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Chemical Composition, Pharmacological and Therapeutic Activity of Plant Extracts
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Chemical Composition, Pharmacological and Therapeutic Activity of Plant Extracts

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 2254

Editors

Dr. Jasmina Sretenovic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica 69, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
Interests: plant extracts; oxidative stress; cardiovascular pathophysiology; psoriasis; PCOS; pituitary–gonadal axis; histology; immune-mediated diseases
Dr. Jovana Bradic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica 69, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
Interests: phytotherapy; pharmaceutical technology; wound healing; plant-based formulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jovana Joksimovic Jovic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica 69, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
Interests: oxidative stress; PCOS; antioxidants; cardiometabolic risk; metabolic syndrome; hormone disbalance; phytotherapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We warmly invite you to submit your work to this Special Issue, which focuses on the latest developments in the chemical composition, pharmacological activity, and therapeutic potential of plant extracts.

Natural compounds have played a vital role in traditional medicine for centuries. Owing to their chemical diversity and ability to act on multiple molecular pathways, they represent a valuable source of therapeutic agents for complex, multifactorial diseases such as inflammatory, cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine, and neurodegenerative disorders. With well-established antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial properties, plant-derived bioactive molecules continue to attract scientific interest as safer and more affordable alternatives to conventional therapies.

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in the chemical characterization, pharmacological properties, and therapeutic applications of plant extracts. We welcome original research and review articles addressing a wide range of topics, including phytochemical profiling, mechanisms of pharmacological activity, and in silico, in vitro, and in vivo experimental studies. By bringing together studies on the composition, bioactivity, and therapeutic use of plant extracts, this Special Issue seeks to provide an integrative perspective and foster new insights into the development of plant-based therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Jasmina Sretenovic
Dr. Jovana Bradic
Dr. Jovana Joksimovic Jovic
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-anonymized 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

  • plant extracts
  • natural product chemistry
  • in silico, in vitro, and in vivo studies
  • acute and chronic inflammation
  • cardiometabolic disorders
  • endocrine disorders
  • neurodegenerative disorders

