Advances in the Mechanism of Action and the Therapeutic Role of Phytopharmaceuticals
A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 291
Special Issue Editors
Interests: biotransformation; medicinal plants; phytochemistry; biological activity; specialized metabolites
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
There is evidence supporting the therapeutic use of plants since prehistoric times. Today, herbal medicines play a pivotal role in preventing and treating diseases associated with modern civilization, while natural products remain a rich source of lead structures for drug development.
Through evolutionary processes, plants have developed sophisticated chemical defense mechanisms, producing diverse specialized bioactive compounds such as terpenoids, flavonoids, and alkaloids. These compounds are critical for plants' ecological fitness and survival, but they also exhibit significant pharmacological properties in humans. Understanding the mechanisms of action of these bioactive metabolites fosters innovation in drug discovery and provides deeper insights into the therapeutic potential of plant-derived compounds in addressing complex diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic syndromes.
In recent years, biotransformation studies have emerged, focusing on the structural modification of phytochemicals by biological systems, including interactions with the microbiome in various niches of the human body. These studies have provided new perspectives on the therapeutic roles of medicinal plants.
This Special Issue invites original research and review articles that explore these dimensions of phytochemicals and medicinal plants. Topics of interest include investigations of bioactive specialized metabolites, their molecular targets, biotransformation pathways, interactions with the microbiome, and innovative therapeutic applications. This issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in this field, highlight the latest discoveries, and elucidate future research directions.
Dr. Maria-Eleni Grafakou
Prof. Dr. Jörg Heilmann
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- medicinal plants
- natural products
- phytochemistry
- biological activities
- mechanism of action
- biotransformation
- microbiome
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