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Secondary Metabolites from Natural Products: Extraction, Isolation and Biological Activities, 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 December 2026 | Viewed by 1796

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Radosław Kowalski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Analysis and Evaluation of Food Quality, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 8 Skromna Street, 20-704 Lublin, Poland
Interests: analytical chemistry; chromatography; extraction; phytochemistry; food technology; essential oils; aromas; herbal drug development; antioxidants; dietary supplements; special fats technology; quality and food safety; food contaminations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tomasz Baj

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy with Medicinal Plant Unit, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Interests: natural product chemistry; antioxidants; analytical chemistry; bioactivity; phytochemicals; extraction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Building on the success of the first edition, we are pleased to launch the 2nd Edition of the Special Issue, “Secondary Metabolites from Natural Products: Extraction, Isolation and Biological Activities”. This Special Issue is dedicated to unlocking the potential of compounds found in nature and to showcasing the broad scientific landscape of natural products and secondary metabolites.

This Special Issue welcomes manuscripts covering a wide thematic spectrum, from the discovery and sourcing of natural materials to the development of knowledge and applications. Studies may involve compounds originating from plants, fungi, lichens, microorganisms, marine organisms, and other natural reservoirs, as well as natural product-related processes and transformations. Secondary plant metabolites remain an important focus, while contributions from any natural source are equally encouraged.

We invite submissions addressing, including but not limited to, extraction and separation (classical and emerging), isolation and purification, chemical profiling and structure elucidation, analytical and computational approaches, bioactivity screening and functional evaluation, modes of action, safety and quality aspects, and pathways toward practical use. Relevant application areas include medicine and pharmacotherapy, agriculture and crop protection, food technology and functional foods, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, materials, and environmentally friendly technologies—along with studies aligned with sustainability, green chemistry, biodiversity preservation, and responsible use of natural resources.

As an interdisciplinary topic, this Special Issue bridges chemistry, biology, pharmacology, biotechnology, food and agricultural sciences, and environmental research, fostering collaboration among experts from various domains and encouraging both fundamental and applied contributions. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and communications that advance the field and open new directions for natural product research.

Prof. Dr. Radosław Kowalski
Dr. Tomasz Baj
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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
  • secondary metabolites
  • analytical techniques application
  • extraction and separation
  • chemical composition
  • phytochemistry
  • isolation and structure elucidation
  • secondary metabolites
  • antimicrobial activity
  • antioxidant activity
  • anticancer activity

