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Pharmaceuticals
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Natural Products for Therapeutic Potential
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Natural Products for Therapeutic Potential

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 2677

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Xavier Siwe Noundou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0208, South Africa
Interests: phytochemistry; marine natural products; bioactivity; organic synthesis; metabolomics; in silico study; nanomaterial synthesis; drug delivery systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products are a vital source of inspiration for therapeutic agents, with a rich history of providing novel leads for drug discovery. Plants, animals, and microorganisms have evolved complex bioactive molecules to adapt to their environments, many of which have potential health benefits. These natural products have been used for centuries in traditional medicine and continue to be a valuable resource for modern medicine. Recent advances in genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, as well as the application of computational chemistry, have accelerated the discovery of natural products with therapeutic potential. For example, plant-derived compounds like paclitaxel (Taxol) and vinblastine (Velban) are widely used in cancer therapy. Other natural products, such as omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and curcumin from turmeric, have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Natural products have also shown promise in treating infectious diseases, with compounds like artemisinin (from Artemisia annua) and streptomycin (from Streptomyces griseus) being used to combat malaria and tuberculosis, respectively. Furthermore, natural products have been explored for their potential in neuroprotection and cognitive enhancement, with compounds like resveratrol (from grapes) and Bacopa monnieri (from traditional Ayurvedic medicine) showing promising results.

Despite the vast potential of natural products, challenges remain in their discovery, isolation, and development into effective therapies. However, advances in technology and interdisciplinary research collaborations are helping to overcome these hurdles. As the global demand for new and effective therapeutics continues to grow, natural products will undoubtedly remain a vital source of inspiration for drug discovery and development. Original and reviews papers are invited for this Special Issue.

Dr. Xavier Siwe Noundou
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

  • natural products chemistry
  • therapeutic potential
  • medicinal plants
  • marine organisms
  • microorganisms
  • bioactive compounds
  • natural products inspired compounds
  • biological activities
  • computational chemistry

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 7899 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of Incomptine A in Treating Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Associated with U-937 Cells: Bioinformatics Approaches, Part I
by Fernando Calzada, Normand García-Hernández, Elihú Bautista, José Manuel Sánchez-López, Miguel Valdes, Claudia Velázquez and Elizabeth Barbosa
Pharmaceuticals 2025, 18(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18010005 - 24 Dec 2024
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Abstract
Background: Incomptine A (IA) has been reported to have cytotoxic activity in non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer cell lines and have effects on U-937 cells, including the induction of apoptosis, the production of reactive oxygen species, and the inhibition of glycolytic enzymes. [...] Read more.
Background: Incomptine A (IA) has been reported to have cytotoxic activity in non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer cell lines and have effects on U-937 cells, including the induction of apoptosis, the production of reactive oxygen species, and the inhibition of glycolytic enzymes. Also, IA has cytotoxic activity in the triple-negative subtypes, HER2+, and luminal A of breast cancer cells, with its properties being associated with an effect on the antiapoptotic function of Hexokinase II (HKII). Objectives: In this research, we reviewed the altered levels of proteins present in the lymph nodes of male Balb/c mice inoculated with U-937 cells and treated with IA or methotrexate, as well as mice only inoculated with cancer cells. Methods: Five approaches, including Tandem Mass Tag (TMT), Gene ontology (GO), Reactome, KEGG pathway analysis, and molecular docking, were used. Results: TMT showed that 74 proteins were differentially expressed, out of which 12 presented overexpression (FC ≥ 1.5) and 62 were under expressed (FC ≤ 0.67). In general, the TMT approach showed that IA had a better effect on proteins than methotrexate. Gene ontology, Reactome, and KEGG pathway analysis showed that proteins with altered levels may be implicated in several processes, including gene silencing by RNA, oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, cytoskeleton organization, and ATP metabolic and energetic processes. The molecular docking analysis, which used 23 altered proteins as targets, revealed that IA interacted with all the proteins used. Conclusions: The results obtained using the five bioinformatic approaches provide information and show that IA could be used to treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma induced with the U-937 cell line. Also, it could provide a basis for future research and the development of clinical trials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for Therapeutic Potential)
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Review

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22 pages, 6760 KiB  
Review
Exploring the Therapeutic Potential, Ethnomedicinal Values, and Phytochemistry of Helianthus tuberosus L.: A Review
by Ruvimbo Faith Tapera, Xavier Siwe-Noundou, Leshweni Jeremia Shai and Shoeshoe Mokhele
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(12), 1672; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17121672 - 11 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1322
Abstract
Helianthus tuberosus L. (Jerusalem artichoke) tubers and aerial parts possess both nutritional and therapeutic properties. The Jerusalem artichoke has been utilized for various applications, including its use as a functional food source, a reservoir of bioactive compounds, and a raw material to produce [...] Read more.
Helianthus tuberosus L. (Jerusalem artichoke) tubers and aerial parts possess both nutritional and therapeutic properties. The Jerusalem artichoke has been utilized for various applications, including its use as a functional food source, a reservoir of bioactive compounds, and a raw material to produce biofuels. Moreover, the Jerusalem artichoke is a rich source of an indigestible polysaccharide called inulin, which serves as a prebiotic that improves gastrointestinal health. This plant has been used globally throughout history as a dietary supplement, for pain treatment, to reduce swelling, and to boost the immune system, as well as to treat skin wounds in folk medicine. It is an abundant source of bioactive compounds, such as phenolic acids, coumarins, and flavonoids, which are known to exert pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. The literature on its potential as an antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-fungistatic, antiviral, and anti-obesity agent, among others, is scanty. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Helianthus tuberosus L.’s traditional uses, nutritional properties, secondary bioactive compounds, and pharmacological properties to further explore its health benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for Therapeutic Potential)
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