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Valuable Sources of Bioactive Natural Products from Plants, 2nd Edition
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Valuable Sources of Bioactive Natural Products from Plants, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 9217

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Reneta Gevrenova

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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University-Sofia, 2 Dunav Str., Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: pharmacognosy; phytochemistry; pharmaceutical botany; natural products; saponins; phenolic compounds; flavonoids; HPLC and LC-MS strategies in specialized natural product elucidation; metabolite profiling; antioxidants; synergism between natural products and drugs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Dimitrina Zheleva-Dimitrova

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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University-Sofia, 2 Dunav Str., Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: phytochemistry; pharmacognosy; pharmaceutical botany; natural products; phenolic compounds; sesquiterpene lactones; HPLC and LC-MS strategies in specialized natural product elucidation; acetylholinesterase inhibitors; enzyme inhibitory activity; antioxidants; obesity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Vessela Balabanova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University-Sofia, 2 Dunav Str, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: medicinal plants; cultivation; plant conservation; plant metabolimics; antioxidant activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Medicinal plants are a valuable source of new bioactive compounds and promising molecular entities for use in drug development. In the last decade, a variety of analytical methodologies have been used to emphasize the potential of plants as a source of compounds with functional and medicinal relevance. On the other hand, there is an increasingly high demand for safe medicinal products with increased functionality and improved characteristics, necessitating intensive research in the field of specialized (secondary) plant metabolites. Medicinal and aromatic plants are used worldwide in folk medicine; the phytochemical community has thus turned its focus to the medicinal value of traditional knowledge.

Plant-derived specialized metabolites are of particular interest because of the importance of both the chemical and biological characterization of medicinal plants. Currently, numerous research groups are focusing on the study and characterization of herbal extracts to identify a variety of plant metabolites and their potential to exert protective effects on biological systems. With the development of modern metabolite profiling methods and metabolomics, a holistic survey of natural extracts with valuable information on their chemical composition has become feasible.

This Special Issue of Plants will highlight the exploration of medicinal plants used in different regions of the world as valuable sources of bioactive compounds.

Dr. Reneta Gevrenova
Dr. Dimitrina Zheleva-Dimitrova
Dr. Vessela Balabanova
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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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
  • bioactive compounds
  • secondary metabolites
  • phytochemistry
  • metabolite profiling
  • ethnobotany
  • phytopharmacology

