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Antibacterial Agents from Natural Source, 3rd Edition

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 513

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Antimicrobial Testing, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-320, MG, Brazil
Interests: antibacterial activity; medicinal plants; biofilm; anaerobe; natural products; medicinal chemistry; bioactive compounds; anti-virulence
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The golden age of antibiotics is becoming something of the past. This is due not only to the increase in bacterial resistance against antibiotics, but also to the decrease in the investment by pharmaceutical industries in the search for new antibacterial products. In this scenario, the search for new targets and antibacterial compounds that can control infections through natural products has become extremely relevant to advances in knowledge in this area.

Research on natural products with antibacterial potential, which aims to obtain active principles or chemical synthesis models for the development of  new drugs, has reflected the enormous interest of the scientific community in this field. Moreover, research on the biodiversity of crude extracts, isolated compounds, derived synthetics, amongst other products, obtained from vegetal species, animal venom (vertebrate and invertebrate), and minerals, is playing an important role due to the rich terrestrial diversity and abundant possible sources. Therefore, this kind of research requires further study.

The variety of molecules found in natural products has already contributed to the treatment of infectious diseases, and they are a valuable resource in terms of antibacterial control through products commercialized by the cosmetic, dentistry, food, and plague-control industries.

This Special Issue of Molecules will be dedicated to the publication of original research and reviews of bioactive compounds obtained from natural products with antibacterial potential in their different forms of expression, including a chemical approach, biologic assays (in vitro and in vivo), new targets, and anti-virulence and in silico studies. Papers that describe the development of new alternatives and action mechanism strategies, or pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of molecules obtained from natural products, are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Carlos H. G. Martins
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Molecules 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

  • natural products
  • antibacterial activity
  • anti-virulence
  • bioactive molecules
  • mechanisms and applications
  • biological activity
  • drug development
  • antibacterial peptides

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

19 pages, 357 KB  
Review
Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris Eradication Strategies with Physical Methods and Natural-Origin Substances Intended for Food Industry
by Agnieszka Tyfa and Alina Kunicka-Styczyńska
Molecules 2026, 31(2), 257; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31020257 - 12 Jan 2026
Viewed by 358
Abstract
Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris is an acidothermophilic bacterium considered a significant challenge to the food industry, particularly in the production of fruit juices and concentrates. Its ability to survive pasteurization and form spores and biofilms makes it a persistent contaminant that can spoil products and [...] Read more.
Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris is an acidothermophilic bacterium considered a significant challenge to the food industry, particularly in the production of fruit juices and concentrates. Its ability to survive pasteurization and form spores and biofilms makes it a persistent contaminant that can spoil products and generate off-flavors even during product storage. Recent studies have increasingly focused on developing new strategies to eliminate both vegetative cells and biofilms, with special attention on natural compounds such as plant extracts, essential oils and antimicrobial metabolites. These natural agents offer promising alternatives for controlling A. acidoterrestris and might contribute to improvement in safety and quality of juice products. This article presents a comprehensive overview of current strategies for controlling Alicyclobacillus species in food processing environments, with an emphasis on A. acidoterrestris as a major spoilage organism in the fruit juice industry. It summarizes the established physical and chemical control methods, as well as highlights emerging novel approaches involving natural-origin antimicrobial compounds considered useful for mitigating Alicyclobacillus contamination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibacterial Agents from Natural Source, 3rd Edition)
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