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

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 396

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco 50670-901, Brazil
Interests: bioactive compounds; crop protection; antimicrobial activity; insecticidal activity
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Special Issue Information

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.

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Keywords

  • pest control
  • sustainability
  • antimicrobial resistance mitigation
  • pharmacological effects

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 1328 KB  
Article
Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi. Leaf Lectin (SteLL) Demonstrates Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Effects Under Monoaminergic Deficiency Induced by Reserpine
by Bárbara Raíssa Ferreira de Lima, Leydianne Leite de Siqueira Patriota, Amanda de Oliveira Marinho, Thiago Lucas da Silva Lira, Jainaldo Alves da Costa, Beatriz Galdino Ribeiro, Daniella Carla Napoleão, Jorge Vinícius Fernandes Lima Cavalcanti, Michelly Cristiny Pereira, Moacyr Jesus Barreto de Melo Rego, Maira Galdino da Rocha Pitta, Thiago Henrique Napoleão, Michelle Melgarejo da Rosa and Patrícia Maria Guedes Paiva
Plants 2025, 14(19), 3048; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14193048 - 1 Oct 2025
Abstract
Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi. leaf lectin (SteLL) has been investigated for its neuromodulatory effects. Given the etiological diversity of depression, this study evaluated the effects of SteLL in a pharmacological model induced by reserpine. Mice were administered reserpine intraperitoneally for 10 days to induce [...] Read more.
Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi. leaf lectin (SteLL) has been investigated for its neuromodulatory effects. Given the etiological diversity of depression, this study evaluated the effects of SteLL in a pharmacological model induced by reserpine. Mice were administered reserpine intraperitoneally for 10 days to induce anxiety- and depression-like symptoms. Before reserpine administration, animals also received SteLL (2 or 4 mg/kg, i.p.) or fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) for 10 days. Behavioral assessments included the open field test, elevated plus maze, and tail suspension test. Body weight variation and brain levels of cytokines, noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin were also analyzed. In reserpine-treated mice, SteLL administration (2 and 4 mg/kg) produced anxiolytic-like effects in the open field (reduced number of rearings) and elevated plus maze (increased time spent in open arms) and significantly reduced immobility time in the tail suspension test. Additionally, SteLL prevented the body weight loss typically induced by reserpine. SteLL treatment modulated neuroinflammation by reducing IL-2 and increasing IL-10 levels in the brain. SteLL treatment restored dopaminergic and noradrenergic levels, with no effect on serotonin. In conclusion, SteLL was effective in reserpine-induced monoaminergic depletion, reversing behavioral and biochemical alterations characteristic of depression, likely through dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Full article
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