Biological and Pharmacological Activity of Natural Products

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products have served as a cornerstone of medicine and therapeutics, providing an invaluable source of diverse and complex chemical scaffolds. They offer novel leads against a spectrum of diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and neurological conditions. This Topic aims to compile cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews that highlight the ongoing significance of the biological and pharmacological activity of natural products in biomedical science.

We invite submissions that explore the isolation, characterization, and mechanistic evaluation of bioactive agents derived from plants, marine organisms, microorganisms, and fungi. Topics include, but are not limited to, the molecular mechanisms of action, signal pathway modulation, in vitro and in vivo pharmacological evaluations, structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies, and the development of natural product-derived therapeutics or nutraceuticals.

This collection seeks to provide a platform for scientists to share discoveries that underscore the immense potential of natural products in addressing current and future health challenges.

Dr. Laura De Martino
Prof. Dr. Yajun Zheng
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Chemistry chemistry	2.4	3.9	2019	15 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Foods foods	5.1	8.7	2012	15 Days	CHF 2900	Submit
Molecules molecules	4.6	8.6	1996	15.1 Days	CHF 2700	Submit
Organics organics	1.6	2.8	2020	22.3 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Pharmaceuticals pharmaceuticals	4.8	7.7	2004	16 Days	CHF 2900	Submit
Plants plants	4.1	7.6	2012	16.5 Days	CHF 2700	Submit
Polysaccharides polysaccharides	5.5	9.7	2020	25.4 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Sci sci	-	5.2	2019	26.7 Days	CHF 1400	Submit

Preprints.org is a multidisciplinary platform offering a preprint service designed to facilitate the early sharing of your research. It supports and empowers your research journey from the very beginning.

MDPI Topics is collaborating with Preprints.org and has established a direct connection between MDPI journals and the platform. Authors are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by posting their preprints at Preprints.org prior to publication:

1. Share your research immediately: disseminate your ideas prior to publication and establish priority for your work.
2. Safeguard your intellectual contribution: Protect your ideas with a time-stamped preprint that serves as proof of your research timeline.
3. Boost visibility and impact: Increase the reach and influence of your research by making it accessible to a global audience.
4. Gain early feedback: Receive valuable input and insights from peers before submitting to a journal.
5. Ensure broad indexing: Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Google Scholar, Crossref, SHARE, PrePubMed, Scilit and Europe PMC.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results

Content type Publication Date

Result details

Normal Extended Compact

Journals

All Molecules Organics Chemistry Plants Polysaccharides Foods Pharmaceuticals Sci

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

21 pages, 4404 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Evidence for Potentiation of M-Type Potassium Current by Flavonoid Corylin (3-(2,2-Dimethylchromen-6-yl)-7-hydroxychromen-4-one)

by Sheng-Nan Wu, Rasa Liutkevičienė and Sheng-Che Lin

Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(5), 713; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19050713 - 30 Apr 2026

Viewed by 371

Abstract

Background: Corylin (3-(2,2-dimethylchromen-6-yl)-7-hydroxychromen-4-one), a bioactive flavonoid, has been reported to exercise anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, and antioxidant effects, and may also possess lifespan-extending properties. Objectives: Any modifications of transmembrane ionic currents produced by corylin remain largely unknown. Methods: The patch-clamp technique and docking prediction were [...] Read more.

Background: Corylin (3-(2,2-dimethylchromen-6-yl)-7-hydroxychromen-4-one), a bioactive flavonoid, has been reported to exercise anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, and antioxidant effects, and may also possess lifespan-extending properties. Objectives: Any modifications of transmembrane ionic currents produced by corylin remain largely unknown. Methods: The patch-clamp technique and docking prediction were used in this study. Results: In pituitary GH₃ somatolactotrophs, corylin concentration-dependently increased the magnitude of the M-type K⁺ current (I_K(M)), with an EC₅₀ of 3.8 μM. Concurrently, the activation time constant of I_K(M) was shortened. The addition of linopirdine (10 μM), an I_K(M) inhibitor, suppressed the current amplitude. Corylin also induced a leftward shift in the steady-state activation curve and enhanced I_K(M) during pulse-train stimulation. Moreover, corylin increases the hysteretic strength of I_K(M) evoked by a long-lasting triangular ramp pulse; this effect was attenuated by linopirdine. The stimulatory effect of corylin on I_K(M) was not altered by carvedilol or iberiotoxin but was reduced by dapagliflozin. In contrast, depolarization-activated I_K(M) was not affected by 17β-estradiol alone. In cell-attached recordings, corylin increased M-type K⁺ (K_M)-channel activity with minimal change in single-channel amplitude, while prolonging the mean open time. This stimulatory effect was reversed by linopirdine or dapagliflozin. Additionally, corylin slightly inhibited the erg-mediated current. Docking analysis further suggested that corylin potentially interacts with residues in KCNQ2 or KCNH2 channels via hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Conclusions: These findings suggest that corylin modulates ionic currents, primarily through K_M (KCNQ/K_V7) channels, which may underlie its in vivo actions and those of related flavonoids. These effects may contribute to the regulation of functional activities of neuronal, neuroendocrine, and endocrine cells. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Biological and Pharmacological Activity of Natural Products)

►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

 

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

Displaying articles 1-1