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Research on Natural Products for Intestinal Disorders
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Research on Natural Products for Intestinal Disorders

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 1628

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Myoung-Sook Shin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
Interests: natural product; edible polysaccharide; gastrointestinal disorders; gut microbiota; short-chain fatty acid
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Previous studies on physiological functions derived from medicinal plants have been focused on low-molecular-weight substances such as flavonoids, carotenoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids.

In recent years, research on natural-substance-derived macromolecules (tannins, proteins, polysaccharides) has emerged. Many reports on various physiological functions, especially regarding plant-derived polysaccharides, are increasing, including stimulatory, anti-metastatic, anti-angiogenic, and intestinal immune-modulatory activities of macrophages.

A growing body of research has indicated that polysaccharides, which are macromolecules that are not digested and absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, affect the content of short-chain fatty acids through changes in gut microbiota.

Therefore, in this Special Issue, we would like to present the latest research on the efficacy of improving intestinal-related diseases with polysaccharides or extracts derived from natural products.

Dr. Myoung-Sook Shin
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

  • natural products
  • biological activity of edible polysaccharides (carbohydrate)
  • antibiotics-associated diarrhea (AAD)
  • inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) intestinal immune modulation activity

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2748 KiB  
Article
Gallic Acid-Based Hydrogels for Phloretin Intestinal Release: A Promising Strategy to Reduce Oxidative Stress in Chronic Diabetes
by Roberta Cassano, Federica Curcio, Roberta Sole, Silvia Mellace and Sonia Trombino
Molecules 2024, 29(5), 929; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29050929 - 20 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 720
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia caused by abnormalities in insulin secretion and/or action. In patients with diabetes, complications such as blindness, delayed wound healing, erectile dysfunction, renal failure, heart disease, etc., are generally related to an increase in [...] Read more.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia caused by abnormalities in insulin secretion and/or action. In patients with diabetes, complications such as blindness, delayed wound healing, erectile dysfunction, renal failure, heart disease, etc., are generally related to an increase in ROS levels which, when activated, trigger hyperglycemia-induced lesions, inflammation and insulin resistance. In fact, extensive cell damage and death occurs mainly due to the effect that ROS exerts at the level of cellular constituents, causing the deterioration of DNA and peroxidation of proteins and lipids. Furthermore, elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an imbalance of redox levels in diabetic patients produce insulin resistance. These destructive effects can be controlled by the defense network of antioxidants of natural origin such as phloretin and gallic acid. For this reason, the objective of this work was to create a nanocarrier (hydrogel) based on gallic acid containing phloretin to increase the antioxidant effect of the two substances which function as fundamental for reducing the mechanisms linked to oxidative stress in patients suffering from chronic diabetes. Furthermore, since the bioavailability problems of phloretin at the intestinal level are known, this carrier could facilitate its release and absorption. The obtained hydrogel was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Its degree of swelling (a%) and phloretin release were tested under pH conditions simulating the gastric and intestinal environment (1.2, 6.8 and 7.4). The antioxidant activity, inhibiting lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomal membranes induced in vitro by a free radical source, was evaluated for four hours. All results showed that gallate hydrogel could be applied for releasing intestinal phloretin and reducing the ROS levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Natural Products for Intestinal Disorders)
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14 pages, 2294 KiB  
Article
Ameliorative Effects of Zingiber officinale Rosc on Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea and Improvement in Intestinal Function
by Sung Jin Kim, Myoung-Sook Shin and You-Kyung Choi
Molecules 2024, 29(3), 732; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29030732 - 05 Feb 2024
Viewed by 697
Abstract
The global increase in antibiotic consumption is related to increased adverse effects, such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). This study investigated the chemical properties of Zingiber officinale Rosc (ZO) extract and its ameliorative effects using a lincomycin-induced AAD mouse model. Intestinal tissues were evaluated [...] Read more.
The global increase in antibiotic consumption is related to increased adverse effects, such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). This study investigated the chemical properties of Zingiber officinale Rosc (ZO) extract and its ameliorative effects using a lincomycin-induced AAD mouse model. Intestinal tissues were evaluated for the expression of lysozyme, claudin-1, and α-defensin-1, which are associated with intestinal homeostasis. The cecum was analyzed to assess the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The chemical properties analysis of ZO extracts revealed the levels of total neutral sugars, acidic sugars, proteins, and polyphenols to be 86.4%, 8.8%, 4.0%, and 0.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the monosaccharide composition of ZO was determined to include glucose (97.3%) and galactose (2.7%). ZO extract administration ameliorated the impact of AAD and associated weight loss, and water intake also returned to normal. Moreover, treatment with ZO extract restored the expression levels of lysozyme, α-defensin-1, and claudin-1 to normal levels. The decreased SCFA levels due to induced AAD showed a return to normal levels. The results indicate that ZO extract improved AAD, strengthened the intestinal barrier, and normalized SCFA levels, showing that ZO extract possesses intestinal-function strengthening effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Natural Products for Intestinal Disorders)
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