Plant-Based Extracts and the Therapeutic Potential of Bioactive Compounds, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2025 | Viewed by 347

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The safety, efficacy, and quality of modern herbal medicinal products are determined by the valuable plant extracts used in their production. The quality of herbal substances must be consistent, and the multi-stage process (which involves achieving the maximum compliance of the chemical composition with that found in the plant material during the herbal preparation stage) must be standardized. Specific high-quality physicochemical tests are carried out on the final herbal extract, including the control of biologically active components or active chemical markers and the validation of developed analytical methods. This leads to valuable extracts that can be assessed in preclinical and clinical studies due to their therapeutic properties.This Special Issue showcases submissions that present a variety of preparative methods used to obtain liquid and solid herbal extracts and their phytochemical standardization procedures using validated analytical methods.

We welcome article submissions that present coupled chromatographic, spectroscopic, and spectrometric analytical techniques. Detailed phytochemical profiling should be combined with an evaluation of the biological properties (in vitro and in vivo studies or preliminary clinical evaluation) of herbal preparations and isolated bioactive phytoconstituents, especially regarding their ability to inhibit degenerative processes in the human body.

Dr. Grażyna Zgórka
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • plant extracts
  • herbal medicinal products
  • standardization
  • phytochemical profiling
  • bioactive plant compounds
  • therapeutic effects

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 1710 KB  
Article
Phytochemical Profiling, Antioxidant Activity, and In Vitro Cytotoxic Potential of Mangrove Avicennia marina
by Federico Cerri, Beatrice De Santes, Francesca Spena, Lucia Salvioni, Matilde Forcella, Paola Fusi, Stefania Pagliari, Henrik Stahl, Paolo Galli, Miriam Colombo, Marco Giustra and Luca Campone
Pharmaceuticals 2025, 18(9), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18091308 - 31 Aug 2025
Viewed by 105
Abstract
Background: Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh., a widely distributed mangrove species, is known for its diverse secondary metabolites with potential pharmacological applications. Despite its dominance in the Arabian Gulf, where A. marina may have adapted to extreme environmental conditions with a distinct set [...] Read more.
Background: Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh., a widely distributed mangrove species, is known for its diverse secondary metabolites with potential pharmacological applications. Despite its dominance in the Arabian Gulf, where A. marina may have adapted to extreme environmental conditions with a distinct set of bioactive molecules, research in this region remains limited. Methods: This study investigates the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and in vitro cytotoxicity of extracts from different plant parts, including roots, leaves, propagules, pericarps, and cotyledons, collected in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Extracts were analyzed using ultra-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS). Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH and ABTS assays, while cytotoxicity was evaluated against human cancer and normal cell lines. Results: Analysis revealed 49 compounds, including iridoid glycosides, hydroxycinnamic acids, phenylethanoid glycosides, flavonoid glycosides, and triterpene saponins, several reported for the first time in A. marina and mangroves. The pericarp and root extracts exhibited the highest scavenging activity (DPPH: 187.14 ± 2.87 and 128.25 ± 1.12; ABTS: 217.16 ± 2.67 and 147.21 ± 2.42 μmol TE/g, respectively), correlating with phenylethanoid content. The root extract also displayed the highest cytotoxicity, with IC50 values of 58.46, 81.98, and 108.10 μg/mL against MDA-MB-231, SW480, and E705, respectively. In silico analysis identified triterpene saponins as potential contributors. Conclusions: These findings highlight the root extract of A. marina as a promising source of bioactive compounds with potential antioxidant and anticancer applications, supporting further exploration for novel therapeutic candidates. Full article
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