Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.6
4.6
Journals
Molecules
Special Issues
Role of Natural Products in Inflammation
molecules-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Role of Natural Products in Inflammation

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 5647

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Katarína Bauerová

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 5826/9, SK-841 41 Bratislava, Slovakia
Interests: natural products; pharmacology; immunology; rheumatoid arthritis; medicinal plants; antioxidants; biological models; new generations of drug delivery; functional food
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammation is a biological response of the immune system to infectious microorganisms,  tissue injury, cell death, and physical, chemical or biological mediators in the body in order to preserve normal tissue homeostasis. Both the innate and adaptive immune responses as are involved in inflammatory processes. However, uncontrolled acute inflammation may become chronic, contributing to a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases. Long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to cause many adverse effects. Hence, replacing traditional anti-inflammatory drugs with natural compounds without toxic side effects and with good curative effects is an urgent issue to be solved in the clinical treatment of inflammation-related diseases. Natural products, which have more pharmacological activities and lower toxicity, can serve as potential resources to develop natural anti-inflammatory drugs. They include bioactive peptides, fatty acids, polysaccharides, flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenes, natural pigments, volatile oils, and quinones, either present in the system or isolated from marine or plant sources: namely, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, white willow bark, curcumin (tumeric), green tea, pycnogenol (maritime pine bark), and resveratrol. They mostly act by suppressing the NF-kB and cyclooxygenase pathways in order to inhibit leukocyte recruitment, but other pathways could also be important and should be studied. Compounds isolated from terrestrial and marine plants are still not sufficiently investigated concerning their use as therapies in diseases involving inflammation.

Dr. Katarína Bauerová
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 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

  • inflammation
  • natural compounds
  • terrestrial plants
  • marine plants
  • NF-kB
  • hemoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathways

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 3444 KB  
Article
Astaxanthin Alleviates Inflammatory Mechanical Hyperalgesia by Reducing Hyperexcitability of Trigeminal Nociceptive Secondary Neurons: Potential as an NSAID Alternative
by Risako Chida and Mamoru Takeda
Molecules 2025, 30(18), 3664; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30183664 - 9 Sep 2025
Viewed by 293
Abstract
This study investigated the potential of astaxanthin (AST), a natural carotenoid, to mitigate inflammation-induced hyperexcitability in the spinal trigeminal nucleus caudalis (SpVc) and the associated hyperalgesia. The efficacy of systemic AST application was compared to that of celecoxib (CEL). Inflammation was induced by [...] Read more.
This study investigated the potential of astaxanthin (AST), a natural carotenoid, to mitigate inflammation-induced hyperexcitability in the spinal trigeminal nucleus caudalis (SpVc) and the associated hyperalgesia. The efficacy of systemic AST application was compared to that of celecoxib (CEL). Inflammation was induced by injecting Complete Freund’s adjuvant into the whisker pads of rats. The mechanical escape threshold was then assessed by delivering mechanical stimuli to the orofacial region. Although inflamed rats exhibited a significantly lower mechanical threshold compared to naïve rats, this threshold was restored to normal levels two days after treatment with AST, CEL, and the 1/2 CEL + 1/2 AST combination. The activity of SpVc wide-dynamic range (WDR) neurons was measured using extracellular single-unit recordings in response to mechanical stimulation of the orofacial area under anesthesia. In inflamed rats, AST, CEL, and 1/2 CEL + 1/2 AST administration significantly reduced the average firing rate of these neurons elicited by both non-noxious and noxious mechanical stimuli. In addition, all three treatments significantly decreased the heightened average spontaneous activity of SpVc neurons and normalized the increased average receptive field size in inflamed rats. This study provides evidence that systemic AST administration attenuates inflammatory mechanical hyperalgesia. This action is associated with the suppression of hyperexcitability in nociceptive SpVc WDR neurons, likely through the inhibition of the cyclooxygenase-2 signaling pathway. These findings support the potential of AST as a therapeutic agent for complementary and alternative medicine. It may provide a valuable alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the prevention of trigeminal inflammatory mechanical hyperalgesia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Natural Products in Inflammation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 8050 KB  
Article
Investigating Natural Product Inhibitors of IKKα: Insights from Integrative In Silico and Experimental Validation
by Muhammad Yasir, Jinyoung Park, Eun-Taek Han, Jin-Hee Han, Won Sun Park, Jongseon Choe and Wanjoo Chun
Molecules 2025, 30(9), 2025; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30092025 - 2 May 2025
Viewed by 817
Abstract
Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling plays a pivotal role in regulating immune responses and is strongly implicated in cancer progression and inflammation-related diseases. The inhibitory κB kinases (IKKs), particularly IKKα, are central to modulating NF-κB activity, with distinct roles in the canonical and non-canonical [...] Read more.
Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling plays a pivotal role in regulating immune responses and is strongly implicated in cancer progression and inflammation-related diseases. The inhibitory κB kinases (IKKs), particularly IKKα, are central to modulating NF-κB activity, with distinct roles in the canonical and non-canonical signaling pathways. This study investigates the potential of selectively targeting IKKα to develop novel therapeutic strategies. A receptor–ligand interaction pharmacophore model was generated based on the co-crystallized structure of IKKα, incorporating six key features, two hydrogen bond acceptors, two hydrogen bond donors, one hydrophobic region, and one hydrophobic aromatic region. This model was used to virtually screen a diverse natural compound library of 5540 molecules, yielding 82 candidates that matched the essential pharmacophore features. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were subsequently employed to evaluate binding conformations, stability, and dynamic behavior of the top hits. The end-state free energy calculations (gmx_MMPBSA) further validated the interaction strength and stability of selected compounds. To experimentally confirm their inhibitory potential, key compounds were tested in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, where they significantly reduced IκBα phosphorylation. These findings validate the integrative computational-experimental approach and identify promising natural compounds as selective IKKα inhibitors for further therapeutic development in cancer and inflammatory diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Natural Products in Inflammation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 5200 KB  
Article
Sesquiterpene Lactones Containing an α-Methylene-γ-Lactone Moiety Selectively Down-Regulate the Expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 by Promoting Its Ectodomain Shedding in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma A549 Cells
by Quy Van Vu, Shinsei Sayama, Masayoshi Ando and Takao Kataoka
Molecules 2024, 29(8), 1866; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29081866 - 19 Apr 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2079
Abstract
Alantolactone is a eudesmane-type sesquiterpene lactone containing an α-methylene-γ-lactone moiety. Previous studies showed that alantolactone inhibits the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway by targeting the inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB) kinase. However, in the present study, we demonstrated that alantolactone selectively down-regulated the [...] Read more.
Alantolactone is a eudesmane-type sesquiterpene lactone containing an α-methylene-γ-lactone moiety. Previous studies showed that alantolactone inhibits the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway by targeting the inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB) kinase. However, in the present study, we demonstrated that alantolactone selectively down-regulated the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor 1 (TNF-R1) in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. Alantolactone did not affect the expression of three adaptor proteins recruited to TNF-R1. The down-regulation of TNF-R1 expression by alantolactone was suppressed by an inhibitor of TNF-α-converting enzyme. Alantolactone increased the soluble forms of TNF-R1 that were released into the culture medium as an ectodomain. The structure–activity relationship of eight eudesmane derivatives revealed that an α-methylene-γ-lactone moiety was needed to promote TNF-R1 ectodomain shedding. In addition, parthenolide and costunolide, two sesquiterpene lactones with an α-methylene-γ-lactone moiety, increased the amount of soluble TNF-R1. Therefore, the present results demonstrate that sesquiterpene lactones with an α-methylene-γ-lactone moiety can down-regulate the expression of TNF-R1 by promoting its ectodomain shedding in A549 cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Natural Products in Inflammation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

