Submit to Molecules Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2023) | Viewed by 32993

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Yibin Feng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
Interests: bioactive compounds; traditional Chinese herbs; cancer; metabolic diseases; pharmacology; toxicology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Medicinal herbs as a source of drugs and medicine have been used for thousands of years for the treatment of human diseases. Though empirical and observational in its ancient record, the efficacy and effectiveness of medicinal herbs has gained some scientific evidence from a great number of recent labs and clinical studies. In particular, the focuses of recent researchers have been on the comprehensive analysis of the actions and mechanisms of medicinal herbs by applying several frontier OMICs and bioinformatics technologies in modern biomedicine. The successful application of these techniques has largely advanced our knowledge in medicinal herbs and improved the integration between natural products chemistry and disciplines of modern medical sciences. This integration also benefits the new drug discovery and development for human diseases in the way that traditional wisdom in the use of medicinal herbs can be successfully decoded and co-opted.

This Special Issue aims to cover the recent research advances in the field of medicinal herbs by making full use of modern technologies in biomedicine, especially OMICs technologies and system biology. Original and review articles for this special issue "Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs" covering but are not limited to the following aspects are welcomed.

The Guest editor Dr. Yibin Feng and his editorial team from Dr. Xuanbin Wang, Hubei Medical University, Dr. Ming Hong, Guangzhou University, Dr. Sha Li, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Dr. Hor Yue Tan, Dr. Zhaoxiang Bian, Hong Kong Baptiste University, and Dr. Ning Wang, The University of Hong Kong, will help the authors to identify their concrete topics and support the paper-review process.

Bioactive Compounds from medicinal herbs and gut microbiota.
Bioactive Compounds from medicinal herbs and OMIC technologies.
Bioactive Compounds from medicinal herbs and big data analysis.
Bioactive Compounds from medicinal herbs and new emerging diseases, such as COVID-19, etc.
Bioactive Compounds from medicinal herbs and multidisciplinary technologies in biology, chemistry, pharmacology, etc.

Prof. Dr. Yibin Feng
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. 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

bioactive compounds
medicinal herbs
traditional Chinese herbs
bioactivities
cancer
metabolic diseases
emerging diseases
OMICs
system biology
gut microbiota
big data

Published Papers (12 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 905 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Vitro α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Effects, Antioxidant Activities, and Lutein Content of Nine Different Cultivars of Marigold Flowers (Tagetes spp.)

by Wason Parklak, Sakaewan Ounjaijean, Kanokwan Kulprachakarn and Kongsak Boonyapranai

Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3314; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28083314 - 08 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1503

Abstract

Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are major sources of bioactive compounds. The flowers are used to treat a variety of illnesses and have both antioxidant and antidiabetic effects. However, marigolds exhibit a wide range of genetic variations. Because of this, both the bioactive compounds and biological activities of the plants differ between cultivars. In the present study, nine marigold cultivars grown in Thailand were evaluated for their bioactive compound content, as well as for their antioxidant and antidiabetic activities, using spectrophotometric methods. The results showed that the Sara Orange cultivar possessed the highest total carotenoid content (431.63 mg/100 g). However, Nata 001 (NT1) had the highest amount of total phenolic compounds (161.17 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (20.05 mg QE/g), and lutein (7.83 mg/g), respectively. NT1 exhibited strong activities against the DPPH radical and ABTS radical cation, and had the highest FRAP value as well. Moreover, NT1 demonstrated the most significant (p < 0.05) α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects (IC₅₀ values of 2.57 and 3.12 mg/mL, respectively). The nine marigold cultivars had reasonable correlations between lutein content and the capacity to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities. Hence, NT1 may be a good source of lutein; it may also be beneficial in both functional food production and medical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Poria cocos Polysaccharide PCP-1C on M1 Macrophage Polarization via the Notch Signaling Pathway

by Xuerui Hu, Bangzhen Hong, Xiaoxiao Shan, Yue Cheng, Daiyin Peng, Rongfeng Hu, Lei Wang and Weidong Chen

Molecules 2023, 28(5), 2140; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28052140 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1775

