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(Bio)molecules from Natural Extracts: An Infinite World of Opportunities

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A special issue of Compounds (ISSN 2673-6918).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 11063

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jorge F. B. Pereira

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemical Engineering, CIEPQPF, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: Ionic liquids; bioprocessing; proteins; enzymes; stability; downstream
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Cassamo U. Mussagy

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Guest Editor

Escuela de Agronomía, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas y de los Alimentos, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Quillota 2260000, Chile
Interests: upstream and downstream processing; bio-based products; biochemical engineering; natural pigments

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The need for sustainable and renewable chemicals and materials has led to a search for alternative sources to obtain biomolecules. In fact, the world of biomolecules that can be obtained from natural and renewable sources is almost infinite, depending mostly on research creativity and scientific interests. Several molecules initially obtained through chemical synthesis are now obtained from natural sources—for instance, natural pigments, lipids, antibiotics, acids, amino acids, chemicals, proteins, biopolymers, among others. There are large natural matrices that can be exploited for obtaining a plethora of biomolecules, starting from direct extraction from plants and their residues, all the way up to the use of microbial cell factories to biosynthesize them. Nonetheless, it is important to have in mind that, independently of the target biomolecule or the starting natural raw material, it is fundamental to use sustainable, biocompatible, and efficient extraction and other downstream processing units for their recovery, maintaining the integrity, purity, and biological activity of the material.

Therefore, this Special issue aims to publish new research findings and critical scientific analyses focused on the production, recovery, and polishing of biomolecules from the most distinct natural sources, such as agriculture and food residues and plant and microbial sources, among others. All researchers are invited to share their original work or scientific interpretations within the field of biomolecules.

Dr. Jorge F. B. Pereira
Dr. Cassamo U. Mussagy
Guest Editors

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. Compounds is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1000 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

biomolecules
natural extracts
biomasses
bio-based
extraction
biochemicals
fermentation
polishing

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2901 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bio-Based Tannin Foams: Comparing Their Physical and Thermal Response to Polyurethane Foams in Lightweight Sandwich Panels

by Marlon Bender Bueno Rodrigues, Ronan Côrrea, Pedro Henrique G. De Cademartori, Ana C. R. Ribeiro, Rodrigo Coldebella, Rafael A. Delucis, Nayara Lunkes and André L. Missio

Compounds 2024, 4(1), 1-16; https://doi.org/10.3390/compounds4010001 - 25 Dec 2023

Viewed by 888

Abstract

Rigid polyurethane foams are the better-performing material for the most common insulation purposes, like sandwich panels. Nevertheless, they are highly flammable materials, release toxic gases, and are manufactured from fossil sources. As an alternative, tannin foams are bio-based materials that work as innovative alternatives thanks to their great fire resistance, as well as lower smoke and harmful gases emissions. In the present study, lab-made foams of both materials were compared through morphology, thermal and fire degradation, mechanical properties, and water affinity in order to fill the technological gap between them and their related sandwich panels. It was observed that tannin foams are still relatively inhomogeneous (since formaldehyde was not used) and present a high affinity for water but have higher thermal and fire resistance. The flat compression strength of the polyurethane sandwiches was greater than that of tannin sandwiches (3.61 and 3.09 MPa, respectively) thanks, mainly, to the crosslinking degree difference between the resins. Also, tannin foams presented a lower weight loss (−70.684% lower weight loss in flammability tests than polyurethane foams) and the ability to self-extinguish the flame. Therefore, sandwich panels with tannin foam cores could be successful materials in areas that require protection against fire, such as the building engineering and automotive industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Bio)molecules from Natural Extracts: An Infinite World of Opportunities)

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9 pages, 2757 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceCommunication

Identifying the Structural Components Responsible for the Antiproliferative Properties of Hydroxychavicol

by Joshua Jackson, Gerome M. Romero, Diana Hawkins, Richard G. Cornwall and Georgi L. Lukov

Compounds 2023, 3(4), 552-560; https://doi.org/10.3390/compounds3040039 - 25 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1496

Abstract

Betel leaves are widely used as herbal medicine in Asia due to their antimicrobial properties. These properties have been attributed to the phenolic compound eugenol and its derivative, hydroxychavicol. Hydroxychavicol has also been shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation. The main objective of this study was to investigate which structural components of hydroxychavicol are responsible for the antiproliferative property of this compound. Jurkat-E6 cells (JE6) were treated with increasing concentrations (5, 15, and 45 µM) of hydroxychavicol and structural variants of it for 48 h. The results of this study demonstrate that the catechol structure in hydroxychavicol is the structural component that exhibits the highest antiproliferative effect. More specifically, the data show that the six-carbon ring must be aromatic with the two hydroxyl groups attached in an ortho position. Furthermore, this study establishes that the oxygen in the hydroxyl groups has a vital role in the antiproliferative properties of catechol and hydroxychavicol. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Bio)molecules from Natural Extracts: An Infinite World of Opportunities)

