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Pharmaceuticals
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Unveiling Nature's Pharmacy: Exploring Drug Discovery Through Medicinal Plants
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Unveiling Nature's Pharmacy: Exploring Drug Discovery Through Medicinal Plants

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 August 2025 | Viewed by 3640

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Guglielmina Froldi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
Interests: diabetes mellitus; obesity; age-related diseases; advanced glycation end products (AGEs); medicinal plants; enzyme activity; pharmacokinetics; ADMET; pharmacotherapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is significant research that is currently underway concerning ethnopharmacology, with the aim of identifying new medicinal plants, new chemical compounds derived from these plants (phytoconstituents), and any new mechanisms by which these compounds exert their biological activity. Indeed, the findings of this research may contribute to the development of new pharmaceutical agents. The concept of polypharmacology is undergoing a significant evolution in response to a novel approach to the utilization of plant-derived products that possess a multitude of phytoconstituents and exhibit multitarget efficacy against specific human diseases. A multitude of signal transduction pathways are implicated in the pathogenesis of non-infectious diseases, including diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, and neurovascular and degenerative diseases. The main mechanisms involved include glycation reactions, imbalances between free radical production and antioxidant systems, and inflammatory pathways. This Special Issue is an invitation to submit original research and reviews regarding in vitro tests on natural and derived compounds targeting specific cellular pathological mechanisms involved in non-infectious diseases. Specific focus will be placed on novel experimental assay methods and pharmacokinetic evaluations, including in silico approaches. Studies on the ADMET properties of plant-derived preparations and natural compounds are also of significant interest.  

Dr. Guglielmina Froldi
Guest Editor

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. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2900 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-derived drugs
  • secondary metabolites
  • advanced glycation end-products (AGEs)
  • reactive oxygen species (ROS)
  • molecular targets
  • pharmacokinetics
  • ADMET
  • bioavailability

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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16 pages, 4009 KiB  
Article
Berberine Mediates Exosomes Regulating the Lipid Metabolism Pathways to Promote Apoptosis of RA-FLS Cells
by Si-Fan Guo, Zhi-Bo Wang, Dan-Dan Xie, Ying Cai, Yan Wang, Xian Wang, Qiang Yang, Ai-Hua Zhang and Shi Qiu
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(11), 1509; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17111509 - 9 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1450
Abstract
Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint damage and commonly linked to symptoms such as inflammation, swelling, and pain. Traditional Chinese Medicine offers complementary and integrative approaches in the management of rheumatoid arthritis, potentially providing additional options [...] Read more.
Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint damage and commonly linked to symptoms such as inflammation, swelling, and pain. Traditional Chinese Medicine offers complementary and integrative approaches in the management of rheumatoid arthritis, potentially providing additional options that may help address treatment challenges and enhance overall patient care. This paper explores the mechanism of action of berberine from the perspective of cellular exosomes by mediating exosomal contents and thus treating RA. Methods: With the help of flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscope, it was determined that berberine promotes apoptosis in RA-FLS cells, and then lipid metabolomics technology was applied to screen and characterize the exosomes of RA-FLS cells to identify lipid core biomarkers closely related to RA, which were then projected into various databases for comprehensive analysis. Results: The data analysis showed that berberine could call back 11 lipid core biomarkers closely associated with RA, and interactive visualization of the database revealed that these markers were mainly focused on lipid metabolism aspects such as fatty acid elongation, degradation, and biosynthesis, as well as the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids or PPARA activation of gene expression, PPARα‘s role in lipid metabolism regulation, glycerophospholipid metabolism, mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation disorders, and organelle biogenesis and maintenance. Conclusions: Berberine exerts its therapeutic effect on RA by mediating exosomal contents and thus regulating multiple lipid-related biological pathways, affecting the PPARγ-NF-κB complex binding rate, CREB and EGR-1 expression, cellular phagocytosis, and other aspects needed to inhibit proliferation and inflammatory responses in RA-FLS. This study offers a research foundation for exploring the mechanism of action of berberine in the treatment of RA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unveiling Nature's Pharmacy: Exploring Drug Discovery Through Medicinal Plants)
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Review

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23 pages, 1066 KiB  
Review
The Potential of Polyphenols in Modulating the Cellular Senescence Process: Implications and Mechanism of Action
by Larissa Della Vedova, Giovanna Baron, Paolo Morazzoni, Giancarlo Aldini and Francesca Gado
Pharmaceuticals 2025, 18(2), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18020138 - 22 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1718
Abstract
Background: Cellular senescence is a biological process with a dual role in organismal health. While transient senescence supports tissue repair and acts as a tumor-suppressive mechanism, the chronic accumulation of senescent cells contributes to aging and the progression of age-related diseases. Senotherapeutics, [...] Read more.
Background: Cellular senescence is a biological process with a dual role in organismal health. While transient senescence supports tissue repair and acts as a tumor-suppressive mechanism, the chronic accumulation of senescent cells contributes to aging and the progression of age-related diseases. Senotherapeutics, including senolytics, which selectively eliminate senescent cells, and senomorphics, which modulate the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), have emerged as promising strategies for managing age-related pathologies. Among these, polyphenols, a diverse group of plant-derived bioactive compounds, have gained attention for their potential to modulate cellular senescence. Methods: This review synthesizes evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies on the senolytic and senomorphic activities of bioactive polyphenols, including resveratrol, kaempferol, apigenin, and fisetin. The analysis focuses on their molecular mechanisms of action and their impact on fundamental aging-related pathways. Results: Polyphenols exhibit therapeutic versatility by activating SIRT1, inhibiting NF-κB, and modulating autophagy. These compounds demonstrate a dual role, promoting the survival of healthy cells while inducing apoptosis in senescent cells. Preclinical evidence indicates their capacity to reduce SASP-associated inflammation, restore tissue homeostasis, and attenuate cellular senescence in various models of aging. Conclusions: Polyphenols represent a promising class of senotherapeutics for mitigating age-related diseases and promoting healthy lifespan extension. Further research should focus on clinical validation and the long-term effects of these compounds, paving the way for their development as therapeutic agents in geriatric medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unveiling Nature's Pharmacy: Exploring Drug Discovery Through Medicinal Plants)
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