Dr. Bo Li
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • phytochemicals
  • chemical structure
  • chemical modification
  • synthesis
  • delivery systems
  • bioactivities
  • metabolism

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 3765 KiB  
Article
A Novel Delivery System for the Combined Use of Natural Ingredients: The Preparation of Berberine Hydrochloride–Matrine Liposomes and Preliminary Exploration of Their Anti-Tumor Activity
by Min Xu, Zhangkai Ye, JunJing Liu, Shunpeng Zhu, Yuchen Chen, Jia Cai, Yangxi Chen, Long Wang, Liang Zhang and Qiang Ye
Molecules 2024, 29(21), 5210; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29215210 - 4 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1711
Abstract
Berberine hydrochloride (BH) extracted from Coptis chinensis (CC) and Matrine (MT) separated from Sophora flavescens (SF) are alkaloids with potent anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. Motivated by the clinical practice of using CC and SF together, we aimed to demonstrate that the synergistic [...] Read more.
Berberine hydrochloride (BH) extracted from Coptis chinensis (CC) and Matrine (MT) separated from Sophora flavescens (SF) are alkaloids with potent anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. Motivated by the clinical practice of using CC and SF together, we aimed to demonstrate that the synergistic application of the natural compounds BH and MT could enhance therapeutic effects and minimize side effects. Two types of liposomes, liposomes containing only BH (BH-LP) and liposomes containing both BH and MT (BH-MT-LP), were successfully prepared via the reverse evaporation method. The liposome preparation process was optimized by single-factor screening and the Box–Behnken experimental design method. The results showed that the liposomes had particle sizes in the range of 222.7 to 235.4 nm, polydispersity indicated in the range of 11.8% to 23.3%, and zeta potentials in the range of −35.9 to −31.1 mv. BH-MT-LP showed superior anti-tumor activity against MDA-MB-231, HepG-2, and HGC-27 cells in vitro. The incorporation of MT effectively promoted the anti-tumor effect of BH, while the controlled release from liposomes further enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of BH. Furthermore, based on the flow cytometry results, we speculated that BH-MT-LP might promote apoptosis by blocking the G1 phase of cells and inducing cell death. In conclusion, BH-MT-LP provides evidence for the combined use of natural compounds as a stable, safe, and practical drug delivery system for the treatment of potential cancers. Meanwhile, the successful preparation for BH-MT-LP also provides a new approach to the combined use of traditional Chinese medicine ingredients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals from Diet and Medicinal Plants: Chemical Diversity, Delivery Systems and Bioactivity)
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15 pages, 1315 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Study of Vitamin K in Plants by Pressurized Liquid Extraction and LC-MS/MS
by Iryna Bryshten, Łukasz Paprotny, Małgorzata Olszowy-Tomczyk and Dorota Wianowska
Molecules 2024, 29(18), 4420; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29184420 - 17 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1553
Abstract
The health-promoting properties of vitamin K stimulate the growing interest in this compound, which translates into the development of new analytical methodologies for its determination. New, more efficient methods of its isolation are sought, paying increasingly more attention to the methods within currently [...] Read more.
The health-promoting properties of vitamin K stimulate the growing interest in this compound, which translates into the development of new analytical methodologies for its determination. New, more efficient methods of its isolation are sought, paying increasingly more attention to the methods within currently available extraction techniques that, owing to the optimization of the process, not only increase the extraction efficiency but are also economical and environmentally friendly. This article proposes a procedure for the extraction and analysis of one of the vitamin K vitamers, i.e., vitamin K1, using PLE and LC-MS/MS. It has been shown that the PLE technique can be optimized with a mathematical model—accelerating and reducing the costs of the extraction process—which, together with process automation, bodes well for industrial applications. The optimized process was used to extract vitamin K1 from various vegetables, showing very different contents of the test compound ranging from 1.22 to 114.30 µg/g dry weight for avocado and spinach, respectively. In addition, by showing the effect of water within the material subjected to extraction on the variable yield of vitamin K1, attention was drawn to the need to standardize the analytical methods used in assessing the quality of food products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals from Diet and Medicinal Plants: Chemical Diversity, Delivery Systems and Bioactivity)
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Review

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21 pages, 2395 KiB  
Review
Quantitative Changes and Transformation Mechanisms of Saponin Components in Chinese Herbal Medicines during Storage and Processing: A Review
by Yuhang Wu, Hui Zheng, Tao Zheng, Jiani Jiang, Yao Xu, Fan Jia, Kai He and Yong Yang
Molecules 2024, 29(18), 4486; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29184486 - 21 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2448
Abstract
Saponins are an important class of active components in Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs), which are present in large quantities in Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Polygonati Rhizoma, etc., and have immune regulation, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-cardiovascular disease, and [...] Read more.