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

35 pages, 4939 KB  
Article
Isolation and Structural Elucidation of Phytochemicals from Canarium luzonicum Leaves and Evaluation of Anti-Lung Cancer and Antileishmanial Activity
by Paul Jazon I. Sarne, Gadah A. Al-Hamoud and Katsuyoshi Matsunami
Molecules 2026, 31(10), 1693; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31101693 - 17 May 2026
Viewed by 276
Abstract
Canarium luzonicum (Blume) A. Gray, a tree endemic to the Philippines, is the source of Manila elemi, an oleoresin shown to have anti-infective properties owing to its rich terpenoid content. However, its leaves have not yet been subjected to in-depth phytochemical studies. C. [...] Read more.
Canarium luzonicum (Blume) A. Gray, a tree endemic to the Philippines, is the source of Manila elemi, an oleoresin shown to have anti-infective properties owing to its rich terpenoid content. However, its leaves have not yet been subjected to in-depth phytochemical studies. C. luzonicum leaf compounds were isolated by multiple chromatographic techniques and elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR, MS, Polarimetry, IR, CD, and chemical reaction techniques. As a result, four new megastigmane glycosides, canariluzoniosides A–D (1–4), and two new monoterpenoid glycosides, canariluzoniosides E and F (5–6), were identified along with 29 additional known compounds. Canariluzonioside A (1) was a unique megastigmane featuring a tricyclic ring system. The new glycosides’ sugar moieties were obtained by acid hydrolysis and confirmed by HPLC-OR. Aglycones were liberated by enzymatic hydrolysis and were structurally characterized, one of which was the new compound, named canariluzonol A (1a). Finally, most compounds were screened for cytotoxicity against A549 human lung cancer cell line and for inhibition against Leishmania major promastigotes. Notable bioactivity was observed in known 3,4-seco-A-ring triterpenoids such as canaric acid and nyctanthic acid, for which revision of spectroscopic data is also proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secondary Metabolites from Natural Products: Extraction, Isolation and Biological Activities, 2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 1832 KB  
Article
Bioactive Phenolic Acid Derivatives and Undescribed Esculetin Glycosides from Pseudopodospermum szowitzii (DC.) Kuth.
by Sezen Yılmaz Sarıaltın, Özlem Bahadır Acıkara, Büşra Yaylacı and Christian Zidorn
Molecules 2026, 31(9), 1507; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31091507 - 1 May 2026
Viewed by 464
Abstract
Pseudopodospermum szowitzii (DC.) Kuth. a member of the Asteraceae family, grows naturally in the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical area, including Anatolia. In Anatolia, P. szowitsii, known as “goftigoda,” has edible young leaves and roots and is used in folk medicine for antidiabetic and analgesic [...] Read more.
Pseudopodospermum szowitzii (DC.) Kuth. a member of the Asteraceae family, grows naturally in the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical area, including Anatolia. In Anatolia, P. szowitsii, known as “goftigoda,” has edible young leaves and roots and is used in folk medicine for antidiabetic and analgesic properties. Nine compounds, including chlorogenic acid and derivatives from the ethyl acetate layer as well as 2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl-1-O-β-glucopyranoside, 2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl-1-O-β-apiofuranosyl-(1→6)-β-glucopyranoside, esculetin 6-O-β-glucopyranoside, and esculetin 6-O-β-apiofuranosyl-(1→6)-β-glucopyranoside from the water part of the methanolic extract, were isolated as known compounds. Notably, all esculetin derivatives have been isolated from the Pseudopodospermum for the first time, and among them, three compounds, esculetin 6-O-β-xylosyl-(1→6)-β-glucopyranoside, esculetin 6-O-β-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-glucopyranoside, and esculetin 6-O-β-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-glucopyranoside, were isolated as new esculetin heterosides that have not yet been isolated from any natural sources. The antioxidant activities of the total extract, phases, fractions, and compounds of P. szowitsii were also tested by evaluating their radical-scavenging capacities against DPPH and ABTS radicals. The ethyl acetate phase and the isolated compounds displayed significant antioxidant activity. The most active compound was caffeic acid, with IC50 values of 2.7 µg/mL and 3.4 µg/mL against DPPH and ABTS radicals, respectively, followed by dicaffeoylquinic acid derivatives and their methyl esters. On the other hand, none of the coumarin derivatives exhibited significant radical-scavenging activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secondary Metabolites from Natural Products: Extraction, Isolation and Biological Activities, 2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 753 KB  
Article
Diet-Dependent Chemical Profiling and Bioactivity of Otala tingitana Mucus: Antibacterial Activity, Antioxidant Capacity, and In Vivo Wound-Healing Effects
by Abdelmajid El Khayari, Abdulrahman Mohammed Alhudhaibi, Elhabib Rour, Aziz Bouymajane, Tarek H. Taha, Fouzia Rhazi Filali, Emad M. Abdallah and Abdelaziz Ed-Dra
Molecules 2026, 31(9), 1499; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31091499 - 30 Apr 2026
Viewed by 714
Abstract
Snail mucus is increasingly investigated as a biologically compatible source of multifunctional biomolecules for pharmaceutical and dermatological use. However, the chemical profile and biological activities of mucus from the Moroccan endemic terrestrial snail Otala tingitana remain poorly characterized. In addition, the influence of [...] Read more.
Snail mucus is increasingly investigated as a biologically compatible source of multifunctional biomolecules for pharmaceutical and dermatological use. However, the chemical profile and biological activities of mucus from the Moroccan endemic terrestrial snail Otala tingitana remain poorly characterized. In addition, the influence of heliciculture diet on the composition and functional properties of the mucus remains unclear. Here, O. tingitana was reared for 140 days under controlled conditions and fed a basal flour diet or the same diet supplemented with 3% Rosmarinus officinalis, Origanum compactum, or Thymus zygis subsp. zygis. Mucus from wild snails was included for comparison. Mucus samples were chemically profiled by GC–MS and evaluated for antibacterial activity, antioxidant capacity, wound-healing efficacy in mice, and histological anti-inflammatory effects, and evaluated semi-quantitatively based on the degree of inflammatory cell infiltration. GC–MS identified 13 compounds and demonstrated clear diet-dependent shifts in dominant components. All mucus samples exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella Typhimurium (inhibition zones 10.31–14.30 mm; MIC 120–240 µg/mL), with predominantly bactericidal profiles (MBC/MIC < 4) and significantly enhanced activity in plant-supplemented groups (p < 0.05). Antioxidant performance improved markedly with medicinal-plant supplementation, reaching low IC50 values (best ≈ 1.18 mg/mL) compared with basal-diet mucus. In vivo, topical application accelerated wound closure, achieving complete healing in <21 days, versus 28 days in untreated controls. In addition, histological assessment showed faster resolution of inflammatory cell infiltration in treated groups. Collectively, these findings provide the first integrated evidence that O. tingitana mucus possesses antibacterial, antioxidant, wound-healing, and anti-inflammatory activities, and that heliciculture diet is a practical lever to optimize its bioactive profile. Further studies should prioritize standardized manufacturing, contaminant control, and safety/toxicology assessment before translational development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secondary Metabolites from Natural Products: Extraction, Isolation and Biological Activities, 2nd Edition)
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