Natural Bioactive Substances: Microencapsulation Technologies, Pharmacological Efficacies and Sustainable Application in Pharmaceuticals
A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmaceutical Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2026 | Viewed by 7
Special Issue Editors
Interests: natural ingredients; pharmaceutical forms; microencapsulation; 3D printing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: analytical chemistry; development of separation methods; capillary electrophoresis; coupling and miniaturization of methods; food analysis; fermentation; biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Natural bioactive substances (NBS), derived from plants, animals, microorganisms and marine organisms, possess diverse pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, and neuroprotective effects, making them promising candidates for pharmaceutical development. However, their clinical application is often limited by inherent drawbacks: poor water solubility, low stability (susceptible to heat, light, and enzymatic degradation), short in vivo half-life, and low bioavailability. Microencapsulation technologies—including spray drying, electrostatic spinning, liposome encapsulation, alginate-based hydrogel encapsulation, and coacervation—have emerged as effective solutions to address these challenges. By enclosing NBS in biocompatible and biodegradable carriers (e.g., lipids, polysaccharides and proteins), microencapsulation not only enhances the solubility and stability of NBS but also enables controlled/sustained drug release, targeted delivery to specific tissues or organs, and a reduction in potential side effects, thereby significantly improving their pharmacological efficacy and therapeutic safety.
This Special Issue of Pharmaceuticals aims to gather cutting-edge research, reviews, and technical reports focusing on microencapsulation technologies for NBS, their pharmacological efficacy evaluation, and sustainable pharmaceutical applications. We welcome contributions covering, but not limited to, the following areas: (1) Innovation and optimization of microencapsulation technologies for NBS (e.g., novel carrier materials, improved preparation processes); (2) In vitro/in vivo evaluation of the pharmacological efficacy, bioavailability, and safety of microencapsulated NBS; (3) Mechanistic studies on how microencapsulation enhances the stability, solubility, and targeting of NBS; (4) Development of sustainable extraction, purification, and microencapsulation processes for NBS; (5) Design and application of microencapsulated NBS in pharmaceutical formulations (e.g., oral preparations, injectables, topical formulations); and (6) Case studies on the clinical translation of microencapsulated NBS-based pharmaceutical products.
By compiling these studies, this Special Issue will systematically summarize the latest progress in the field of NBS microencapsulation and sustainable pharmaceutical application, deepen the understanding of the synergy between microencapsulation technologies and NBS pharmacological properties, and provide theoretical and technical support for promoting the development of green, efficient, and clinically applicable NBS-based pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Lauryna Pudžiuvelytė
Dr. Mantas Stankevičius
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- natural bioactive substances
- microencapsulation technologies
- pharmacological efficacy
- sustainable pharmaceutical application
- drug carrier materials
- bioavailability
- controlled release
- green pharmacy
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