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4567 KB  
Article
Phenolic-Enriched Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Chatuphalatika Inhibits HMG-CoA Reductase and Preferentially Improves Hepatic Metabolic Parameters in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice
by Salin Mingmalairak and Prasob-orn Rinthong
Molecules 2026, 31(12), 2184; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31122184 - 22 Jun 2026
Viewed by 385
Abstract
Chatuphalatika is a traditional Thai polyherbal formulation whose metabolically active fraction has not been identified. This study fractionated the aqueous extract (CPT) by sequential liquid–liquid partitioning to obtain solvent fractions. The ethyl acetate fraction (CPTX) had the highest total phenolic content and was [...] Read more.
Chatuphalatika is a traditional Thai polyherbal formulation whose metabolically active fraction has not been identified. This study fractionated the aqueous extract (CPT) by sequential liquid–liquid partitioning to obtain solvent fractions. The ethyl acetate fraction (CPTX) had the highest total phenolic content and was enriched in hydrolyzable tannins, particularly chebulagic acid. CPTX showed the strongest inhibitory activity against HMG-CoA reductase in vitro. In vivo, C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks, then treated with CPT, CPTX, or silymarin for 8 weeks while high-fat diet feeding continued. Both CPT and CPTX improved serum lipid profiles. High-dose CPTX (500 mg/kg) additionally reduced fasting blood glucose, serum ALT, and relative liver weight, without affecting body weight or adipose tissue weights. These findings indicate that phenolic enrichment concentrates the hepatic and lipid-lowering activity of Chatuphalatika. HMG-CoA reductase inhibition was used as a screening criterion to identify CPTX as the active fraction; the in vivo hepatometabolic improvements are consistent with, but do not directly confirm, modulation of cholesterol biosynthesis and hepatic lipid metabolism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Composition, Pharmacological and Therapeutic Activity of Plant Extracts)
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26 pages, 18248 KB  
Article
Structure and Wound-Healing Activity of a Branched Levan-Type Fructan from Cyathula officinalis Roots
by Yujie Qiu, Chengcheng Cai, Lijuan Wu, Xinyi Zhao, Tianle Liu, Qingmiao Li, Sizhe Shui, Rui Li, Mengliang Tian and Hai Lan
Molecules 2026, 31(11), 1981; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31111981 - 5 Jun 2026
Viewed by 487
Abstract
Cyathula officinalis Kuan, a medicinal plant used in traditional medicine, remains underexplored as a source of structurally defined wound-repair polysaccharides. In this study, a water-soluble polysaccharide fraction, CoPS, was isolated from C. officinalis roots and structurally characterized using methylation analysis and 1D/2D NMR [...] Read more.
Cyathula officinalis Kuan, a medicinal plant used in traditional medicine, remains underexplored as a source of structurally defined wound-repair polysaccharides. In this study, a water-soluble polysaccharide fraction, CoPS, was isolated from C. officinalis roots and structurally characterized using methylation analysis and 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy. Purified CoPS had a total carbohydrate content of 94.8%, a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 7.491 kDa, and a narrow dispersity (Mw/Mn = 1.04). Monosaccharide composition analysis showed that CoPS was mainly composed of fructose and glucose at a molar ratio of 95.60:4.40. Structural analyses identified CoPS as a branched levan-type fructan with a β-(2→6)-linked fructofuranosyl backbone and β-(2→1)-linked branching motifs. CoPS was incorporated into a Carbomer/alginate topical formulation, termed CoPS-CPG, and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. CoPS-CPG showed good cytocompatibility and promoted HaCaT keratinocyte migration, reducing the residual scratch area to 48.10% at 12 h compared with 70.13% in the control group and 65.18% in the vehicle (Blank-CPG) group. In a murine full-thickness excisional wound model, CoPS-CPG reduced the residual wound area to 8.70 ± 1.20% on day 14, compared with 24.83 ± 1.51% in the control group and 14.20 ± 0.72% in the vehicle group. Histological and immunological analyses further indicated improved tissue reconstruction, a reduced inflammatory burden, enhanced CD206-associated macrophage signals, increased CD31-associated vascular structures, improved α-SMA-associated perivascular coverage, and lower late-stage HIF-1α expression. These findings identify CoPS as a structurally defined plant-derived levan-type fructan that supports cutaneous wound repair. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Composition, Pharmacological and Therapeutic Activity of Plant Extracts)
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17 pages, 1804 KB  
Article
Multi-Target Anti-Psoriatic Effects of Melissa officinalis: Phytochemical, Redox, Immunological, and Histological Evidence from an In Vivo Study
by Branislava Daskalovic, Vladimir Jakovljevic, Sergej Bolevic, Marijana Andjic, Jovana Bradic, Aleksadar Kocovic, Nevena Lazarevic, Vanja Tadic, Ana Zugic, Milos Krivokapic, Nenad Stankovic, Svetlana Trifunovic and Jasmina Sretenovic
Molecules 2026, 31(9), 1471; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31091471 - 29 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 834
Abstract
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease linked to immune dysregulation and oxidative stress. Due to the limitations and side effects of conventional therapies, natural compounds are gaining increasing attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of Melissa [...] Read more.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease linked to immune dysregulation and oxidative stress. Due to the limitations and side effects of conventional therapies, natural compounds are gaining increasing attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of Melissa officinalis extract in psoriasis. HPLC analysis was used to characterize the extract, while its antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. An in vivo study was conducted on 18 male Wistar albino rats divided into control (CTRL), psoriasis (PSORI), and psoriasis treated with M. officinalis (PSORI+MO) groups. Psoriasis was induced by daily topical application of 5% imiquimod cream on the shaved back skin of rats for seven constitutive days. The PSORI+MO group received M. officinalis extract orally at a dose of 200 mg/kg during seven days. Redox and inflammatory cytokine analysis were performed. Isolated skin was fixed and stained with H/E and immunohistochemical staining. Morphometric and histological analyses revealed reduced inflammation, keratinocyte proliferation, and epidermal thickness. Systemic and tissue redox status showed decreased oxidative stress biomarkers and enhanced antioxidant defense. Inflammatory cytokines (IL-17A, IL-22, IL-23, IL-1β, and IL-6) were significantly reduced. Our findings suggest that Melissa officinalis extract exerts anti-psoriatic effects through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Composition, Pharmacological and Therapeutic Activity of Plant Extracts)
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