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Innovations in Isolation and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal...
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Innovations in Isolation and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 10953

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anca Toiu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj, Napoca 8, V. Babeş Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: pharmacognosy; phytochemistry; natural products
Dr. Gabriella Saviano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Pesche, IS, Italy
Interests: antioxidants; neurology; alzheimer; anti-inflammatory; polyphenols; natural products; anti-cholinesteraze

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in the isolation and structural characterization of natural compounds from medicinal plants that show biological activity.

Preference will be given to papers that discuss innovative extraction techniques with a lower environmental impact and relative potential with respect to extraction yields.

Regarding structural characterization, spectral technique combinations for the investigation of natural compounds will be considered.

An improved understanding of many biological systems is now possible through several important techniques, including hyphenated methods, which combine NMR spectroscopy with mass spectrometry and chromatography.

Plants produce a huge amount of bioactive compounds that have an essential role in the interaction of plants with their natural environment and their ability to adapt. Metabolomics is therefore a powerful tool in plant ecology and biodiversity research. Furthermore, natural products of plant origin have long been considered a valuable source of lead compounds for drug development.

We look forward to receiving your contributions to this Special Issue, which will focus on, but is not be limited to, the topics outlined above.

Dr. Anca Toiu
Dr. Gabriella Saviano
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

  • metabolomics
  • multivariate data analysis
  • natural products
  • technological advances
  • GC-MS
  • LC-MS
  • NMR

