Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.4
4.2
Journals
Molecules
Special Issues
Research Progress and Application of Natural Compounds—2nd Edition
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

Research Progress and Application of Natural Compounds—2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 3562

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Claudiu N. Lungu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Universitatea Babes-Bolyai din Cluj-Napoca, Cluj Napoca, Romania
Interests: medicinal chemistry; drug discovery; molecular modeling; molecular descriptors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ionel Mangalagiu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemistry Department, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, Romania
Interests: heterocycles; medicinal chemistry; anticancer; antituberculosis; microwave; ultrasounds; organic synthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural compounds play a crucial role in modern integrative medicine. A natural compound or natural product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism and is thus found in nature. A fundamental property of this compound is that it can also be prepared via chemical synthesis.

Within medicinal chemistry, the field is often further restricted to secondary metabolites. Secondary metabolites are not crucial for survival but offer the organisms that produce them an evolutionary advantage. Some secondary metabolites are cytotoxic and have been selected and optimized via evolution as "chemical warfare" agents against prey, predators, and competing organisms.

Natural sources may lead to fundamental research on bioactive components that could be commercially developed as lead-hit compounds in drug discovery. However, although natural products have inspired numerous drugs, drug design using natural sources is a laborious, time- and money-consuming process that has received reduced attention from pharmaceutical companies in the 21st century.

Furthermore, natural product molecules can be conjugated or coated with nanostructures and other organic molecules to enhance their bioactivity or ADME properties. This branch of bionano engineering is a rapidly evolving field. The nanomaterials of bioactive agents offer specific advantages such as a high surface area to volume ratio and a nanoscale size, showing alternations in physical and chemical properties. Natural compounds are a source of bioactive molecules. However, the development of biological applications based on these compounds is hindered by intrinsic problems in their solubility, volatility, degradation, and bioavailability. As drug administration systems, nanocarriers have the potential to avoid these limitations by providing controlled and directed delivery. In addition, natural small-molecule compounds with anticancer activity, self-assembly, and co-assembly functions could be utilized as novel drug delivery systems in the biomedical field. Drug delivery systems aim to achieve the optimal delivery of drugs to their target sites.

This Special Issue aims to compile research on bioactive natural compounds such as flavonoids and secondary metabolites like phenazine, polyketides, ribosomal peptides, non-ribosomal peptides, glucosides, as well as many others with medical applications. In addition, papers addressing the use of novel nanostructures in conjunction with natural compounds are welcome.

Dr. Claudiu N. Lungu
Prof. Dr. Ionel Mangalagiu
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 products
  • primary and secondary metabolites
  • bioactive compounds
  • bioactive peptides
  • anticancer natural products
  • flavonoids
  • drug design

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.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

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

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 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

