Multi-Targeted Natural Products as Therapeutics, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 932

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Pediatrics Department, School of Medicine, University of Utah, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Interests: effectiveness and safety of natural products; herbal-drug interactions; pediatric clinical pharmacology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Internal Medicine, UWA Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
Interests: clinical pharmacology; clinical toxicology; pharmacometrics; pediatric pharmacology; maternal-fetal pharmacology; population pharmacokinetics; interventional trials; optimal trial design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Pediatrics Department, School of Medicine, University of Utah, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Interests: effectiveness and safety of natural products; herbal-drug interactions; pediatric clinical pharmacology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

For centuries, humans have used medicinal herbs and other natural products to treat and prevent various diseases. In the 20th century, many new drugs, approved by regulatory agencies worldwide, had been isolated from natural products, demonstrating the importance of medicinal herbs and other natural products as a valuable resource in drug development.

Nowadays, we are aware that the pathogenesis of many diseases is multifactorial. Therefore, for the successful treatment and management of these diseases, we should target multiple pathways. Conventional drugs, which are single-molecule medicines, usually target a single pathway or specific body function. Unlike conventional drugs, traditional medicine traditionally uses one or more natural product to prepare extracts, infusions, and decoctions. Preparations using even one medicinal herb may contain hundreds, if not thousands, of bioactive molecules. These molecules target functions of different organs and systems and potentiate or antagonize the functions of the preparation's other bioactive molecules. For example, many, if not all, antibacterial and antiviral drugs also possess immunomodulatory properties. Another example is that anti-cancer remedies may activate or suppress various pathways involved in cancer development and progression.

The Special Issue “The 20th Anniversary of Pharmaceuticals—Multi-Targeted Natural Products as Therapeutics” has enjoyed great success, with 25 articles published. This Special Issue aimed to summarize and examine the latest research findings in identifying natural products targeting multiple pathways and body functions to successfully treat multifactorial diseases. As of September 2025, articles published in this Special Issue had been cited 189 times. It appears that there is considerable interest in investigating the effects of purified extracts prepared from natural products or bioactive molecules from these extracts. We as Guest Editors hope that the second edition of the Special Issue will be successful, and we welcome our colleagues in this field to be part of it through the publication of research results.

Dr. Elena Y. Enioutina
Prof. Dr. Catherine M. T. Sherwin
Dr. Kathleen M. Job
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • natural products
  • medicinal herbs
  • marine products
  • animal products
  • bioactive compounds
  • multifactorial diseases
  • multi-targeting phytochemicals

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 35644 KB  
Article
Multi-Targeted Therapeutic Mechanisms of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction Against Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Integrated Approach Combining Serum Pharmacochemistry, Network Pharmacology, Metabolomics, and Experimental Validation
by Zihua Xu, Zhenshu Li, Jiameng Qu, Chen Liang, Yingshi Zhang, Qingchun Zhao and Qing Li
Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(2), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19020236 - 29 Jan 2026
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Abstract
Background: The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is closely related to multiple disorders in the immune and metabolic systems, which indicates that a multi-target therapy strategy may have advantages over traditional single-target therapy. Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction (HGWD), as a classic traditional [...] Read more.
Background: The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is closely related to multiple disorders in the immune and metabolic systems, which indicates that a multi-target therapy strategy may have advantages over traditional single-target therapy. Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction (HGWD), as a classic traditional Chinese medicine formula that has been used to treat RA in clinic, is a potential source of multi-target natural medicine. However, its active components and mechanism of action still need further research. Methods: This study combined serum pharmacochemistry, non-targeted metabonomics, network pharmacology, and experimental verification and comprehensively analyzed the therapeutic mechanism and pharmacodynamic basis of HGWD. Results: Through HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, a total of 99 chemical components were identified. Among them, 25 prototype compounds were absorbed into the systemic circulation. The study of network pharmacology indicates that these compounds are concentrated in TNF, IL-17, and MAPK signaling pathways. In collagen-induced arthritis rats, HGWD can effectively alleviate joint inflammation, inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17), block the activation of the MAPK pathway, and restore 13 abnormal metabolic markers related to lipid and amino acid metabolism. In addition, the researchers identified and verified the combination of four active components (calycosin, paeoniflorin, 6-gingerol, and formononetin) in vitro, and its anti-inflammatory and anti-migration activities were equivalent to or stronger than those of the complete extract. Pharmacokinetic analysis also confirmed that these components were fully exposed in vivo. Conclusions: These findings reveal the mechanism of multi-component therapy of HGWD and identify the potential bioactive components, which can be used to develop multi-target therapeutic drugs for RA based on natural products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Targeted Natural Products as Therapeutics, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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39 pages, 2259 KB  
Review
Innovations in the Delivery of Bioactive Compounds for Cancer Prevention and Therapy: Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives
by Carlos A. Ligarda-Samanez, Mary L. Huamán-Carrión, Jackson M’coy Romero Plasencia, Dante Fermín Calderón Huamaní, Bacilia Vivanco Garfias, Jenny C. Muñoz-Saenz, Maria Magdalena Bautista Gómez, Jaime A. Martinez-Hernandez and Wilber Cesar Calsina-Ponce
Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19010060 - 27 Dec 2025
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Abstract
Naturally occurring bioactive compounds represent a promising option for cancer prevention and therapy due to their ability to modulate apoptosis, angiogenesis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell signaling. However, their clinical impact is limited by low bioavailability, chemical instability, rapid metabolism, and poor tumor [...] Read more.
Naturally occurring bioactive compounds represent a promising option for cancer prevention and therapy due to their ability to modulate apoptosis, angiogenesis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell signaling. However, their clinical impact is limited by low bioavailability, chemical instability, rapid metabolism, and poor tumor microenvironment accumulation. Innovative delivery platforms, including lipid and polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, micelles, nanoemulsions, hydrogels, and stimulus-responsive systems, have been developed to improve stability, absorption, tumor specificity, and therapeutic efficacy. This review integrates molecular mechanisms, preclinical and clinical evidence, and recent technological advances, highlighting both potential and limitations. Although several compounds show encouraging results in cell and animal models, only a small number have progressed to early clinical trials, where outcomes remain heterogeneous and often fail to replicate preclinical magnitudes. Regulatory barriers, a lack of formulation standardization, and the absence of predictive biomarkers persist. Sustainability is also addressed through the valorization of agrifood by-products and green extraction processes. This review provides an integrative framework linking molecular mechanisms, advanced delivery technologies, clinical translation, and sustainability, offering a broader perspective than conventional reviews. Future perspectives emphasize multicenter trials, comparative designs, and the development of regulatory guidelines for nanoformulated bioactive compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Targeted Natural Products as Therapeutics, 2nd Edition)
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