Exploring the Biodiversity and Bioactive Potential of Plants and Fungi: From Phytochemicals to Medicinal Applications
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2025 | Viewed by 39
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biodiversity; biological activities; dermatophyte; essential oils; medicinal plants; mushrooms; non-volatile extracts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Plant and fungal biodiversity plays a crucial role in both natural ecosystems and the human economy. Approximately 700 fungal species have been identified as having therapeutic properties, making them a valuable source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in medicine, pharmaceuticals, and the agri-food sector. Many edible mushrooms and plants contain bioactive compounds with dietary and medicinal benefits, including anticancer, immunostimulatory (e.g., glucans, glycoproteins, sesquiterpenoids, and triterpenoids), anti-atherosclerotic (e.g., chitin, chitosans, and statins), antibacterial and antifungal (antibiotic), and antioxidant (e.g., sterols, tocopherols, flavonoids, carotenoids, indole compounds, and phenolic compounds) properties.
This Special Issue of Plants (an MDPI journal) aims to showcase innovative research on the chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutic applications of plant- and fungus-derived secondary metabolites. Its focus will be on the isolation and characterization of novel phytochemicals, the evaluation of their biological activities, and the elucidation of their mechanisms of action. We particularly welcome studies investigating the antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties of plant and fungal extracts.
Additionally, we encourage contributions that explore the ethnobotanical and biotechnological relevance of these natural resources, as well as novel strategies for their valorization. Researchers from diverse fields—including pharmaceutical chemistry and plant biotechnology—are invited to submit their work and contribute to a deeper understanding of the therapeutic potential of natural biodiversity. Through this Special Issue, we seek to foster scientific dialogue and advance new perspectives in natural product research.
Dr. Paola Angelini
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
- biodiversity
- phytochemicals
- bioactive compounds
- therapeutic properties
- medicinal applications
- antioxidants
- antimicrobial
- anticancer
- pharmacology
- fungi
- ethnobotanical
- biotechnology
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