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Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Compounds and Extracts from Plant Sources

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 1327

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Cranberry Health Research Center, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
Interests: chemistry of biologically active natural products; mechanisms of anticancer, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of flavonoids and triterpenoids from cranberry and other fruits; functional food factors and nutrition; isolation and structure elucidation of natural products; development of secondary metabolites in Vaccinium species
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammation plays a role in the development of many chronic health issues and diseases of aging, from cardiovascular disease to various cancers. Natural strategies to mitigate inflammation include traditional herbal medicine and botanical preparations, as well as the consumption of a plant-based diet. Knowledge of the active phytochemical constituents, their metabolites, and the inflammatory pathways potentially impacted by these natural products can provide scientists and healthcare professionals with an expanded toolkit to help prevent or improve inflammatory conditions. Likewise, the increased emergence of drug-resistant microbes poses a public health challenge that could be addressed in part through the discovery of plant-based natural products with previously unexplored antimicrobial properties.

This Special Issue welcomes author contributions describing original research on anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial phytochemicals, particularly studies describing the chemical characterization of extracts and preparations from plant sources and the determination of their biological activities and mechanisms of action. Review articles focusing on specific plant sources of anti-inflammatory and/or antimicrobial agents and their potential applications are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Catherine C. Neto
Dr. Hang Ma
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

  • phytochemicals
  • anti-inflammatory
  • antimicrobial
  • plants
  • extracts
  • botanicals
  • metabolites
  • functional foods

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

24 pages, 1919 KB  
Review
Immunomodulatory Role of Propolis in Hypoxia and in the Tumor Microenvironment
by Małgorzata Kłósek, Anna Kurek-Górecka, Radosław Balwierz, Katarzyna Góralczyk-Bałys, Michał Górecki and Zenon P. Czuba
Molecules 2025, 30(22), 4460; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30224460 - 19 Nov 2025
Viewed by 992
Abstract
Propolis is a well-known sticky, resinous substance collected by honeybees (Apis mellifera) from the buds of trees and other plants, then mixed with beeswax and their own glandular secretions. Its chemical composition varies widely depending on the bee species, geographic location, [...] Read more.
Propolis is a well-known sticky, resinous substance collected by honeybees (Apis mellifera) from the buds of trees and other plants, then mixed with beeswax and their own glandular secretions. Its chemical composition varies widely depending on the bee species, geographic location, plant sources, and weather conditions. The therapeutic potential of propolis—including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects—has been recognized since antiquity. Cancer remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. High levels of hypoxia within tumor tissue significantly contribute to cancer progression and increase the resistance of tumor cells to radio- and chemotherapy. In the tumor microenvironment, cytokines play key roles in processes such as invasion, metastasis, and immune suppression. The concept of the “cytokine field” describes how elevated cytokine levels within the tumor microenvironment create a field effect, influencing surrounding cells. Current research is exploring the use of natural immunomodulators, such as propolis, in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic agents for cancer treatment. This review summarizes the potential immunomodulatory role of propolis within the tumor microenvironment. Full article
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