Abstract

The homogeneous galactoglucan PCP-1C extracted from Poria cocos sclerotium has multiple biological activities. The present study demonstrated the effect of PCP-1C on the polarization of RAW 264.7 macrophages and the underlying molecular mechanism. Scanning electron microscopy showed that PCP-1C is a detrital-shaped polysaccharide with fish-scale patterns on the surface, with a high sugar content. The ELISA assay, qRT-PCR assay, and flow cytometry assay showed that the presence of PCP-1C could induce higher expression of M1 markers, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-12 (IL-12), when compared with the control and the LPS group, and it caused a decrease in the level of interleukin-10 (IL-10), which is the marker for M2 macrophages. At the same time, PCP-1C induces an increase in the CD86 (an M1 marker)/CD206 (an M2 marker) ratio. The results of the Western blot assay showed that PCP-1C induced activation of the Notch signaling pathway in macrophages. Notch1, ligand Jagged1, and Hes1 were all up-regulated with the incubation of PCP-1C. These results indicate that the homogeneous Poria cocos polysaccharide PCP-1C improves M1 macrophage polarization through the Notch signaling pathway. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 2523 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Betulinic Acid Inhibits the Stemness of Gastric Cancer Cells by Regulating the GRP78-TGF-β1 Signaling Pathway and Macrophage Polarization

by Jen-Lung Chen, Yun-Shen Tai, Hsin-Yi Tsai, Chia-Yuan Hsieh, Chun-Lin Chen, Chung-Jung Liu, Deng-Chyang Wu, Yaw-Bin Huang and Ming-Wei Lin

Molecules 2023, 28(4), 1725; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28041725 - 11 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1914

Abstract

Cancer stemness is the process by which cancer cells acquire chemoresistance and self-renewal in the tumor microenvironment. Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) is a biomarker for gastric cancer and is involved in cancer stemness. By inducing cancer stemness in various types of cancer, the polarization of macrophages into tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) controls tumor progression. Betulinic acid (BA) is a bioactive natural compound with anticancer properties. However, whether GRP78 regulates TAM-mediated cancer stemness in the tumor microenvironment and whether BA inhibits GRP78-mediated cancer stemness in gastric cancer remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of GRP78 in gastric cancer stemness in a tumor microenvironment regulated by BA. The results indicated that BA inhibited not only GRP78-mediated stemness-related protein expression and GRP78-TGF-β-mediated macrophage polarization into TAMs, but also TAM-mediated cancer stemness. Therefore, BA is a promising candidate for clinical application in combination-chemotherapy targeting cancer stemness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1882 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Components of Oxytropis pseudoglandulosa Induce Apoptotic-Type Cell Death of Caco-2 Cells

by Tuya Narangerel, Małgorzata Zakłos-Szyda, Michał Sójka, Iwona Majak, Maria Koziołkiewicz and Joanna Leszczyńska

Molecules 2022, 27(14), 4609; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27144609 - 19 Jul 2022

Viewed by 1396

Abstract

Oxytropis pseudoglandulosa plant is used in traditional Mongolian medicine. However, its chemical composition and biological properties are poorly explored. In this study, the total content of polyphenols and flavonoids as well as antioxidant activity were verified in plant extract. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined by spectrometric (6.62 mg GAE/g and 10.32 mg QE/g) and chromatographic (17,598 mg/kg and 17,467 mg/kg) assays. The antioxidant potential was investigated by DPPH assay and yielded IC₅₀ at 18.76 µg/mL. Twelve phenolic compounds were identified as components of O. pseudoglandulosa extract. Kaempferol-3-O-robinosyl-7-O-rhamnoside and kaempferol-3-(p-coumaroyl)-rutinosyl-7-rhamnoside made up 80% of determined components and were found to be the major polyphenolic compounds. The biological properties of O. pseudoglandulosa extracts were determined in vitro using human epithelial adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cell line. Low concentrations of extract (0–30 µg/mL) exhibited protective effects against cell damage caused by chemically induced oxidative stress. Elevated concentrations, on the other hand, resulted in apoptotic-type cell death induction. Metabolic failure, ROS elevation and membrane permeabilization observed in cells upon incubation with extract dosages above 50 µg/mL allowed us to conclude on O. pseudoglandulosa being predominantly a necrosis inducer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 3388 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Naringenin and Phytoestrogen 8-Prenylnaringenin Protect against Islet Dysfunction and Inhibit Apoptotic Signaling in Insulin-Deficient Diabetic Mice

by Song Park, Kyu-Sang Sim, Yeop Hwangbo, Sung-Jin Park, Young-Jun Kim and Jun-Ho Kim

