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Research on the Attainment and Biological Activity of Natural Products
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Research on the Attainment and Biological Activity of Natural Products

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 7700

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jelena Vladić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal
Interests: pharmaceutical engineering; sustainable chemistry; green extraction technologies; green solvents (supercritical carbon dioxide, subcritical water, ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction), physical-chemical, biochemical, and pharmacological analyses; valorization of (food, agricultural, industry, marine, communal) waste and by-products by applying green engineering
Dr. Nataša Nastić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: green extraction processes; bioactive compounds; valorization of by-products of the food industry; valorization of agricultural waste
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to submit original articles or reviews to the Special Issue of Molecules entitled “Research on Attainment and Biological Activity of Natural Products”.

Natural products and their biological activities represent a topic of great interest. Namely, different industries have an increasing need for natural products thanks to consumer preferences for bio-based products. This growing demand necessitates scientific research in attaining natural products and analyzing their biological activities. The development of such products has to be aligned with contemporary advancements and aims towards creating safe green production processes which provide the efficient use of natural resources while creating safe and highly effective products.  

This Special Issue aims to publish original research or reviews on the current state of the art as well as the future developments and possibilities in the development of natural products and their biological properties.

The Special Issue will cover the following scientific topics, among others:

  • The application of innovative technologies or green solvents for the attainment of natural products.
  • The isolation of biologically significant compounds from natural sources.
  • In vitro and in vivo biological analysis of natural products.
  • The valorization of natural waste and/or by-products.
  • The scaling-up of production processes.
  • The enrichment of natural products to obtain improved biological properties.
  • Improvements in the biological properties, quality, and safety of natural products.
  • The development and optimization of novel analytical methodologies for the selective extraction, separation, identification, and purification of biologically significant compounds.

We look forward to receiving your work.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Jelena Vladić
Dr. Nataša Nastić
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
  • bioactivity
  • bioactive compounds
  • valorization of waste and by-products
  • green solvents
  • isolation of bioactive compounds
  • green chemistry