27 pages, 5585 KiB  
Article
Lignin as a Bioactive Additive in Chlorzoxazone-Loaded Pharmaceutical Tablets
by Andreea Creteanu, Gabriela Lisa, Cornelia Vasile, Maria-Cristina Popescu, Daniela Pamfil, Alina-Diana Panainte, Gladiola Tantaru, Madalina-Alexandra Vlad and Claudiu N. Lungu
Molecules 2025, 30(7), 1426; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071426 - 23 Mar 2025
Viewed by 550
Abstract
In the present work, the application of lignin (LIG) as a bioactive additive for the preparation of drug-loaded tablets by direct compression has been studied, and its influence on the release of chlorzoxazone (CLZ) from the hydrophilic matrices has been followed. In hydrophilic [...] Read more.
In the present work, the application of lignin (LIG) as a bioactive additive for the preparation of drug-loaded tablets by direct compression has been studied, and its influence on the release of chlorzoxazone (CLZ) from the hydrophilic matrices has been followed. In hydrophilic matrices, the excipients Kollidon® SR (KOL) and chitosan (CHT) have been used in various amounts and tested in the preparation of 500 mg tablets. They were used as matrix-forming agents, and their influence on the flow and the compressibility properties as well as their effect on the pharmaco-chemical characteristics of the matrix tablets have been studied. Based on the initial evaluation of the pharmaco-technical analysis, pharmaco-chemical characteristics, and in vitro release profile, three matrix tablet formulations (FLa, FLb, and FLc) were selected and further tested. They were evaluated through Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and in vitro dissolution tests. The three formulations were comparatively studied regarding the release kinetics of active substances using in vitro release testing. The in vitro kinetic study reveals a complex release mechanism occurring in two steps of drug release. The first one is a burst effect that occurs within the first 0–2 h, involving a rapid release of the majority of the drug in a short time, followed by the second step as a prolonged release of the drug, which is relatively constant with a fixed rate over the next 2–36 h. Two factors have been calculated to assess the release profile of chlorzoxazone: f1—the similarity factor and f2—the difference factor together with the correlation coefficient R2. Comparing their values, the three optimal formulations have been selected, containing 55 mg LIG (FLa), 60 mg LIG (FLb), or 65 mg LIG (FLc), confirming that LIG next to KOL and CHT influenced the release characteristics of the matrix tablets. Due to the presence of lignin in the matrix of the three formulations, FLa, FLb, and FLc tablets with CLZ, the antioxidant activity has improved. The antioxidant activity of FLc was found to be 21.36% ± 1.06 greater than that of FLa and FLb. The tablets FLa, FLb, and FLc also presented higher antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and colistin-resistant Klebsiella spp. The higher the concentration of LIG in the matrix (FLc), the higher the antimicrobial activity. By using LIG, the drug dose could be decreased. It can be concluded that lignin can be used as a multifunctional pharmaceutical bioactive additive/excipient for tablets. Its interesting properties have been proven, and its use as a pharmaceutical active additive should be exploited for different applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress and Application of Natural Compounds—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3095 KiB  
Article
Toxicological Analysis of the Arylnaphthalene Lignan Justicidin B Using a Caenorhabditis elegans Model
by Barbara Sciandrone, Roméo Arago Dougué Kentsop, Roberta Pensotti, Gianluca Ottolina, Iride Mascheretti, Monica Mattana and Maria Elena Regonesi
Molecules 2024, 29(23), 5516; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29235516 - 22 Nov 2024
Viewed by 908
Abstract
The screening of plant-derived compounds with anti-cancer properties is a promising strategy to meet the growing need for new, safe and effective anti-cancer drugs. Justicidin B is a plants secondary metabolite that displays anti-cancer properties in several tumor cells. Therefore, it represents a [...] Read more.
The screening of plant-derived compounds with anti-cancer properties is a promising strategy to meet the growing need for new, safe and effective anti-cancer drugs. Justicidin B is a plants secondary metabolite that displays anti-cancer properties in several tumor cells. Therefore, it represents a good candidate. We used the 3R-compliant organism Caenorhabditis elegans to evaluate the safety of justicidin B produced by in vitro-grown adventitious roots of Linum lewisii. We showed that a dose of 100 µg/mL justicidin B does not affect worm vitality in either short-term or chronic administration; in contrast, the 200 µg/mL dose induces a lifespan reduction, but only in short-term daily treatment. We attributed this effect to its accumulation in lipofuscin granules in the pharynx as observed through confocal analysis. HPLC analysis confirmed the higher accumulation justicidin B with a 200 µg/mL dose but also revealed the presence of metabolic derivatives that could be responsible for the toxicity. We also demonstrated that the 100 µg/mL dose does not affect worm fertility or development. Our results highlight the safety of justicidin B, supporting its employment in cancer therapy, and encourage the use of a C. elegans model as an appropriate tool to assess compounds’ toxicity before moving to more complex organisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress and Application of Natural Compounds—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

25 pages, 21357 KiB  
Article
Cytotoxic Potential of Betulinic Acid Fatty Esters and Their Liposomal Formulations: Targeting Breast, Colon, and Lung Cancer Cell Lines
by Andreea Milan, Marius Mioc, Alexandra Mioc, Armand Gogulescu, Gabriel Mardale, Ștefana Avram, Tamara Maksimović, Bogdan Mara and Codruța Șoica
Molecules 2024, 29(14), 3399; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29143399 - 19 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1754
Abstract
Betulinic acid is a lupane-type pentacyclic triterpene mostly found in birch bark and thoroughly explored for its wide range of pharmacological activities. Despite its impressive biological potential, its low bioavailability has challenged many researchers to develop different formulations for achieving better in vitro [...] Read more.
Betulinic acid is a lupane-type pentacyclic triterpene mostly found in birch bark and thoroughly explored for its wide range of pharmacological activities. Despite its impressive biological potential, its low bioavailability has challenged many researchers to develop different formulations for achieving better in vitro and in vivo effects. We previously reported the synthesis of fatty acid esters of betulinic acid using butyric, stearic, and palmitic acids (But-BA, St-BA, and Pal-BA) and included them in surfaced-modified liposomes (But-BA-Lip, St-BA-Lip, Pal-BA-Lip). In the current study, we evaluated the cytotoxic effects of both fatty acid esters and their respective liposomal formulations against MCF-7, HT-29, and NCI-H460 cell line. The cytotoxic assessment of BA derivatives revealed that both the fatty esters and their liposomal formulations acted as cytotoxic agents in a dose- and time-dependent manner. But-BA-Lip exerted stronger cytotoxic effects than the parent compound, BA and its liposomal formulation, and even stronger effects than 5-FU against HT-29 cells (IC50 of 30.57 μM) and NCI-H460 cells (IC50 of 30.74 μM). BA’s fatty esters and their respective liposomal formulations facilitated apoptosis in cancer cells by inducing nuclear morphological changes and increasing caspase-3/-7 activity. The HET-CAM assay proved that none of the tested compounds induced any irritative effect, suggesting that they can be used safely for local applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress and Application of Natural Compounds—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop