Pharmacological Activities of Bioactive Compounds in Plants and Foods as Therapeutic Agents

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the results of pharmacological activity research on many plants and foods have been applied to the treatment of a wide range of diseases. Plants and foods are important sources of bioactive compounds, such as polysaccharides, polyphenols, carotenoids, fiber, and other non-nutrient compounds. Epidemiological studies have suggested that most of these compounds exhibit pharmacological activities, and are associated with therapeutic effects due to the reduction in the risk of non-communicable diseases such as atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolism-associated fatty liver diseases, and cancer. The discovery of the pharmacological activities of bioactive compounds from natural plants and food and the elucidation of the therapeutic mechanisms of their medicinal effects have received increasing attention in recent years. The rich species resources determine that plants and foods have the natural advantages of structural diversity and are a treasure trove for the discovery of active precursors. It is becoming commonplace that bioactive compounds from plants or foods and therapeutic agents are linked intrinsically. The purpose of this Special Issue is to gather innovative ideas regarding the pharmacological activities of bioactive compounds in plants and food as therapeutic agents.

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• The extraction and purification of bioactive compounds from plants and foods;
• The structural characterization and physical properties of bioactive compounds;
• The therapeutic effects and application of bioactive compounds in plants and foods;
• The structure–activity relationship of bioactive compounds in plants and foods;
• The therapeutic mechanisms of bioactive compounds in plants and foods.

Dr. Juan Kan
Dr. Dan Chen
Guest Editors

Dr. Chao Tang
Guest Editor Assistant

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• plants
• foods
• bioactive compounds
• structural characterization
• therapeutic effects
• application