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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31 pages, 4634 KiB  
Article
Novel Insights into the Biological Activity of Croton lechleri Twigs Extracts and Advancements in Their Sustainable Recovery
by Alexander Tzintzarov, Stanislava S. Boyadzhieva, Jose A. P. Coelho, Flora Tsvetanova, Maria Petrova, Georgi Stoev, Dragomir S. Yankov, Iva Ugrinova and Roumiana P. Stateva
Molecules 2024, 29(17), 4161; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29174161 - 2 Sep 2024
Viewed by 240
Abstract
Sangre de drago, the sap of Croton lechleri Müll. Arg. tree, has been used for centuries in traditional medicine owing to its diverse biological activities. Extracts derived from different parts of the species contain a multitude of phytochemicals with varied applications. Twigs, however, [...] Read more.
Sangre de drago, the sap of Croton lechleri Müll. Arg. tree, has been used for centuries in traditional medicine owing to its diverse biological activities. Extracts derived from different parts of the species contain a multitude of phytochemicals with varied applications. Twigs, however, are among the least studied parts of the plant. This study unveils new biological activities of Croton lechleri twig extracts recovered by applying Soxhlet and advanced green techniques. For all extracts, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were determined. Subsequently, four were selected, and their cytotoxic effects were assessed on both normal (HaCat) and malignant melanoma (A375) skin cell lines using the MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion assay. All showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity, with the Soxhlet ethanol extract demonstrating the highest selectivity towards A375 cells over HaCat cells. The extracts induced apoptosis and necrosis, as confirmed by Annexin V/PI dual-labeling and flow cytometry, highlighting their ability to trigger programmed cell death in cancer cells. The selective inhibition of cell cycle progression in A375 compared to HaCat observed both for Soxhlet ethanol and pressurized ethanol extracts induces cell cycle arrest at multiple points, primarily in the G1 and G2/M phases, and significantly reduces DNA synthesis as evidenced by the decrease in the S-phase population, confirmed by the EdU assay. Consequently, the Soxhlet extract composition was analyzed using LC-MS, which revealed their richness in polyphenolic compounds, particularly flavonoids from the flavonol subclass. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Attainment and Biological Activity of Natural Products)
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24 pages, 1060 KiB  
Article
An Exploratory Study of the Enzymatic Hydroxycinnamoylation of Sucrose and Its Derivatives
by Matej Cvečko, Vladimír Mastihuba and Mária Mastihubová
Molecules 2024, 29(17), 4067; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29174067 - 28 Aug 2024
Viewed by 435
Abstract
Phenylpropanoid sucrose esters are a large and important group of natural substances with significant therapeutic potential. This work describes a pilot study of the enzymatic hydroxycinnamoylation of sucrose and its derivatives which was carried out with the aim of obtaining precursors of natural [...] Read more.
Phenylpropanoid sucrose esters are a large and important group of natural substances with significant therapeutic potential. This work describes a pilot study of the enzymatic hydroxycinnamoylation of sucrose and its derivatives which was carried out with the aim of obtaining precursors of natural phenylpropanoid sucrose esters, e.g., vanicoside B. In addition to sucrose, some chemically prepared sucrose acetonides and substituted 3′-O-cinnamates were subjected to enzymatic transesterification with vinyl esters of coumaric, ferulic and 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid. Commercial enzyme preparations of Lipozyme TL IM lipase and Pentopan 500 BG exhibiting feruloyl esterase activity were tested as biocatalysts in these reactions. The substrate specificity of the used biocatalysts for the donor and acceptor as well as the regioselectivity of the reactions were evaluated and discussed. Surprisingly, Lipozyme TL IM catalyzed the cinnamoylation of sucrose derivatives more to the 1′-OH and 4′-OH positions than to the 6′-OH when the 3′-OH was free and the 6-OH was blocked by isopropylidene. In this case, Pentopan reacted comparably to 1′-OH and 6′-OH positions. If sucrose 3′-O-coumarate was used as an acceptor, in the case of feruloylation with Lipozyme in CH3CN, 6-O-ferulate was the main product (63%). Pentopan feruloylated sucrose 3′-O-coumarate comparably well at the 6-OH and 6′-OH positions (77%). When a proton-donor solvent was used, migration of the 3′-O-cinnamoyl group from fructose to the 2-OH position of glucose was observed. The enzyme hydroxycinnamoylations studied can shorten the targeted syntheses of various phenylpropanoid sucrose esters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Attainment and Biological Activity of Natural Products)
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15 pages, 1248 KiB  
Article
Impact of Incorporating Dried Chaga Mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) into Gluten-Free Bread on Its Antioxidant and Sensory Characteristics
by Zbigniew Kobus, Monika Krzywicka, Agata Blicharz-Kania, Alicja Bosacka, Anna Pecyna, Eva Ivanišová, Katarzyna Kozłowicz and Eva Kovačiková
Molecules 2024, 29(16), 3801; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29163801 - 10 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 481
Abstract
Gluten-free bread is increasingly popular among individuals with celiac disease, and The incorporation of mushroom flour offers a novel method to enhance its nutritional profile, antioxidant content, and sensory properties. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and sensory characteristics of gluten-free bread [...] Read more.
Gluten-free bread is increasingly popular among individuals with celiac disease, and The incorporation of mushroom flour offers a novel method to enhance its nutritional profile, antioxidant content, and sensory properties. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and sensory characteristics of gluten-free bread with varying amounts of chaga mushroom flour (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%). The total contents of polyphenols and flavonoids were measured using a spectrophotometric method. Antioxidant activity was assessed through DPPH and FRAP methods, while textural properties were evaluated using the TPA test. Bread colour was analysed using the CIELab system, and sensory evaluation was performed by a panel of trained consumers. The results showed that gluten-free bread enriched with chaga flour had increased polyphenol and flavonoid content and enhanced antioxidant activity. The highest levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, DPPH, and FRAP activity were found in bread with 20% chaga. The addition of chaga mushroom significantly affected the bread’s hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness. Specifically, 20% chaga flour had the most pronounced effect on hardness and elasticity, while 15% chaga flour had the greatest impact on chewiness and cohesiveness. The bread’s colour darkened with higher chaga concentrations. The results of sensory evaluation showed a negative correlation between consumer preferences and bread fortified with chaga mushroom flour. The overall consumer acceptability score indicates that only a small addition of mushroom flour (up to 10%) can be used to bake gluten-free bread. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Attainment and Biological Activity of Natural Products)