Molecules 2022, 27(13), 4227; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27134227 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1936

Abstract

It has been shown that citrus flavanone naringenin and its prenyl derivative 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN) possess various pharmacological activities in in vitro and in vivo models. Interestingly, it has been proposed that prenylation can enhance biological potentials, including the estrogen-like activities of flavonoids. The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-diabetic potential and molecular mechanism of 8-PN in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced insulin-deficient diabetic mice in comparison with naringenin reported to exhibit hypoglycemic effects. The oral administration of naringenin and 8-PN ameliorated impaired glucose homeostasis and islet dysfunction induced by STZ treatment. These protective effects were associated with the suppression of pancreatic β-cell apoptosis and inflammatory responses in mice. Moreover, both naringenin and 8-PN normalized STZ-induced insulin-signaling defects in skeletal muscles and apoptotic protein expression in the liver. Importantly, 8-PN increased the protein expression levels of estrogen receptor-α (ERα) in the pancreas and liver and of fibroblast growth factor 21 in the liver, suggesting that 8-PN could act as an ERα agonist in the regulation of glucose homeostasis. This study provides novel insights into the mechanisms underlying preventive effects of naringenin and 8-PN on the impairment of glucose homeostasis in insulin-deficient diabetic mice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simultaneous Determination of Fourteen Marker Compounds in the Traditional Herbal Prescription, Geumgwesingihwan, Using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

by Chang-Seob Seo and Mee-Young Lee

Molecules 2022, 27(12), 3890; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27123890 - 17 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1683

Abstract

Geumgwesingihwan (GSH) is a traditional herbal prescription composed of eight medicinal herbs: Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC., Dioscorea japonica Thunb., Cornus officinalis Siebold and Zucc., Poria cocos Wolf, Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews, Alisma plantago-aquatica subsp. orientale (Sam.) Sam., Achyranthes bidentate Blume, and Plantago asiatica L. This study developed and validated an ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode for simultaneous determination of 14 compounds (allantoin, gallic acid, 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural, geniposidic acid, oxypaeoniflorin, loganin, geniposide, paeoniflorin, ecdysterone, verbascoside, cornuside, benzoylpaeoniflorin, paeonol, and alisol B acetate) in GSH. The chromatographic separation of all marker analytes was carried out on an Acquity UPLC BEH C₁₈ column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 µm) using gradient elution of a mobile phase of distilled water–acetonitrile containing 0.1% acetic acid. The newly established UPLC–MS/MS MRM method was validated by evaluating the linearity, the limits of detection and quantification, recovery, and precision. All markers were detected at concentrations of 6.94–4126.28 mg/kg. In addition, the recovery was 76.65–119.49% and the relative standard deviation value of the precision was 0.19–9.91%. The newly developed and validated UPLC–MS/MS assay will provide useful information for quality assessment of GSH. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 303 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytochemical Compositions of Some Red Sea Halophyte Plants with Antioxidant and Anticancer Potentials

by Usama W. Hawas, Lamia T. Abou El-Kassem, Fekri M. Shaher, Radwan Al-Farawati and Mohamed Ghandourah

Molecules 2022, 27(11), 3415; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27113415 - 25 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1725

