Topic Editors

School of Pharmacy, Pacific University Oregon, Hillsboro, OR 97123, USA
Dr. Mike Espiritu
School of Pharmacy, Pacific University Oregon, Hillsboro, OR 97123, USA

From Plant to Pharmacology: Understanding the Metabolism of Natural Products

Abstract submission deadline
30 June 2026
Manuscript submission deadline
31 August 2026
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961

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce this Topic dedicated to advancing our understanding of the metabolism of natural products, from their origins in plants to their applications in pharmacology. Natural products have been the cornerstone of drug discovery, particularly in developing therapeutics for various diseases. However, the metabolic processes governing their bioactivity, bioavailability, and efficacy are still not fully understood. This Topic invites contributions that explore the intricate pathways, enzymes, and mechanisms involved in the metabolism of plant-derived compounds and the potential implications for drug development and personalized medicine. We welcome original research, reviews, and perspectives on topics including but not limited to Plant Metabolomics, Metabolic Pathways, Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Biotransformation in Drug Development, Interaction with Drug Metabolizing Enzymes, Herb-Drug Interactions, Bioengineering, and Synthetic Biology. We look forward to your contributions, which will help drive the scientific understanding of plant metabolites' vital role in modern pharmacology. We look forward to your submissions!

Prof. Dr. Fawzy A. Elbarbry
Dr. Mike Espiritu
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • natural products
  • pharmacokinetics
  • pharmacodynamics
  • drug analysis
  • drug metabolism
  • drug interactions

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
International Journal of Plant Biology
ijpb
- 3.0 2010 19.6 Days CHF 1200 Submit
Molecules
molecules
4.6 8.6 1996 16.1 Days CHF 2700 Submit
Plants
plants
4.1 7.6 2012 17.7 Days CHF 2700 Submit
Toxins
toxins
4.0 8.2 2009 18.4 Days CHF 2700 Submit
Pharmaceuticals
pharmaceuticals
4.8 7.7 2004 14 Days CHF 2900 Submit
BioTech
biotech
3.1 4.8 2012 22.3 Days CHF 1600 Submit
Metabolites
metabolites
3.7 6.9 2011 14.4 Days CHF 2700 Submit

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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26 pages, 3880 KiB  
Review
Review of Biological Activities of Some Rare Oils from Amazonian Plants
by Luana Merckling-Almeida da Silva, Nicolas Merckling, Enrico Bigi, Katiane Cunha de Melo and Iuliana Popa
Metabolites 2025, 15(8), 554; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15080554 - 19 Aug 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: A great biodiversity of compounds from Brazilian medicinal plants are considered to be a promising source for biological activities in the cosmetics and pharmaceuticals sectors. Lipids and mainly fatty acids from Brazilian medicinal plants and their bioactive components are promising ingredients with [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: A great biodiversity of compounds from Brazilian medicinal plants are considered to be a promising source for biological activities in the cosmetics and pharmaceuticals sectors. Lipids and mainly fatty acids from Brazilian medicinal plants and their bioactive components are promising ingredients with proven diverse biological activities. To undertake a review of some rare oils of Brazilian medicinal plants with corroborated biological activities, we selected data from the scientific literature reporting the efficacy of plants used in folk medicine as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or other types of activity of their oil phases extracts and isolated fatty acids. Methods: A search of the literature was undertaken by using the following web tools: Web of Science, SciFinder, Pub-Med and ScienceDirect. The terms “biological activity”, “anti-inflammatory”, “açai oil, andiroba oil, bacuri butter, buriti oil, cupuaçu butter and pracaxi oil”, and “free fatty acids” and “Amazonian plant oils” were used as keywords in the search engines. The Tropicos and Reflora websites were used to verify the origin of the plants, and only native plants from Brazil were included in this review. Only the publications reporting the use of well-accepted scientific protocols to corroborate the potential biological activities of rare oils of Amazonian plants were considered. Results: We selected 6 Brazilian medicinal plant oils extracts (acai, andiroba, bacuri, buriti, cupuaçu, pracaxi) with multiple biological activities. The observations were presented as a function of the oil origin and the most important biological activities were detailed. Conclusions: The collected data on the rare oils from Amazonian plants, in the form of crude extract and/or isolated compounds, showed significant biological activities involving different mechanisms of action, indicating that these oils could be an important source of lipids with biological activity. Full article
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18 pages, 1363 KiB  
Article
Rosemary Extract: Phytochemical Composition and Potential for Eliminating Polymicrobial Biofilm of Candida albicans and Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria
by Tuana Mendonça Faria Cintra, Raquel Teles de Menezes, Lara Steffany de Carvalho, Leticia de Miguel Nazario, Leandro Wang Hantao, Maria Cristina Marcucci, Luciane Dias de Oliveira and Vanessa Marques Meccatti-Domiciano
BioTech 2025, 14(3), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech14030061 - 13 Aug 2025
Viewed by 338
Abstract
Herbal medicines can be promising for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. This study aimed to evaluate Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) hydroalcoholic extract (RHE) regarding its phytochemical composition and potential for eliminating polymicrobial biofilm of Candida albicans with multidrug-resistant bacteria (Acinetobacter [...] Read more.
Herbal medicines can be promising for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. This study aimed to evaluate Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) hydroalcoholic extract (RHE) regarding its phytochemical composition and potential for eliminating polymicrobial biofilm of Candida albicans with multidrug-resistant bacteria (Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The extraction and quantification of the extract (flavonoids and phenols) were performed, and its antioxidant activity (DPPH) and the presence of bio-active compounds were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography with Diode Array Detection (HPLC-DAD) and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC) were determined, and the extract’s action on polymicrobial biofilms was evaluated using the MTT assay. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s tests, as well as Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn’s tests, with a significance level of 5%. RHE showed compatible amounts of flavonoids and phenols, with an EC50 of 19.53 µg/mL. Through HPLC-DAD and GC-MS, biomolecules such as rosmarinic acid and α-Pinene were identified. The extract exhibited microbicidal activity and antibiofilm action, with reduction percentages of up to 69.6% (p < 0.05), showing superior performance compared to 0.12% chlorhexidine against C. albicans + A. baumannii. In conclusion, RHE may be a promising therapeutic agent against multidrug-resistant pathogens. Full article
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