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 1637 KiB  
Article
Phytochemistry and Bioactivity of Essential Oil and Methanolic Extracts of Origanum vulgare L. from Central Italy
by Francesca Fantasma, Marco Segatto, Mayra Colardo, Francesca Di Matteo, Maria Giovanna Chini, Maria Iorizzi and Gabriella Saviano
Plants 2025, 14(16), 2468; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14162468 (registering DOI) - 9 Aug 2025
Abstract
Origanum vulgare L. is an important aromatic plant traditionally used in folk medicine since ancient times. Its growing interest for the scientific community is mainly attributed to its distinctive chemical profile, which includes bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols (phenolic acids and flavonoids) and [...] Read more.
Origanum vulgare L. is an important aromatic plant traditionally used in folk medicine since ancient times. Its growing interest for the scientific community is mainly attributed to its distinctive chemical profile, which includes bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols (phenolic acids and flavonoids) and volatile compounds (essential oil). These components collectively contribute to oregano’s wide spectrum of biological activities. In this study, the volatile components of the essential oil (WEO_OR) and the polyphenolic fraction of the methanolic extract (ME_OR) obtained from leaves and inflorescences of wild Origanum vulgare collected in central Italy were characterized using GC-MS and UHPLC-DAD, respectively. Carvacrol was identified as the major compound in the essential oil, while rosmarinic acid was predominant in the methanolic extract. A comparative analysis was also carried out with a commercially available essential oil (CEO_OR), aiming to evaluate potential differences in chemical composition and antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays). ME_OR showed the strongest antioxidant activity (DPPH IC50 = 0.052 mg mL−1; ABTS = 3.94 mg TE mL−1; FRAP = 30.58 mg TE g−1), followed by CEO_OR (DPPH IC50 = 0.45 mg mL−1; ABTS = 9.57 mg TE mL−1; FRAP = 7.33 mg TE g−1), while WEO_OR displayed the lowest values (DPPH IC50 = 1.54 mg mL−1; ABTS = 0.10 mg TE mL−1). Furthermore, ME_OR and WEO_OR were tested in vitro using the human hepatoblastoma cell line HepG2 to assess their potential biological activities related to cell survival and oxidative stress. The results indicated that at the tested doses, neither the ME nor the EO showed significant toxicity, as evidenced by the unchanged proliferation rate of HepG2 cells. However, the ME at low doses (50 and 100 μg mL−1) and the EO (0.005%), administered as a pre-treatment, exhibited a protective effect against oxidative stress, as inferred from the reduction in 8-OHdG levels, a marker of oxidative damage to nucleic acids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Isolation and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants)
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14 pages, 1742 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Biological Components of Leaves and Flowers in Moringa peregrina and Their Effect on Proliferation of Staurogyne repens in Tissue Culture Conditions
by Hamideh Khajeh, Bahman Fazeli-Nasab, Ali Salehi Sardoei, Zeinab Fotoohiyan, Mehrnaz Hatami, Alireza Mirzaei, Mansour Ghorbanpour and Filippo Maggi
Plants 2025, 14(15), 2340; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152340 - 29 Jul 2025
Viewed by 267
Abstract
Moringa peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori is a tropical tree in southern Iran known as the most important natural coagulant in the world. Today, plant tissue culture is a new method that has a very high potential to produce valuable medicinal compounds on a commercial [...] Read more.
Moringa peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori is a tropical tree in southern Iran known as the most important natural coagulant in the world. Today, plant tissue culture is a new method that has a very high potential to produce valuable medicinal compounds on a commercial level. Advances in in vitro cultivation methods have increased the usefulness of plants as renewable resources. In this study, in addition to the phytochemical analysis of the extract of M. peregrina using HPLC, the interaction effect of different concentrations of aqueous extract of M. peregrina (0, 1, 1.5, and 3 mg/L) in two types of MS and ½ MS basal culture media over three weeks on the in vitro growth of Staurogyne repens (Nees) Kuntze was studied. The amounts of quercetin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, and myricetin in the aqueous extract of M. peregrina were 64.9, 374.8, 42, and 4.6 mg/g, respectively. The results showed that using M. peregrina leaf aqueous extract had a positive effect on the length of the branches, the percentage of green leaves, rooting, and the fresh and dry weight of S. repens samples. The highest increase in growth indices was observed in the MS culture medium supplemented with 3 mg/L of M. peregrina leaf aqueous extract after three weeks of cultivation. Of course, this effect was significantly greater in the MS medium and at higher concentrations compared to the ½ MS medium. Three weeks after cultivation at a concentration of 3 mg/L of the extract, the length of the S. repens branches was 5.3 and 1.8 cm in the two basic MS and ½ MS culture media, and the percentage of green leaves was 14 and 4 percent, respectively. Also, rooting was measured at 9.6 and 3.6 percent, fresh weight at 6 and 1.4 g, and dry weight at 1.1 and 0.03 g, respectively. Therefore, adding M. peregrina leaf aqueous extract as a stimulant significantly increased the in vitro growth of S. repens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Isolation and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants)
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17 pages, 3186 KiB  
Article
Unveiling the Pharmacognostic Potential of Peucedanum ostruthium (L.) W.D.J. Koch: A Comparative Study of Rhizome and Leaf Essential Oils
by Cristina Danna, Andrea Mainetti, Souda Belaid, Erminia La Camera, Domenico Trombetta, Laura Cornara and Antonella Smeriglio
Plants 2025, 14(13), 2047; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14132047 - 3 Jul 2025
Viewed by 374
Abstract
Peucedanum ostruthium (L.) W.D.J. Koch (Apiaceae) is a perennial herb native to alpine regions that is renowned in traditional medicine. This study provided a pharmacognostic evaluation, comparing the EOs obtained from its rhizomes and leaves (REO and LEO, respectively). A micromorphological analysis, which [...] Read more.
Peucedanum ostruthium (L.) W.D.J. Koch (Apiaceae) is a perennial herb native to alpine regions that is renowned in traditional medicine. This study provided a pharmacognostic evaluation, comparing the EOs obtained from its rhizomes and leaves (REO and LEO, respectively). A micromorphological analysis, which was carried out using fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy, revealed terpenoid-rich secretory ducts in both organs. The EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation and characterized by gas chromatography, coupled with flame ionization detection and mass spectrometry (GC-FID and GC-MS), revealing distinct chemical profiles. REO was dominated by monoterpenes (80.08%), especially D-limonene (29.13%), sabinene (19.77%), and α-phellandrene (12.02%), while LEO was sesquiterpene-rich (81.15%), with β-caryophyllene (21.78%), β-selinene (14.09%), and germacrene D (10.43%) as the major compounds. The in vitro assays demonstrated that both EOs exhibit significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, with LEO consistently outperforming REO across all tests. However, neither EO showed antimicrobial effects against common bacterial or fungal strains. This may have been due to the absence of polar antimicrobial constituents, such as coumarins, which are poorly recovered by hydrodistillation. To fully exploit the therapeutic potential of P. ostruthium, especially its antimicrobial properties, future studies should aim to develop integrated formulations combining volatile and non-volatile fractions, preserving the complete plant complex and broadening bioactivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Isolation and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants)
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12 pages, 748 KiB  
Article
Determination of Morphological and Quality Characteristics of Naturally Growing Thymus kotschyanus Boiss. & Hohen. var. kotschyanus Populations Around of Van/Türkiye
by Lütfi Nohutçu, Murat Tunçtürk, Rüveyde Tunçtürk, Ezelhan Şelem and Hüseyin Eroğlu
Plants 2025, 14(5), 729; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14050729 - 27 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 544
Abstract
In this study, morphological and quality characteristics (nutritional value, EO ratio and content, TPC, TFC, and TAA) of 12 different naturally growing populations (T1 to T12) of Thymus kotschyanus var. kotschyanus were investigated. In the case of macro and micro nutrients, all the [...] Read more.
In this study, morphological and quality characteristics (nutritional value, EO ratio and content, TPC, TFC, and TAA) of 12 different naturally growing populations (T1 to T12) of Thymus kotschyanus var. kotschyanus were investigated. In the case of macro and micro nutrients, all the populations have a rich ingredient, and for heavy metal content, all population results are within limits. The percentage of essential oils in the population varied between 0.43% to 4.66% (v/w). Thymol was the most abundant compound in the whole population and the percentage of thymol ranged from 4.07% to 81.15%. In the study, eight populations had more than 50% thymol content and the maximum percentage was recorded from the T1 population (81.15%). The total phenolic compound ranged from 152.81 to 195.23 mg GAE/g of dry extract and total flavonoid content ranged from 145.24 to 382.74 mg QE/100 g. Total antioxidant activity varies between 78.43 and 228.55 µmol TE/g and the highest value was obtained from population T7. PCA analysis was carried out to determine the morphological and quality parameters of the populations. Four populations were superior to others for morphological analysis and two populations were superior to others for quality analysis. According to the result of the study, the T10 population has higher yield and quality compared to other populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Isolation and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants)
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Review