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the compositions of carbohydrates, phenolic compounds, fatty acids (FAs), and amino acids (AAs) of four Rea Sea halophytes: Anabasis ehrenbergii, Suaeda aegyptiaca, Suaeda monoica, and Zygophyllum album. The results showed that S. aegyptiaca and S. monoica were rich in gallic acid with 41.72 and 47.48 mg/g, respectively, while A. ehrenbergii was rich in naringenin with 11.88 mg/g. The polysaccharides of the four species were mainly composed of galactose (54.74%) in A. ehrenbergii, mannose (44.15%) in S. aegyptiaca, glucose and ribose (33 and 26%, respectively) in S. monoica, and arabinose and glucose (36.67 and 31.52%, respectively) in Z. album. Glutamic acid and aspartic acid were the major AAs in all halophyte species with 50–63% and 10–22% of the total AAs, respectively. The proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) of the four species was 42.18–55.33%, comprised mainly of linolenic acid (15.54–28.63%) and oleic acid (5.68–22.05%), while palmitic acid (23.94–49.49%) was the most abundant saturated fatty acid (SFA). Phytol and 9,19-cyclolanost-24-en-3β–ol represented the major unsaponifiable matter (USM) constituents of S. monoica and A. ehrenbergii with proportions 42.44 and 44.11%, respectively. The phenolic fraction of S. aegyptiaca and S. monoica demonstrated noteworthy antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ values of 9.0 and 8.0 μg/mL, respectively, while the FAs fraction of Z. album exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against Huh-7, A-549, and Caco-2 cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 7.4, 10.8, and 11.8 μg/mL, respectively. Our results indicate that these plants may be considered a source of naturally occurring compounds with antioxidant and anticancer effects that could be suitable for future applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

13 pages, 2764 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ursolic Acid Enhances the Sensitivity of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 Cells to Epirubicin by Modulating the Autophagy Pathway

by Zhennan Wang, Pingping Zhang, Huan Jiang, Bing Sun, Huaizhi Luo and Aiqun Jia

Molecules 2022, 27(11), 3399; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27113399 - 25 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2143

Abstract

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in the world, and its morbidity and mortality are increasing year by year. Epirubicin (EPI) is a commonly used drug for the treatment of breast cancer but unfortunately can cause cardiac toxicity in patients because of dose accumulation. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new therapies to enhance the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to EPI. In this study, we found ursolic acid (UA) can significantly improve the drug sensitivity of human breast cancer MCF-7/MDA-MB-231 cells to EPI. Next, we observed that the co-treatment of UA and EPI can up-regulate the expression of autophagy-related proteins Beclin-1, LC3-II/LC3-I, Atg5, and Atg7, and decrease the expression levels of PI3K and AKT, which indicates that the potential mechanism should be carried out by the regulating class III PI3K(VPS34)/Beclin-1 pathway and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, we found the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) could significantly reverse the inhibitory effect of co-treatment of UA and EPI on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings indicate that UA can dramatically enhance the sensitivity of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells to EPI by modulating the autophagy pathway. Our study may provide a new therapeutic strategy for combination therapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 3347 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Differences of Mechanisms in Antihypertensive and Anti-Obesity Effects of Eucommia Leaf Extract between Rodents and Humans

by Sansei Nishibe, Hirotaka Oikawa, Kumiko Mitsui-Saitoh, Junichi Sakai, Wenping Zhang and Takahiko Fujikawa

Molecules 2023, 28(4), 1964; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28041964 - 18 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1927

Abstract

In the 1970s, Eucommia leaf tea, known as Tochu-cha in Japanese, was developed from roasted Eucommia leaves in Japan and is considered as a healthy tea. The antihypertensive, diuretic, anti-stress, insulin resistance improving, and anti-obesity effects of Eucommia leaf extract have been reported. However, the identification and properties of the active components as well as the underlying mechanism of action are largely unknown. In this review, we summarize studies involving the oral administration of geniposidic acid, a major iridoid component of Eucommia leaf extract which increases plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on the atria of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) by activating the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R). To achieve the antihypertensive effects of the Eucommia leaf extract through ANP secretion in humans, combining a potent cyclic adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase (cAMP-PDE) inhibitor, such as pinoresinol di-β-d-glucoside, with geniposidic acid may be necessary. Changes in the gut microbiota are an important aspect involved in the efficacy of asperuloside, another component of the Eucommia leaf extract, which improves obesity and related sequelae, such as insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. There are species differences of mechanisms associated with the antihypertensive and anti-obesity effects between rodents and humans, and not all animal test results are consistent with that of human studies. This review is focused on the mechanisms in antihypertensive and anti-obesity effects of the Eucommia leaf extract and summarizes the differences of mechanisms in their effects on rodents and humans based on our studies and those of others. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 1170 KiB

