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Toxins
Special Issues
Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins: From Plant Toxins to Drug Applications
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Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins: From Plant Toxins to Drug Applications

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Toxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 837

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Maria Angeles Rojo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Experimental Sciences, University of Europea Miguel de Cervantes, 47012 Valladolid, Spain
Interests: lectins; toxicity; ribosome-inactivating proteins; proteins as drug targets
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ribosome-inactivating proteins are proteins that act on the cellular translation mechanism of cells. They have been classified according to their structure or their mechanism for carrying out their activity when they come into contact with a cell. Their applicability in the biomedical field is related to the selectivity of the target cell. Among the obstacles for the use of RIPs in the treatment of cancer or diseases where viruses are the protagonists are their short half-life in the cytoplasm, non-selective cytotoxicity and antigenicity. Therefore, strategies have been developed to improve the pharmacological properties of RIPs. These strategies include the combination of these proteins with antibodies, increasing their plasma life with polyethylene glycol, creating peptide or protein subunit nanoparticles with antibodies or forming a part of drugs using nanotechnologies.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the use of RIPs in the biomedical field, to describe their physiological and pathological characteristics and effects, as well as their applicability in nutrition and medicine.

Prof. Dr. Maria Angeles Rojo
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 double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxins is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

  • plant toxins
  • ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs)
  • targeted therapy
  • ricin
  • lectins

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 1034 KiB  
Article
Monitoring of Vitamin C Plasma Levels in a Reversible Model of Malabsorption Generated in Mice by Ebulin-f
by Daniel Arranz-Paraiso, M. Angeles Rojo, Cristina Martin-Sabroso, Manuel Cordoba-Diaz, Tomás Girbés, Manuel Garrosa and Damian Cordoba-Diaz
Toxins 2025, 17(7), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17070333 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 329
Abstract
The development of reversible animal models for the study of intestinal pathologies is essential to reduce the number of animals used in research and to better understand disease mechanisms. In this study, we present a reversible model of intestinal malabsorption through the administration [...] Read more.
The development of reversible animal models for the study of intestinal pathologies is essential to reduce the number of animals used in research and to better understand disease mechanisms. In this study, we present a reversible model of intestinal malabsorption through the administration of sublethal doses of ebulin-f, a ribosome-inactivating protein, and validate its usefulness by monitoring vitamin C absorption. The scientific community increasingly recognizes the importance of rationalizing experimental designs, optimizing treatment protocols, and minimizing the use of animals in research models. Thus, new methodologies are needed to minimize invasive sampling and to develop reversible animal models that recover physiologically post-study. Such models are essential for in vivo studies of human pathologies. Sublethal doses of ebulin-f (2.5 mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally to female Swiss CD1 mice (n = 6 per group) can cause reversible intestinal alterations in the small intestine, which offer the possibility of having a valuable reversible study model of malabsorption for the investigation of this syndrome. To verify whether nutrient absorption is altered, we used vitamin C as a traceable nutrient that can be quantified in the blood. Peripheral blood samples were collected through the retro-orbital area at 30, 80, 120, 180, and 1440 min post-administration, treated with DTT and MPA, and analyzed using a validated UV/Vis–HPLC method to indirectly determine vitamin C absorption by enterocytes. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed significantly increased vitamin C absorption on days 1 and 3 post-treatment (AUC values of 3.65 × 104 and 7.10 × 104, respectively) compared to control (0.94 × 104), with partial recovery by day 22 (3.27 × 104). Blood concentration profiles indicate that intestinal damage peaks at day 3, followed by significant regeneration by day 22, establishing this as a viable reversible model for inflammatory bowel disease research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins: From Plant Toxins to Drug Applications)
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