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16 pages, 2365 KiB  
Article
Cornus officinalis Extract Enriched with Ursolic Acid Ameliorates UVB-Induced Photoaging in Caenorhabditis elegans
by Zengwang Yue, Han Liu, Manqiu Liu, Ning Wang, Lin Ye, Chaowan Guo and Bisheng Zheng
Molecules 2024, 29(12), 2718; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29122718 - 7 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 712
Abstract
Ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure can contribute to photoaging of skin. Cornus officinalis is rich in ursolic acid (UA), which is beneficial to the prevention of photoaging. Because UA is hardly soluble in water, the Cornus officinalis extract (COE) was obtained using water as [...] Read more.
Ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure can contribute to photoaging of skin. Cornus officinalis is rich in ursolic acid (UA), which is beneficial to the prevention of photoaging. Because UA is hardly soluble in water, the Cornus officinalis extract (COE) was obtained using water as the antisolvent to separate the components containing UA from the crude extract of Cornus officinalis. The effect of COE on UVB damage was assessed using Caenorhabditis elegans. The results showed that COE could increase the lifespan and enhance the antioxidant enzyme activity of C. elegans exposed to UVB while decreasing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. At the same time, COE upregulated the expression of antioxidant-related genes and promoted the migration of SKN-1 to the nucleus. Moreover, COE inhibited the expression of the skn-1 downstream gene and the extension of the lifespan in skn-1 mutants exposed to UVB, indicating that SKN-1 was required for COE to function. Our findings indicate that COE mainly ameliorates the oxidative stress caused by UVB in C. elegans via the SKN-1/Nrf2 pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Attainment and Biological Activity of Natural Products)
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10 pages, 823 KiB  
Article
Valorization of Purple Phototrophic Bacteria Biomass Resulting from Photo Fermentation Aimed at Biohydrogen Production
by Grazia Policastro, Alessandra Cesaro and Massimiliano Fabbricino
Molecules 2024, 29(7), 1679; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29071679 - 8 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1005
Abstract
This study evaluated the feasibility of contextually producing hydrogen, microbial proteins, and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) using a mixed culture of purple phototrophic bacteria biomass under photo fermentative conditions. To this end, three consecutive batch tests were conducted to analyze the biomass growth curve and [...] Read more.
This study evaluated the feasibility of contextually producing hydrogen, microbial proteins, and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) using a mixed culture of purple phototrophic bacteria biomass under photo fermentative conditions. To this end, three consecutive batch tests were conducted to analyze the biomass growth curve and to explore the potential for optimizing the production process. Experimental findings indicated that inoculating reactors with microorganisms from the exponential growth phase reduced the duration of the process. Furthermore, the most effective approach for simultaneous hydrogen production and the valorization of microbial biomass was found when conducting the process during the exponential growth phase of the biomass. At this stage, achieved after 3 days of fermentation, the productivities of hydrogen, PHB, and microbial proteins were measured at 63.63 L/m3 d, 0.049 kg/m3 d, and 0.045 kg/m3 d, respectively. The biomass composition comprised a total intracellular compound percentage of 56%, with 27% representing PHB and 29% representing proteins. Under these conditions, the estimated daily revenue was maximized, amounting to 0.6 $/m3 d. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Attainment and Biological Activity of Natural Products)
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18 pages, 2405 KiB  
Article
Extraction of Active Compounds from Mixtures of Hemp (Cannabis sativa) with Plants of the Zingiberaceae Family
by Vesna Postružnik, Taja Žitek Makoter, Darko Goričanec, Petra Kotnik, Željko Knez and Maša Knez Marevci
Molecules 2023, 28(23), 7826; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28237826 - 28 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1205
Abstract
Hemp is probably one of the most studied plants for its health-promoting properties, with countless documented and patented extraction methods, but literature is scarce on the simultaneous extraction of mixture of raw materials. Hemp, along with other plant materials, could represent a potentially [...] Read more.
Hemp is probably one of the most studied plants for its health-promoting properties, with countless documented and patented extraction methods, but literature is scarce on the simultaneous extraction of mixture of raw materials. Hemp, along with other plant materials, could represent a potentially highly valuable source material with resulting reciprocal effects. In this study, hemp (Cannabis sativa) and three members of the Zingiberaceae family, ginger (Zingiber officinale), turmeric (Curcuma longa), and cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), were extracted simultaneously, and their bioactive component values were investigated. Two extraction methods were used, namely ultrasound-assisted extraction with ethanol and supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide. First, extracts were obtained from separate plant materials. Then, hemp was extracted in combination with ginger, turmeric, and cardamom in a 1:1 ratio. The extracts obtained were evaluated for their antioxidant activity and total phenolic content using UV/VIS spectrophotometry; cannabinoid content, 6-gingerol, and 6-shogaol were measured using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS); volatile components such as 1,8-cineole, alpha-terpinyl acetate, linalool, and aR-turmerone were measured using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Attainment and Biological Activity of Natural Products)
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Review