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1328 KiB  
Article
Fruit and Fruit-Derived Products of Selected Sambucus Plants as a Source of Phytosterols and Triterpenoids
by Otgonbileg Onolbaatar, Soyol Dashbaldan, Cezary Pączkowski and Anna Szakiel
Plants 2025, 14(10), 1490; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14101490 - 16 May 2025
Viewed by 117
Abstract
Plant-derived foods have gained recognition for their health-promoting values, which are largely attributed to bioactive compounds such as phytosterols and triterpenoids. This study aimed to analyze the content of these compounds in the fruit of black elder (elderberry) Sambucus nigra L. and in [...] Read more.
Plant-derived foods have gained recognition for their health-promoting values, which are largely attributed to bioactive compounds such as phytosterols and triterpenoids. This study aimed to analyze the content of these compounds in the fruit of black elder (elderberry) Sambucus nigra L. and in commercially available food products, including jam, juice, syrup and wine. An additional objective was to compare the phytosterol and triterpenoid profiles of fruits and fruit cuticular waxes from wild and cultivated elderberry (cultivar Haschberg), ornamental elderberry (S. nigra f. porphyrophylla cultivar Black lace “Eva”), and red elderberry (S. racemosa). Qualitative and quantitative determinations were performed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This study provides a detailed characterization of triterpenoids in black and red elderberries, revealing a complex composition of oleanane-, 18-oleanane-, ursane-, lupane- and taraxastane-type compounds. Elderberry fruits were found to be rich sources of phytosterols (ranging from 0.54 mg/g d.w. in cultivated elderberry cv. Haschberg to 0.96 mg/g in ornamental elderberry) and triterpenoids (from 1.41 mg/g d.w. in S. racemosa to 13.81 mg/g in ornamental elderberry). Among the processed products, jam contained the highest concentration of these compounds (a total of 340 µg/g) and wine contained the lowest (0.87 µg/mL). Furthermore, the results suggest that certain features of the triterpenoid profile in S. nigra and S. racemosa may hold chemotaxonomic significance for the Sambucus genus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valuable Sources of Bioactive Natural Products from Plants, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 3342 KiB  
Article
Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum L.) Flower and Fenofibrate Improve Lipid Profiles in Rats with Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): The Role of Choline Metabolism
by Siraphat Taesuwan, Jakkapong Inchai, Konpong Boonyingsathit, Chanika Chimkerd, Kunchit Judprasong, Pornchai Rachtanapun, Chatchai Muanprasat and Chutima S. Vaddhanaphuti
Plants 2025, 14(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14010013 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1096
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is linked to choline metabolism. The present study investigated the effect of holy basil (Ocimum sanctum L.) flower water extract (OSLY) on MASLD with choline metabolism as an underlying mechanism. Rats with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced MASLD [...] Read more.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is linked to choline metabolism. The present study investigated the effect of holy basil (Ocimum sanctum L.) flower water extract (OSLY) on MASLD with choline metabolism as an underlying mechanism. Rats with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced MASLD received 250–1000 mg/kg bw of OSLY, fenofibrate, or fenofibrate + 1000 mg/kg OSLY combination. Biochemical parameters, choline metabolites, and one-carbon gene transcription were analyzed. OSLY and fenofibrate independently reduced serum LDL cholesterol (p < 0.02), liver cholesterol (p < 0.001), and liver triglyceride levels (p < 0.001) in HFD-fed rats. Only OSLY reduced signs of liver injury and increased serum HDL. Fenofibrate influenced choline metabolism by decreasing liver glycerophosphocholine (GPC; p = 0.04), as well as increasing betaine (p < 0.001) and the betaine:choline ratio (p = 0.02) in HFD-fed rats. Fenofibrate (vs. HFD) increased the expression of one-carbon metabolism genes Mthfd1l, Pemt, Smpd3, and Chka (p < 0.04). The OSLY treatment decreased liver GPC (500 mg dose; p = 0.03) and increased Smpd3 expression (1000 mg dose; p = 0.04). OSLY and fenofibrate showed weak synergistic effects on lipid and choline metabolism. Collectively, OSLY and fenofibrate independently improve lipid profiles in MASLD rats. The benefits of fenofibrate are partially mediated by choline/one-carbon metabolism, while those of OSLY are not mediated by this pathway. Holy basil flower extract merits further development as an alternative medicine for MASLD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valuable Sources of Bioactive Natural Products from Plants, 2nd Edition)
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11 pages, 508 KiB  
Article
Centaurea benedicta—A Potential Source of Nutrients and Bioactive Components
by Olga Teneva, Zhana Petkova, Ana Dobreva, Anatoli Dzhurmanski, Liliya Stoyanova and Maria Angelova-Romova
Plants 2024, 13(24), 3579; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13243579 - 22 Dec 2024
Viewed by 863
Abstract
The Asteraceae family is a large plant family, with over 1600 genera and 25,000 species, most of which are generally herbaceous plants. This family’s members are widely used in the human diet and medicine. One of the most popular representatives is Centaurea benedicta [...] Read more.
The Asteraceae family is a large plant family, with over 1600 genera and 25,000 species, most of which are generally herbaceous plants. This family’s members are widely used in the human diet and medicine. One of the most popular representatives is Centaurea benedicta L., known as ‘Blessed Thistle’. It is a famous plant in the herbal world with some medical benefits, such as strong antioxidant and antidepressant effects, with antibacterial and antiseptic properties, a stimulant of appetite, with a good effect on the liver and the secretion of bile juices, etc. Therefore, this work aimed to fully characterize the chemical composition of the seeds of C. benedicta introduced in Bulgaria, some of the physicochemical characteristics, as well as the biologically active compounds. The main nutrient in the chemical composition was carbohydrates (68.5%), and half of their quantity was occupied by fibers (32.2%). Total proteins accounted for 16.4%, and the glyceride oil content was rather low—about 11.0%. The main fatty acids identified in the seed oil were linoleic (72.1%) and oleic acids (18.1%), and the amount of the polyunsaturated ones predominated (73.0%). The main lipid-soluble bioactive components were sterols (0.9%), phospholipids (1.9%), and tocopherols (492 mg/kg). β-Sitosterol (59.5%) and stigmasterol (19.4%) were the main sterols, and α-tocopherol (472 mg/kg) predominated in the tocopherol fraction. The major phospholipids were phosphatidylethanolamine (45.4%), followed by phosphatidylinositol (37.1%) and phosphatidylcholine (6.1%). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valuable Sources of Bioactive Natural Products from Plants, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 546 KiB  
Article
Ethnobotanical and Ethnopharmacological Study of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis in Yunnan Province, China
by Xiuxiang Yan, Angkhana Inta, Ge Li, Hataichanok Pandith, Terd Disayathanoowat and Lixin Yang
Plants 2024, 13(20), 2914; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13202914 - 18 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1344
Abstract
The traditional medicinal knowledge in the northwest of Yunnan Province, China have been poorly studied. Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (PPvY) is widely cultivated and used as indigenous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat cancer in northwest Yunnan. This study aims to reveal the [...] Read more.
The traditional medicinal knowledge in the northwest of Yunnan Province, China have been poorly studied. Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (PPvY) is widely cultivated and used as indigenous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat cancer in northwest Yunnan. This study aims to reveal the traditional medicinal knowledge of PPvY and folk formulas related to PPvY through literature research and ethnobotanical investigation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 highly regarded folk doctors in the northwest of Yunnan, China, based on relevant data collected in the initial phase of the research. We identified twenty-three traditional treatments, thirty pairing herbs used with PPvY in therapy, and eight processing methods of PPvY. The results indicated that PPvY and its associated formulas containing PPvY were primarily used for treating cancer and inflammation and for clearing heat and detoxifying. The TCM herbs most frequently used alongside PPvY included Engleromyces sinensis and Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis. The commonly employed processing methods primarily involved using PPvY in both its dry and fresh forms, while special processing methods, such as processing in wine and honey, steaming, and foil-packet boiling, were worth further research. Our results highlight the diversity of medicinal plants and the richness of traditional medical knowledge in northwest Yunnan, China. This study may offer clues for the development and research of indigenous medicinal plants. Additionally, a collective effort is needed to create a plan for the sustainable use of indigenous medicinal plants, enhancing local economic development while safeguarding biodiversity and traditional medicinal knowledge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valuable Sources of Bioactive Natural Products from Plants, 2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 4086 KiB  
Article
Mitigating Effects of Tanacetum balsamita L. on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD)
by Rositsa Mihaylova, Reneta Gevrenova, Alexandra Petrova, Yonko Savov, Dimitrina Zheleva-Dimitrova, Vessela Balabanova, Georgi Momekov and Rumyana Simeonova
Plants 2024, 13(15), 2086; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13152086 - 27 Jul 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1169
Abstract
The metabolic syndrome and its associated co-morbidities have been recognized as predisposing risk factors for the development of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). The present study reports on the beneficial effect of the Tanacetum balsamita methanol-aqueous extract (ETB) at 150 and 300 mg/kg [...] Read more.
