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Bioactive Compounds from Plant Natural Products: Ethnopharmacology and Phytochemistry
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Bioactive Compounds from Plant Natural Products: Ethnopharmacology and Phytochemistry

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 7730

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Gerardo Cebrián-Torrejón

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory COVACHIM-M2E, University of Antilles, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
Interests: ethnopharmacology; chemical ecology; medicinal chemistry; green chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The combination between ethnopharmacology and phytochemistry has worked as a tandem for the validation of medicinal plants uses and the discovery of new bioactive natural products. This Special Issue, “Bioactive Compounds from Plant Natural Products: Ethnopharmacology and Phytochemistry,” will present a collection of papers presenting ethnopharmacological surveys combined with the phytochemical and pharmacological studies of natural products.

At present, the natural products from plants are receiving increasing interest from many fields of knowledge; as such, your expertise on this topic could contribute to enhancing the interest in this important Special Issue.

We cordially invite researchers working in this field to contribute original research articles, communications, and critical review articles. Papers on single compounds are also welcome.

Dr. Gerardo Cebrián-Torrejón
Guest Editor

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

  • phytochemistry
  • natural products
  • biological activity
  • alkaloids
  • phenolics
  • terpenoids
  • sulfur compounds

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3844 KiB  
Article
Cultivated St. John’s Wort Flower Heads Accumulate Tocotrienols over Tocopherols, Regardless of the Year of the Plant
by Ieva Miķelsone, Elise Sipeniece, Inga Mišina, Elvita Bondarenko and Paweł Górnaś
Plants 2025, 14(6), 852; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060852 - 9 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 548
Abstract
St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) has been extensively utilized across various traditional medicinal systems, including ancient Greek medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and Islamic medicine. H. perforatum is a well-known medicinal plant due to the presence of hypericin and hyperforin, which are [...] Read more.
St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) has been extensively utilized across various traditional medicinal systems, including ancient Greek medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and Islamic medicine. H. perforatum is a well-known medicinal plant due to the presence of hypericin and hyperforin, which are natural antidepressants. Recent studies indicate that the inflorescences of wild H. perforatum are a source of rare tocotrienols, primarily δ-T3. Similar studies are lacking for cultivated species. H. perforatum was grown for three years. At full bloom each year, the plant was cut and separated into its parts: stems, leaves, flower buds, and flowers. Tocotrienols (T3s) were present in each part of the H. perforatum. The lowest concentration of tocotrienols was recorded in stems and the highest in flower buds (1.7–4.2 and 88.2–104.7 mg/100 g dry weight, respectively). Flower buds and flowers were the main source of α-T3 and δ-T3 tocotrienols. The plant part has a significant impact on the tocochromanol profile and concentration, while the year of harvest/plant aging does not. The present study demonstrates that cultivated H. perforatum flower heads are the first known flowers with relatively high concentrations of tocotrienols. St. John’s wort flower buds accumulate tocotrienols over tocopherols, regardless of the year of the plant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Plant Natural Products: Ethnopharmacology and Phytochemistry)
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13 pages, 570 KiB  
Article
Anti-Obesity and Weight Management-Related Antioxidant Potential Properties of Calabrian Pine Extracts: Pinus nigra Subsp. laricio (Poir.) Maire
by Mary Fucile, Carmine Lupia, Martina Armentano, Mariangela Marrelli, Ludovica Zicarelli, Claudia-Crina Toma, Giancarlo Statti and Filomena Conforti
Plants 2025, 14(6), 851; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060851 - 8 Mar 2025
Viewed by 856
Abstract
Natural extracts derived from plants have gained attention as potential therapeutic agents for obesity management. Some natural extracts were demonstrated to inhibit pancreatic lipase and alpha amylase, potentially influencing nutrient absorption and contributing to weight management. Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poir.) Maire, commonly [...] Read more.
Natural extracts derived from plants have gained attention as potential therapeutic agents for obesity management. Some natural extracts were demonstrated to inhibit pancreatic lipase and alpha amylase, potentially influencing nutrient absorption and contributing to weight management. Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poir.) Maire, commonly known as the Calabrian pine or larch pine, is a subspecies of the black pine native to the mountains of southern Italy and Corsica. This study investigated the phytochemical content and antioxidant (DPPH and β-carotene bleaching assays) and enzymatic (lipase and amylase inhibition) activities of ethanolic extracts from apical shoots and branches, fractionated into n-hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate. All the extracts were also subjected to a preliminary evaluation of their anti-inflammatory potential by measuring the ability to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. The ethyl acetate branch fraction exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity (DPPH IC50 15.67 ± 0.16 μg/mL), while the total branch extract best inhibited pancreatic lipase (IC50 0.62 mg/mL). Amylase inhibition was strongest in the ethyl acetate apical shoot fraction (IC50 22.05 ± 0.29 µg/mL). The branches’ hexane and dichloromethane fractions showed the greatest anti-inflammatory potential, inhibiting NO production in RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values comparable to the positive control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Plant Natural Products: Ethnopharmacology and Phytochemistry)
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12 pages, 1991 KiB  
Article
The HPLC–PDA Method for Simultaneous Determination of Regalosides from Bulbs of Lilium lancifolium Thunb. and Their Antioxidant Effects
by Chang-Seob Seo, No Soo Kim and Kwang-Hoon Song
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2793; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192793 - 5 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 971
Abstract
Lilium lancifolium Thunb. is a herbal medicine that is widely used to treat inflammation and lung diseases. In this study, a simultaneous quantitative method was developed for the quality control of BLL using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector (HPLC–PDA), [...] Read more.
Lilium lancifolium Thunb. is a herbal medicine that is widely used to treat inflammation and lung diseases. In this study, a simultaneous quantitative method was developed for the quality control of BLL using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector (HPLC–PDA), and their antioxidant effects were evaluated. Eight regalosides (i.e., regaloside A, B, C, E, F, H, I, and K) were selected as marker substances and separated on a Gemini C18 reversed-phase analytical column by gradient elution with distilled water–acetonitrile mobile phase containing 0.1% (v/v) formic acid. The method was validated with respect to linearity, sensitivities (limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ)), accuracy, and precision. The antioxidant effects of the extract and each component were evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay and 2-2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay. The coefficients of determination values used as indicators of linearity for all components were ≥0.9999. LOD and LOQ concentrations were 0.10–0.66 μg/mL and 0.29–2.01 μg/mL, respectively. The recovery was 95.39–103.925% (relative standard deviation; RSD ≤ 2.55%), and precision RSD was <2.78%. The HPLC–PDA method was applied to real samples, and all components were detected at 1.12–29.76 mg/freeze-dried g. The evaluation of antioxidant effects showed that regalosides C, E, and K exhibited significant antioxidant effects. Our knowledge will be appropriately utilized in raw material management and conducting clinical and non-clinical studies on L. lancifolium or herbal medicine prescriptions containing L. lancifolium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Plant Natural Products: Ethnopharmacology and Phytochemistry)
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34 pages, 2877 KiB  
Article
Survey on the Traditional Use of Medicinal Herbs in Haiti: A Study on Knowledge, Practices, and Efficacy Prevention
by Valendy Thesnor, Yvens Cheremond, Muriel Sylvestre, Patrick Meffre, Gerardo Cebrián-Torrejón and Zohra Benfodda
Plants 2024, 13(17), 2383; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172383 - 26 Aug 2024
Viewed by 3344
Abstract
The use of medicinal herbs is highly developed in Haiti. However, there is a significant lack of knowledge in the literature on medicinal plants and their uses. The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and practices of Haitian families for [...] Read more.
The use of medicinal herbs is highly developed in Haiti. However, there is a significant lack of knowledge in the literature on medicinal plants and their uses. The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and practices of Haitian families for the prevention/treatment of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory diseases, as well as the mode of preparation and administration of the plants. Individuals were interviewed using the TRAMIL questionnaire as the information holder. The data obtained were analyzed by calculating 5 indices (relative frequency of citation, use value, the family use value, informant consensus factor, and fidelity level). The study surveyed 120 Haitians and collected 75 plants from 43 botanical families. The botanical family most used for all these preventions and remedies is the Lamiaceae. The highest ranked species with a relative frequency of citation value > 0.3. Infusion, decoction, and in the form of punch are the methods used for the remedies. The study found that the use of herbal remedies is still prevalent in the study area, and many of the commonly used plants have been scientifically validated. However, some plants, such as Samyda rosea Sims, lack sufficient research and are recommended for further investigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Plant Natural Products: Ethnopharmacology and Phytochemistry)
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Review