38 pages, 1248 KB  
Review
Targeting Inflammation with Natural Products: A Mechanistic Review of Iridoids from Bulgarian Medicinal Plants
by Rositsa Mihaylova, Viktoria Elincheva, Reneta Gevrenova, Dimitrina Zheleva-Dimitrova, Georgi Momekov and Rumyana Simeonova
Molecules 2025, 30(17), 3456; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30173456 - 22 Aug 2025
Viewed by 650
Abstract
Chronic, low-grade inflammation is a key contributor to the development of numerous non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders. Conventional anti-inflammatory drugs, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids, often present safety concerns with prolonged use, highlighting the need for [...] Read more.
Chronic, low-grade inflammation is a key contributor to the development of numerous non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders. Conventional anti-inflammatory drugs, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids, often present safety concerns with prolonged use, highlighting the need for safer, multi-targeted therapeutic options. Iridoids, a class of monoterpenoid compounds abundant in several medicinal plants, have emerged as promising bioactive agents with diverse pharmacological properties. They exert anti-inflammatory and metabolic regulatory effects by modulating key signaling pathways, including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT), adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) pathways. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the major iridoid metabolites derived from ten Bulgarian medicinal plant species, along with mechanistic insights from in vitro and in vivo studies. Documented biological activities include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antifibrotic, organoprotective, antibacterial, antiviral, analgesic, and metabolic effects. By exploring their phytochemical profiles and pharmacodynamics, we underscore the therapeutic potential of iridoid-rich Bulgarian flora in managing inflammation-related and metabolic diseases. These findings support the relevance of iridoids as complementary or alternative agents to conventional therapies and highlight the need for further translational and clinical research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Natural Products in Inflammation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 5986 KB  
Review
Natural Neuroinflammatory Modulators: Therapeutic Potential of Fungi-Derived Compounds in Selected Neurodegenerative Diseases
by Agnieszka Godela, Diana Rogacz, Barbara Pawłowska and Robert Biczak
Molecules 2025, 30(15), 3158; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30153158 - 28 Jul 2025
Viewed by 610
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis remain incurable. Current therapeutic strategies primarily focus on slowing disease progression, alleviating symptoms, and improving patients’ quality of life, including the management of comorbid conditions. Over the past few [...] Read more.
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis remain incurable. Current therapeutic strategies primarily focus on slowing disease progression, alleviating symptoms, and improving patients’ quality of life, including the management of comorbid conditions. Over the past few decades, the incidence of diagnosed neurodegenerative disorders has risen significantly. As the number of affected individuals continues to grow, so does the urgent need for effective treatments that can halt or mitigate the progression of these diseases. Among the most promising therapeutic resources are bioactive compounds derived from fungi. The high quality of proteins, polysaccharides, unsaturated fatty acids, triterpenoids, sterols, and secondary metabolites found in fungi have attracted growing interest from researchers across multiple disciplines. One intensively studied direction involves the use of naturally occurring fungi-derived nutraceuticals in the treatment of various diseases, including neurodegenerative conditions. This article provides an overview of recent findings on fungal compounds—such as phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, peptides and proteins, and lipids—that may have potential applications in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and the alleviation of their symptoms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Natural Products in Inflammation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop