Exploring Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds: Therapeutic, Insecticidal and Antimicrobial Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Harnessing plants as sources of biomedical and biotechnologically relevant compounds plays a vital role in promoting sustainable innovation and contributes significantly to the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This includes advancing human and environmental health, conserving biodiversity, and fostering environmentally responsible production practices. This Special Issue will explore the broad biomedical and biotechnological potential of plant-derived compounds. It will cover both primary metabolites (such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids) and secondary metabolites (e.g., alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, lignans, coumarins, tannins, stilbenes, saponins, and glycosides)—ranging from complex mixtures (e.g., extracts, fractions, essential oils) to isolated molecules. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities;
• Antiprotozoal properties;
• Antibiofilm and biofilm-eradicating activities;
• Pharmacological effects, including but not limited to the following:
  • Antinociceptive and analgesic effects;
  • Anti-inflammatory effects;
  • Antioxidant effects;
  • Neuromodulatory and neuroprotective effects;
  • Antitumor and anticancer effects;
  • Hypolipidemic and anti-obesity effects;
  • Antidiabetic and insulin-sensitizing effects;
  • Cardioprotective and antihypertensive effects;
  • Hepatoprotective and nephroprotective effects;
  • Gastroprotective and antiulcerogenic effects.
• Toxicity assessments (in vitro and in vivo);
• Insecticidal activities, including the following:
  • Ovicidal, larvicidal, pupicidal, and adulticidal effects;
  • Repellent and antifeedant properties;
  • Insect growth regulation;
  • Behavioral modifications;
  • Synergistic effects with conventional insecticides;
  • Targeting disease vectors (e.g., mosquitoes, sandflies, ticks);
  • Targeting agricultural pests (e.g., aphids, beetles, moths, caterpillars).
• Ecotoxicological evaluations;
• Formulations based on plant mixtures or isolated compounds

Dr. Thiago Henrique Napoleão
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.