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35 pages, 3379 KiB  
Review
Bioactive Molecules, Ethnomedicinal Uses, Toxicology, and Pharmacology of Peltophorum africanum Sond (Fabaceae): Systematic Review
by Nkoana I. Mongalo and Maropeng V. Raletsena
Plants 2025, 14(2), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020239 - 16 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1230
Abstract
Plants have long been used to treat serious illnesses in both humans and animals. A significant underappreciated medicinal tree, Peltophorum africanum Sond is utilized by many different ethnic groups to cure a wide range of illnesses. A variety of electronic databases, including ScienceDirect, [...] Read more.
Plants have long been used to treat serious illnesses in both humans and animals. A significant underappreciated medicinal tree, Peltophorum africanum Sond is utilized by many different ethnic groups to cure a wide range of illnesses. A variety of electronic databases, including ScienceDirect, Scopus, Scielo, Scifinder, PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, and Google Scholar, were used to search the literature on P. africanum, using key words such as uses, survey, pharmacology, antigonococcal, toxicity, phytochemistry and others. Further data was obtained from several scholarly theses, dissertations, and books on general plant sciences, ethnomedicine, and other pertinent ethnobotanical topics. The plant species possess very important pharmacological activities in vitro, which includes antimicrobial, anti-HIV, antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, and other activities. Phytochemically, the plant possesses various classes of compounds, dominated by flavonols, which may well explain its wider range of pharmacological activities. Although the plant is promising anti-HIV activity, the mode of action and safety profiles of the plant also need to be explored as its extracts exerted some degree of mutagenicity. It is also important to further explore its ethnoveterinary use against a plethora of nematodes that infects both wild and domestic animals. Given its potent pharmacological activity, the further in vivo studies need to be explored to ascertain the comprehensive toxicology of the plant species, thereby developing possible medications. The plant species may further be elevated to a potent pharmaceutical product against plethora of infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Plant Natural Products: Ethnopharmacology and Phytochemistry)
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