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22 pages, 4774 KiB  
Review
Subcritical Water Extraction to Valorize Grape Biomass—A Step Closer to Circular Economy
by Cátia Ferreira, Manuela M. Moreira, Cristina Delerue-Matos and Mafalda Sarraguça
Molecules 2023, 28(22), 7538; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28227538 - 11 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1697
Abstract
With the increase in the world population, the overexploitation of the planet’s natural resources is becoming a worldwide concern. Changes in the way humankind thinks about production and consumption must be undertaken to protect our planet and our way of living. For this [...] Read more.
With the increase in the world population, the overexploitation of the planet’s natural resources is becoming a worldwide concern. Changes in the way humankind thinks about production and consumption must be undertaken to protect our planet and our way of living. For this change to occur, sustainable development together with a circular economic approach and responsible consumption are key points. Agriculture activities are responsible for more than 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions; moreover, by 2050, it is expected that food production will increase by 60%. The valorization of food waste is therefore of high importance to decrease the environmental footprint of agricultural activities. Fruits and vegetables are wildly consumed worldwide, and grapes are one of the main producers of greenhouse gases. Grape biomass is rich in bioactive compounds that can be used for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, and their extraction from this food residue has been the target of several studies. Among the extraction techniques used for the recovery of bioactive compounds from food waste, subcritical water extraction (SWE) has been the least explored. SWE has several advantages over other extraction techniques such as microwave and ultrasound extraction, allowing high yields with the use of only water as the solvent. Therefore, it can be considered a green extraction method following two of the principles of green chemistry: the use of less hazardous synthesis (principle number 3) and the use of safer solvents and auxiliaries (principle number 5). In addition, two of the green extraction principles for natural products are also followed: the use of alternative solvents or water (principle number 2) and the use of a reduced, robust, controlled and safe unit operation (principle number 5). This review is an overview of the extraction process using the SWE of grape biomass in a perspective of the circular economy through valorization of the bioactive compounds extracted. Future perspectives applied to the SWE are also discussed, as well as its ability to be a green extraction technique. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Attainment and Biological Activity of Natural Products)
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