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19 pages, 1341 KiB  
Review
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Traditional Medicinal Plants for Urolithiasis: A Scoping Review
by Brenda Pacheco-Hernández, Teresa Ayora-Talavera, Julia Cano-Sosa, Lilia G. Noriega, Neith Aracely Pacheco-López, Juan M. Vargas-Morales, Isabel Medina-Vera, Martha Guevara-Cruz, Rodolfo Chim-Aké, Ana Ligia Gutiérrez-Solis, Roberto Lugo and Azalia Avila-Nava
Plants 2025, 14(13), 2032; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14132032 - 2 Jul 2025
Viewed by 807
Abstract
Urolithiasis (UL) is the presence of stones in the kidneys or urinary tract; its prevalence has increased worldwide. Thus, strategies have been sought to reduce it and one of them is the use of medicinal plants due to their accessibility, low cost, and [...] Read more.
Urolithiasis (UL) is the presence of stones in the kidneys or urinary tract; its prevalence has increased worldwide. Thus, strategies have been sought to reduce it and one of them is the use of medicinal plants due to their accessibility, low cost, and cultural traditions. Studies on traditional medicinal plants in UL mainly documented results of litholytic and urinary parameters. Although, stone formation is related to oxidative stress and inflammation, and only a few studies are focused on these types of biomarkers. Thus, the aim of the present review was to summarize studies showing the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of traditional medicinal plants used in UL management. We performed a scoping review; the database sources used were MEDLINE/PubMed, Google Scholar, SpringerLink, Scielo and Redalyc. From a total of 184 studies screened, six were included from China (2), India (3), and Corea (1). These studies have shown the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of traditional medicinal plants, including Glechoma longituba (G. longituba), Bergenia ligulate (B. ligulate), Lygodium japonicum (L. japonicum), Citrus limon (C. limon), Xanthium strumarium (X. strumarium) and Tribulus terrestris (T. terrestris). They have also described their molecular mechanism of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects through the activation of antioxidant genes induced by Nrf2 or by suppressing the inflammatory gene expression by the inhibition of NFκ-B. These effects could be modulated by their bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and terpenes, present in these plants. This review summarizes the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of traditional medicinal plants and highlights their molecular mechanisms of action and main bioactive compounds. This evidence may be used in biotechnology and synthetic biology areas for the development of new products from plant-derived compounds to reduce the high recurrence rates of UL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Isolation and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants)
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54 pages, 5547 KiB  
Review
Soothing the Itch: The Role of Medicinal Plants in Alleviating Pruritus in Palliative Care
by Sara Gonçalves, Lisete Fernandes, Ana Caramelo, Maria Martins, Tânia Rodrigues and Rita S. Matos
Plants 2024, 13(24), 3515; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13243515 - 16 Dec 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 8304
Abstract
Chronic pruritus, or persistent itching, is a debilitating condition that severely impacts quality of life, especially in palliative care settings. Traditional treatments often fail to provide adequate relief or are associated with significant side effects, prompting interest in alternative therapies. This review investigates [...] Read more.
Chronic pruritus, or persistent itching, is a debilitating condition that severely impacts quality of life, especially in palliative care settings. Traditional treatments often fail to provide adequate relief or are associated with significant side effects, prompting interest in alternative therapies. This review investigates the antipruritic potential of eight medicinal plants: chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis), calendula (Calendula officinalis), curcumin (Curcuma longa), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), peppermint (Mentha piperita), and evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). These plants are analyzed for their traditional applications, active bioactive compounds, mechanisms of action, clinical evidence, usage, dosage, and safety profiles. Comprehensive searches were conducted in databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and b-on, focusing on in vitro, animal, and clinical studies using keywords like “plant”, “extract”, and “pruritus”. Studies were included regardless of publication date and limited to English-language articles. Findings indicate that active compounds such as polysaccharides in aloe vera, curcuminoids in turmeric, and menthol in peppermint exhibit significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-modulating properties. Chamomile and calendula alleviate itching through anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing effects, while lavender and licorice offer antimicrobial benefits alongside antipruritic relief. Evening primrose, rich in gamma-linolenic acid, is effective in atopic dermatitis-related itching. Despite promising preclinical and clinical results, challenges remain in standardizing dosages and formulations. The review highlights the necessity of further clinical trials to ensure efficacy and safety, advocating for integrating these botanical therapies into complementary palliative care practices. Such approaches emphasize holistic treatment, addressing chronic pruritus’s physical and emotional burden, thereby enhancing patient well-being. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Isolation and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants)
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