Saponins are an important class of active components in Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs), which are present in large quantities in Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Polygonati Rhizoma, etc., and have immune regulation, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-cardiovascular disease, and hypoglycemic activities. Storage and processing are essential processes in the production process of CHMs which affect the stability of saponin components and then reduce the medicinal and economic value. Therefore, it is of great importance to investigate the effects of storage and processing conditions on the content of saponin components in CHMs. In this paper, the effects of various storage and processing factors, including temperature, pH, enzymes, meta lions, extraction methods, etc., on the saponin content of CHMs are investigated and the underlying mechanisms for the quantitative changes of saponin are summarized. These findings may provide technical guidance for the production and processing of saponin-rich CHMs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals from Diet and Medicinal Plants: Chemical Diversity, Delivery Systems and Bioactivity)
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14 pages, 631 KiB  
Review
L-Theanine and Immunity: A Review
by Shuna Chen, Jiaxin Kang, Huanqing Zhu, Kaixi Wang, Ziyi Han, Leyu Wang, Junsheng Liu, Yuanyuan Wu, Puming He, Youying Tu and Bo Li
Molecules 2023, 28(9), 3846; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28093846 - 1 May 2023
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 13242
Abstract
L-theanine (N-ethyl-γ-glutamine) is the main amino acid in tea leaves. It not only contributes to tea flavor but also possesses several health benefits. Compared with its sedative and calming activities, the immunomodulatory effects of L-theanine have received less attention. Clinical and epidemiological studies [...] Read more.
L-theanine (N-ethyl-γ-glutamine) is the main amino acid in tea leaves. It not only contributes to tea flavor but also possesses several health benefits. Compared with its sedative and calming activities, the immunomodulatory effects of L-theanine have received less attention. Clinical and epidemiological studies have shown that L-theanine reduces immunosuppression caused by strenuous exercise and prevents colds and influenza by improving immunity. Numerous cell and animal studies have proven that theanine plays an immunoregulatory role in inflammation, nerve damage, the intestinal tract, and tumors by regulating γδT lymphocyte function, glutathione (GSH) synthesis, and the secretion of cytokines and neurotransmitters. In addition, theanine can be used as an immunomodulator in animal production. This article reviews the research progress of L-theanine on immunoregulation and related mechanisms, as well as its application in poultry and animal husbandry. It is hoped that this work will be beneficial to future related research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals from Diet and Medicinal Plants: Chemical Diversity, Delivery Systems and Bioactivity)
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11 pages, 4572 KiB  
Review
Quality Chemistry, Physiological Functions, and Health Benefits of Organic Acids from Tea (Camellia sinensis)
by Hongbo Chen, Fei Yu, Jiaxin Kang, Qiao Li, Hasitha Kalhari Warusawitharana and Bo Li
Molecules 2023, 28(5), 2339; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28052339 - 3 Mar 2023
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3918
Abstract
Organic acids account for around 3% of the dry matter in tea leaves, and their composition and contents vary in different types of tea. They participate in the metabolism of tea plants, regulate nutrient absorption and growth, and contribute to the aroma and [...] Read more.
Organic acids account for around 3% of the dry matter in tea leaves, and their composition and contents vary in different types of tea. They participate in the metabolism of tea plants, regulate nutrient absorption and growth, and contribute to the aroma and taste quality of tea. Compared with other secondary metabolites in tea, the researches on organic acids are still limited. This article reviewed the research progresses of organic acids in tea, including analysis methods, the root secretion and physiological function, the composition of organic acids in tea leaves and related influencing factors, the contribution of organic acids to sensory quality, and the health benefits, such as antioxidation, promotion of digestion and absorption, acceleration of gastrointestinal transit, and regulation of intestinal flora. It is hoped to provide references for related research on organic acids from tea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals from Diet and Medicinal Plants: Chemical Diversity, Delivery Systems and Bioactivity)
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