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Pharmaceuticals
Special Issues
Plant-Based Extracts and the Therapeutic Potential of Bioactive Compounds
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Plant-Based Extracts and the Therapeutic Potential of Bioactive Compounds

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 2348

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Grażyna Zgórka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy with the Medicinal Plant Garden, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Collegium Universum, 1 Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Interests: phytochemistry; phytotherapy; phytochemical analysis; the biological and pharmacological effects of phytoconstituents

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The safety, efficacy, and quality of modern herbal medicinal products are determined by valuable plant extracts used in their production. This requires the quality of herbal substances to be consistent and the multi-stage process (which involves obtaining the maximum compliance of the chemical composition with that found in the plant material during the herbal preparation stage) to be standardized. Specific physicochemical high-quality tests are carried out on the final herbal extract, including the control of biologically active components or active chemical markers and the validation of developed analytical methods. Ultimately, this leads to valuable extracts that can be subjected to preclinical and clinical studies due to their therapeutic properties. The Special Issue showcases submissions that present a variety of preparative methods used to obtain liquid and solid herbal extracts and their phytochemical standardization procedure using validated analytical methods.

We encourage article submissions that present coupled chromatographic, spectroscopic, and spectrometric analytical techniques. Detailed phytochemical profiling should be combined with an evaluation of biological properties (in vitro and in vivo studies or preliminary clinical evaluation) of herbal preparations and isolated bioactive phytoconstituents, especially in terms of their ability to inhibit degenerative processes in the human body.

Dr. Grażyna Zgórka
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. Pharmaceuticals 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 2900 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 extracts
  • herbal medicinal products
  • standardization
  • phytochemical profiling
  • bioactive plant compounds
  • therapeutic effects