Open AccessReview

Anticancer Effects and Mechanisms of Berberine from Medicinal Herbs: An Update Review

by Ruo-Gu Xiong, Si-Yu Huang, Si-Xia Wu, Dan-Dan Zhou, Zhi-Jun Yang, Adila Saimaiti, Cai-Ning Zhao, Ao Shang, Yun-Jian Zhang, Ren-You Gan and Hua-Bin Li

Molecules 2022, 27(14), 4523; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27144523 - 15 Jul 2022

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 6134

Abstract

Cancer has been a serious public health problem. Berberine is a famous natural compound from medicinal herbs and shows many bioactivities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, and antimicrobial activities. In addition, berberine shows anticancer effects on a variety of cancers, such as breast, lung, gastric, liver, colorectal, ovarian, cervical, and prostate cancers. The underlying mechanisms of action include inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, suppressing metastasis, inducing apoptosis, activating autophagy, regulating gut microbiota, and improving the effects of anticancer drugs. This paper summarizes effectiveness and mechanisms of berberine on different cancers and highlights the mechanisms of action. In addition, the nanotechnologies to improve bioavailability of berberine are included. Moreover, the side effects of berberine are also discussed. This paper is helpful for the prevention and treatment of cancers using berberine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 739 KiB

Open AccessReview

Gallic Acid and Diabetes Mellitus: Its Association with Oxidative Stress

by Yu Xu, Guoyi Tang, Cheng Zhang, Ning Wang and Yibin Feng

Molecules 2021, 26(23), 7115; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26237115 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 4127

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a severe chronic metabolic disease with increased mortality and morbidity. The pathological progression of DM is intimately connected with the formation and activation of oxidative stress (OS). Especially, the involvement of OS with hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and inflammation has shown a vital role in the pathophysiological development of DM and related complications. Interestingly, accumulating studies have focused on the exploration of natural antioxidants for their improvement on DM. Of specific interest is gallic acid (GA), which is rich in many edible and herbal plants and has progressively demonstrated robust antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects on metabolic disorders. To provide a better understanding of its potential therapeutic impacts and enhancement of human health care, the available research evidence supporting the effective antidiabetic properties of GA and relevant derivatives are needed to be summarized and discussed, with emphasis on its regulation on OS and inflammation against DM. This review aims to highlight the latest viewpoints and current research information on the role of OS in diabetes and to provide scientific support for GA as a potential antihypoglycemic agent for DM and its complications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

36 pages, 2228 KiB

Open AccessReview

Natural Products and Their Derivatives against Human Herpesvirus Infection

by Chattarin Ruchawapol, Man Yuan, Si-Min Wang, Wen-Wei Fu and Hong-Xi Xu

Molecules 2021, 26(20), 6290; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26206290 - 18 Oct 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5020

Abstract

Herpesviruses establish long-term latent infection for the life of the host and are known to cause numerous diseases. The prevalence of viral infection is significantly increased and causes a worldwide challenge in terms of health issues due to drug resistance. Prolonged treatment with conventional antiviral drugs is more likely to develop drug-resistant strains due to mutations of thymidine nucleoside kinase or DNA polymerase. Hence, the development of alternative treatments is clearly required. Natural products and their derivatives have played a significant role in treating herpesvirus infection rather than nucleoside analogs in drug-resistant strains with minimal undesirable effects and different mechanisms of action. Numerous plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria-derived compounds have been proved to be efficient and safe for treating human herpesvirus infection. This review covers the natural antiherpetic agents with the chemical structural class of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, polyphenols, anthraquinones, anthracyclines, and miscellaneous compounds, and their antiviral mechanisms have been summarized. This review would be helpful to get a better grasp of anti-herpesvirus activity of natural products and their derivatives, and to evaluate the feasibility of natural compounds as an alternative therapy against herpesvirus infections in humans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Herbs)

► Show Figures