Extracts and Essential Oils from Medicinal Plants: Biological Activities, Applications, and Perspectives
A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 12
Special Issue Editors
Interests: antimicrobial agents; drug resistance; medicines testing; natural medicines; antibiotics; antiseptics
Interests: antimicrobial activity; drug resistance mechanisms; drug synergism; antibacterial compounds; antifungal compounds; disinfectants; non-antibiotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: biological activity of plant material; oxidative stability of fats; polyphenols; antioxidants; structured lipids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Medicinal plants, including herbs and spices, have been used for centuries in traditional healing systems and daily diets due to their health-promoting properties. The extracts and essential oils derived from these plants are a rich source of biologically active compounds with a broad spectrum of activity, ranging from antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties to anticancer, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. They are the focus of intensive research across various fields, including pharmacology, biotechnology, food science, cosmetology, and agriculture, due to their natural origin and relative availability. The abundance of active compounds of natural origin and the multidirectional biological effects of medicinal plants make them promising candidates for further pharmacological and clinical research.
This Special Issue focuses on current scientific achievements in the field of chemical composition, including the biological activity and applications of extracts and essential oils obtained from medicinal and spice plants. Particular attention is paid to modern extraction methods enabling the efficient acquisition of bioactive compounds (such as extraction with green solvents, supercritical techniques, or ultrasound-assisted extraction) and the analysis of the chemical profiles of extracts and essential oils using advanced instrumental techniques (e.g., HPLC, CE, LC-MS, and GC-MS). Studies exploring the relationship between chemical composition and biological activity, especially antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, are also of particular interest.
We especially welcome interdisciplinary studies that combine phytochemistry and microbiology, highlighting the potential of plant-derived active substances in modern phytotherapy and health prevention, in line with the principles of sustainable development and evidence-based medicine.
Prof. Dr. Stefan Tyski
Dr. Agnieszka E. Laudy
Dr. Mariola Kozłowska
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 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
- medicinal plants
- spices and herbs
- bioactive compounds
- antimicrobial agents
- plant extracts
- essential oils
- phytochemical analysis
- microbiological analysis
- natural medicines
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