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 9362 KiB  
Article
The Therapeutic Potential of Four Main Compounds of Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC: A Comprehensive Study on Biological Processes, Anti-Inflammatory Effects, and Myocardial Toxicity
by Xiaohan Li, Qi Wang, Ling Liu, Yang Shi, Yang Hong, Wanqing Xu, Henghui Xu, Jing Feng, Minzhen Xie, Yang Li, Baofeng Yang and Yong Zhang
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(4), 524; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ph17040524 - 19 Apr 2024
Viewed by 394
Abstract
Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. (Z. nitidum) is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant that is indigenous to the southern regions of China. Previous research has provided evidence of the significant anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anticancer properties exhibited by Z. nitidum. The potential [...] Read more.
Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. (Z. nitidum) is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant that is indigenous to the southern regions of China. Previous research has provided evidence of the significant anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anticancer properties exhibited by Z. nitidum. The potential therapeutic effects and cardiac toxicity of Z. nitidum remain uncertain. The aim of this research was to investigate the potential therapeutic properties of the four main compounds of Z. nitidum in cardiovascular diseases, their impact on the electrical activity of cardiomyocytes, and the underlying mechanism of their anti-inflammatory effects. We selected the four compounds from Z. nitidum with a high concentration and specific biological activity: nitidine chloride (NC), chelerythrine chloride (CHE), magnoflorine chloride (MAG), and hesperidin (HE). A proteomic analysis was conducted on the myocardial tissues of beagle dogs following the administration of NC to investigate the role of NC in vivo and the associated biological processes. A bioinformatic analysis was used to predict the in vivo biological processes that MAG, CHE, and HE were involved in. Molecular docking was used to simulate the binding between compounds and their targets. The effect of the compounds on ion channels in cardiomyocytes was evaluated through a patch clamp experiment. Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology was developed to mimic the physiological conditions of the heart in vivo. Proteomic and bioinformatic analyses demonstrated that the four compounds of Z. nitidum are extensively involved in various cardiovascular-related biological pathways. The findings from the patch clamp experiments indicate that NC, CHE, MAG, and HE elicit a distinct activation or inhibition of the IK1 and ICa-L in cardiomyocytes. Finally, the anti-inflammatory effects of the compounds on cardiomyocytes were verified using OOC technology. NC, CHE, MAG, and HE demonstrate anti-inflammatory effects through their specific interactions with prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and significantly influence ion channels in cardiomyocytes. Our study provides a foundation for utilizing NC, CHE, MAG, and HE in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Extracts and the Therapeutic Potential of Bioactive Compounds)
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19 pages, 6916 KiB  
Article
Chrysin Inhibits TAMs-Mediated Autophagy Activation via CDK1/ULK1 Pathway and Reverses TAMs-Mediated Growth-Promoting Effects in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
by Xinglinzi Tang, Xiaoru Luo, Xiao Wang, Yi Zhang, Jiajia Xie, Xuan Niu, Xiaopeng Lu, Xi Deng, Zheng Xu and Fanwei Wu
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(4), 515; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ph17040515 - 17 Apr 2024
Viewed by 349
Abstract
The natural flavonoid compound chrysin has promising anti-tumor effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanism by which chrysin inhibits the growth of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Through in vitro cell culture and animal models, we explored the impact of [...] Read more.
The natural flavonoid compound chrysin has promising anti-tumor effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanism by which chrysin inhibits the growth of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Through in vitro cell culture and animal models, we explored the impact of chrysin on the growth of NSCLC cells and the pro-cancer effects of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and their mechanisms. We observed that M2-TAMs significantly promoted the growth and migration of NSCLC cells, while also markedly activating the autophagy level of these cells. Chrysin displayed a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of NSCLC cells, and it could also suppress the pro-cancer effects of M2-TAMs and inhibit their mediated autophagy. Furthermore, combining network pharmacology, we found that chrysin inhibited TAMs-mediated autophagy activation in NSCLC cells through the regulation of the CDK1/ULK1 signaling pathway, rather than the classical mTOR/ULK1 signaling pathway. Our study reveals a novel mechanism by which chrysin inhibits TAMs-mediated autophagy activation in NSCLC cells through the regulation of the CDK1/ULK1 pathway, thereby suppressing NSCLC growth. This discovery not only provides new therapeutic strategies for NSCLC but also opens up new avenues for further research on chrysin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Extracts and the Therapeutic Potential of Bioactive Compounds)
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20 pages, 3189 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Seed Extracts: A Multi-Faceted Analysis of Phytochemical Composition, Anti-Inflammatory Efficacy, Predictive Anti-Arthritic Properties, and Molecular Docking Insights
by Cheima Djehiche, Nadia Benzidane, Hanene Djeghim, Mehdi Tebboub, El Hassen Mokrani, Saad Mebrek, Mohammed Messaoudi, Chawki Bensouici, Ali Alsalme, David Cornu, Mikhael Bechelany, Lekhmici Arrar and Ahmed Barhoum
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(3), 385; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ph17030385 - 18 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1081
Abstract
Ammodaucus leucotrichus exhibits promising pharmacological activity, hinting at anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects. This study investigated seed extracts from Ammodaucus leucotrichus using methanol and n-hexane, focusing on anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. The methanol extract outperformed the n-hexane extract and diclofenac, a reference anti-inflammatory drug, [...] Read more.
Ammodaucus leucotrichus exhibits promising pharmacological activity, hinting at anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects. This study investigated seed extracts from Ammodaucus leucotrichus using methanol and n-hexane, focusing on anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. The methanol extract outperformed the n-hexane extract and diclofenac, a reference anti-inflammatory drug, in trypsin inhibition (85% vs. 30% and 64.67% at 125 μg/mL). For trypsin inhibition, the IC50 values were 82.97 μg/mL (methanol), 202.70 μg/mL (n-hexane), and 97.04 μg/mL (diclofenac). Additionally, the n-hexane extract surpassed the methanol extract and diclofenac in BSA (bovine serum albumin) denaturation inhibition (90.4% vs. 22.0% and 51.4% at 62.5 μg/mL). The BSA denaturation IC50 values were 14.30 μg/mL (n-hexane), 5408 μg/mL (methanol), and 42.30 μg/mL (diclofenac). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) revealed 59 and 58 secondary metabolites in the methanol and n-hexane extracts, respectively. The higher therapeutic activity of the methanol extract was attributed to hydroxyacetic acid hydrazide, absent in the n-hexane extract. In silico docking studies identified 28 compounds with negative binding energies, indicating potential trypsin inhibition. The 2-hydroxyacetohydrazide displayed superior inhibitory effects compared to diclofenac. Further mechanistic studies are crucial to validate 2-hydroxyacetohydrazide as a potential drug candidate for rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Extracts and the Therapeutic Potential of Bioactive Compounds)
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