The metabolic syndrome and its associated co-morbidities have been recognized as predisposing risk factors for the development of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). The present study reports on the beneficial effect of the Tanacetum balsamita methanol-aqueous extract (ETB) at 150 and 300 mg/kg bw on biochemical parameters related to oxidative stress, metabolic syndrome, and liver function in rat animal models with induced MAFLD. ETB was found to be non-toxic with LD50 > 3000 mg/kg and did not affect cell viability of hepatic HEP-G2 cells in a concentration up to 800 μg/mL. The pathology was established by a high-calorie diet and streptozotocin. Acarbose and atorvastatin were used as positive controls. At the higher dose, ETB reduced significantly (p < 0.05) the blood glucose levels by about 20%, decreased lipase activity by 52%, total cholesterol and triglycerides by 50% and 57%, respectively, and restored the amylase activity and leukocytes compared to the MAFLD group. ETB ameliorated oxidative stress biomarkers reduced glutathione and malondialdehyde in a dose-dependent manner. At 300 mg/kg, the beneficial effect of the extract on antioxidant enzymes was evidenced by the elevated catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activity by 70%, 29%, and 44%, accordingly, compared to the MAFLD rats. ETB prevents the histopathological changes related to MAFLD. ETB, rich in 3,5-dicafeoylquinic, chlorogenic, and rosmarinic acids together with the isorhamnetin- and luteolin-glucoside provides a prominent amelioration of MAFLD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valuable Sources of Bioactive Natural Products from Plants, 2nd Edition)
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12 pages, 4318 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Variation and Mean Degree of Polymerization of Proanthocyanidin in Leaves and Branches of Rabbiteye Blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum Aiton)
by Yasuko Koga, Yuno Setoguchi, Kazuhiro Sugamoto, Yo Goto, Tomonari Hirano and Hisato Kunitake
Plants 2024, 13(13), 1864; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13131864 - 5 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1274
Abstract
The leaves and branches of rabbiteye blueberry are rich in proanthocyanidins, which are thought to have different physiological activities depending on their structure and degree of polymerization. In this study, we analyzed the constituents of the leaves and branches of rabbiteye blueberry to [...] Read more.
The leaves and branches of rabbiteye blueberry are rich in proanthocyanidins, which are thought to have different physiological activities depending on their structure and degree of polymerization. In this study, we analyzed the constituents of the leaves and branches of rabbiteye blueberry to determine the seasonal variations in polyphenol and proanthocyanidin (PAC) contents as well as their mean degrees of polymerization (mDP). Total PAC content was determined using two methods: The p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (DMACA) method, which measures monomeric PAC, showed an increase from spring to summer in both leaves and branches. On the other hand, using the butanol/HCl method, which measures only polymerized PAC, the PAC content of leaves increased from spring to summer but those of branches remained low throughout the year, showing no significant increase or decrease. Furthermore, analysis of the mDP of PAC showed increases from spring to summer in the leaves of ‘Kunisato 35 gou’. Although the highest value (8.0) was observed in October, values around 4 remained throughout the year in the branches. Since differences in polymerization degree affect absorption in the body and physiological properties such as antioxidant capacity, selecting the appropriate harvest time and plant organs for each purpose is expected to ensure the quality of processed blueberry foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valuable Sources of Bioactive Natural Products from Plants, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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21 pages, 3618 KiB  
Review
Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of Agrostemma Genus—A Review
by Aleksander Smakosz, Adam Matkowski and Izabela Nawrot-Hadzik
Plants 2024, 13(12), 1673; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13121673 - 17 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2489
Abstract
The family Caryophyllaceae comprises more than 2600 species spread widely across all the continents. Their economic importance is mainly as ornamentals (carnation) and as weeds in agriculture. Some species have been used traditionally (and some are still) in herbal medicine or as emulsifiers [...] Read more.
The family Caryophyllaceae comprises more than 2600 species spread widely across all the continents. Their economic importance is mainly as ornamentals (carnation) and as weeds in agriculture. Some species have been used traditionally (and some are still) in herbal medicine or as emulsifiers in food processing. These applications are based on the high content of triterpenoid saponins. Typical for this family are also ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), which are potentially highly toxic. Agrostemma githago L. (common corncockle) was historically considered a serious toxicological hazard owing to cereal grain contamination by its seeds. Notwithstanding, it was also recommended as a drug by various herbalists. In this review, the literature was searched in the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases for papers focused on the chemical composition and bioactivity of the two accepted species of the Agrostemma genus. This systematic review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Current research reports the cytotoxicity against neoplastic cells; the protection against oxidative stress; the suppression of Leishmania major culture growth; the inhibition of protein synthesis; and the antiviral, anti-angiogenic, and antihypercholesterolemic activities of common corncockle. The future prospects of using A. githago saponins as adjuvants in drug formulations and enhancing the cytotoxicity of RIPs are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valuable Sources of Bioactive Natural Products from Plants, 2nd Edition)
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