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10 pages, 307 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Caryophyllene-Rich Essential Oils of Two Species from Southern Côte d’Ivoire: Guibourtia ehie (A. Chev.) J Léonard (Caesalpiniaceae) and Oricia suaveolens (Engl.) Verd. (Rutaceae)

by Toffé Alexis Kouao, Zana Adama Ouattara, Didjour Albert Kambiré, Bosson Antoine Kouamé, Janat Akhanovna Mamyrbékova-Békro, Pierre Tomi, Mathieu Paoli, Ange Bighelli, Yves-Alain Békro and Felix Tomi

Compounds 2023, 3(1), 73-82; https://doi.org/10.3390/compounds3010006 - 12 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1807

Abstract

The essential oils of Oricia suaveolens and Guibourtia ehie from Southern Côte d’Ivoire were extracted by hydrodistillation then analyzed by gas chromatography in combination with retention indices [GC(RI)], gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance of carbone-13 (¹³C NMR) And described here for the first time. A total of 42 compounds were identified in the essential oils of the leaves of G. ehie while 55, 40 and 23 components were identified in the leaves, stem bark and root bark oils of O. suaveolens, respectively. Essential oils samples were dominated by sesquiterpenes and (E)-β-caryophyllene was the major compound common to all samples: G. ehie leaf oil contained (E)-β-caryophyllene (26.9–40.8%), α-humulene (syn. α-caryophyllene) (6.7–9.7%), β-elemene (5.5–9.5%) and germacrene D (5.6–8.1%); O. suaveolens, leaf oil contained (E)-β-caryophyllene (33.5–39.3%), (E)-β-farnesene (5.9–9,3%), caryophyllene oxide (2.1–7.7%) and α-humulene (4.0–4.6%); stem bark oil contained α-humulene (38.3–45.8%) and (E)-β-caryophyllene (34.7–41.6%); root bark oil contained α-humulene (36.1–47.9%) and (E)-β-caryophyllene (34.3–43.3%). This study highlighted the abundant presence of (E)-β-caryophyllene, a phytocannabinoïd sesquiterpene with countless biological properties, in two plant species: Guibourtia ehie and Oricia suaveolens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Bio)molecules from Natural Extracts: An Infinite World of Opportunities)

16 pages, 2815 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Compound Characterization of a Mucuna Seed Extract: L-Dopa, Arginine, Stizolamine, and Some Fructooligosaccharides

by Ana Lilia Hernández-Orihuela, Karla Viridiana Castro-Cerritos, Mercedes Guadalupe López and Agustino Martínez-Antonio

Compounds 2023, 3(1), 1-16; https://doi.org/10.3390/compounds3010001 - 27 Dec 2022

Viewed by 2906

Abstract

Human societies demand sustainable alternatives for goods and services. Plants are sustainable sources of important metabolites with beneficial impacts on human health. There are many reported methodologies and commercial suppliers for extract preparations from Mucuna sp. They usually claim the plant is enriched with L-dopa, its distinctive metabolite. However, many present poor characterizations of the extract’s components. Here, we present polar metabolites characterization of a Mucuna seed extract, emphasizing L-dopa identification and quantification. To obtain the extracts, we follow a green and sustainable extraction protocol. The lyophilized extract is subjected to liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify its primary metabolites. Additionally, we follow thin-layer chromatography to identify carbohydrates in the sample. The resultant extract has 56% L-dopa. Other main components in the extract are arginine, stizolamine, and the fructooligosaccharides sucrose and nystose. The characterized Mucuna extract can be easily standardized using powder preparation and used in several biomedical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Bio)molecules from Natural Extracts: An Infinite World of Opportunities)

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Review

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24 pages, 1728 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Progress on Natural Rubber-Based Materials Containing Metallic and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles: State of the Art and Biomedical Applications

by Nayrim B. Guerra, Jordana Bortoluz, Andressa R. Bystronski, Ana Elisa D. Maddalozzo, Danielle Restelatto, Mariana Roesch-Ely, Declan M. Devine, Marcelo Giovanela and Janaina S. Crespo

Compounds 2023, 3(2), 310-333; https://doi.org/10.3390/compounds3020023 - 28 Mar 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2981

Abstract

Diseases caused by infections are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used become less effective. A combination of strategies to develop active biomaterials that enhance antibacterial effects are desirable, especially ones that cause fewer side effects and promote healing properties. The combination of nanotechnology with substances that have intrinsic antibacterial activity can result in the advance of innovative biomedical materials. In this sense, the goal of this work is to provide a summary of natural rubber latex materials obtained from the Hevea brasiliensis tree loaded with metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles. These nanoparticles have unique size-dependent chemical and physical characteristic that make them appropriate for use in pharmaceutical and medical devices, while natural rubber latex is a natural and biocompatible polymer with an intrinsic antibacterial effect. Moreover, we outline here the origin, extraction methods, and composition of natural rubber latex and different techniques for the synthesis of nanoparticles, including physical, chemical, and biological approaches. Finally, we summarize, for the first time, the state of the art in obtaining natural rubber-based materials with metallic and metallic oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Bio)molecules from Natural Extracts: An Infinite World of Opportunities)

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