Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.7
4.6
Journals
Molecules
Special Issues
Plant Bioactive Compounds in Pharmaceuticals
molecules-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Plant Bioactive Compounds in Pharmaceuticals

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 1700

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jurca Tünde

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410028 Oradea, Romania
Interests: polyphenols; medicinal plants; antioxidant activity; innovative pharmaceuticals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Laura Gratiela Vicas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410028 Oradea, Romania
Interests: pharmaceutical technology; plant extracts; nanotechnology; pharmacology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, relevant scientific knowledge about bioactive compounds has come to support the evidence-based use of medicinal plants. This is why we consider it necessary to elucidate their most important mechanisms of action in the body. In order to obtain pharmaceutical products, the vegetable raw material is first processed into different types of extracts that finally become the finished product. Thus, it is particularly important that the selected raw material is characterized chemically, pharmacologically, and clinically. In this way, we will have proof of the quality and safety of these phytoproducts so that we can administer them in a convenient therapeutic benefit/risk ratio. Following this, the extracts can be standardized into one or more bioactive compounds that can then be processed into an administrable pharmaceutical product. Based on research results, we want manufacturers to obtain patented extracts using concrete and science-based data. Through these research results, we also want to obtain further information that highlights the structural characteristics, physico-chemical, and pharmacological properties of medicinal plants, especially those with key roles in human metabolism and physiology, but also those with major implications regarding specific biological properties.

Prof. Dr. Jurca Tünde
Prof. Dr. Laura Gratiela Vicas
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. 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 plant
  • phytocomplexes
  • cell cultures

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 891 KiB  
Article
Citrus limon Wastes from Part of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa: Medicinal, Sustainable Agricultural, and Bio-Resource Potential
by Phumelele Nodola, Gugulethu M. Miya, Vuyokazi Mazwi, Ayodeji O. Oriola, Opeoluwa O. Oyedeji, Yiseyon S. Hosu, Simon K. Kuria and Adebola O. Oyedeji
Molecules 2024, 29(7), 1675; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29071675 - 08 Apr 2024
Viewed by 407
Abstract
The fruits of Citrus limon are often purchased for their vitamin C-rich juice, while the fruit peel and the tree leaves are discarded as wastes. This study obtained the chemical profiles of the essential oils (EOs) of C. limon wastes (the peel and [...] Read more.
The fruits of Citrus limon are often purchased for their vitamin C-rich juice, while the fruit peel and the tree leaves are discarded as wastes. This study obtained the chemical profiles of the essential oils (EOs) of C. limon wastes (the peel and leaves), evaluated their medicinal value as antioxidants, their potential for sustainable use in agriculture as an insecticide for post-harvest preservation of grains, and their potential as a bioresource in livestock feed formulations. The EOs were isolated from C. limon leaves and peel using a hydro-distillation method on a Clevenger apparatus. The oil constituents were identified using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) hyphenated technique. The oils were evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power methods. An insecticidal study was conducted using contact toxicity, fumigation, and repellence bioassay methods against Sitophilus zeamais (maize weevils). Finally, the predicted income from using lemon peel as an alternative or substitute ingredient for maize in livestock feed formulations was obtained through a conventional simulation method. Chemically, limonene was found to be present in all the EOs analyzed (12–52%), while α-pinene was only found in the fresh leaf and peel oils (13.3% and 10.6%). Caryophyllene oxide was identified as the major component of the dried leaf oil (17.7%). At 20 µg m, the dry peel oil exhibited the highest inhibitory activity (52.41 ± 0.26%) against the DPPH radical, which was comparable to L-ascorbic acid (a standard antioxidant) at 54.25 ± 3.55%. The insecticidal study revealed that the dry peel oil is a better insect repellent (73.33 ± 6.95% at 10 µL) and fumigant (LC50 = 0.17 µL g−1 after 48 h) natural agent compared to the peel oil. Conversely, the dry peel oil showed a better contact activity (LC50 = 1.69 µL g−1) against the maize weevils compared to the dry leaf oil. The simulation study showed the cost of using dry lemon peel as an alternative to maize in livestock feed formulation to be ZAR 2.8 billion, compared against the higher cost of feed formulation with maize, which currently stands at ZAR 24.9 billion. This study has shown that C. limon wastes (the peel and leaves) contain EOs with unique chemical profiles, valuable medicinal properties as free radical scavengers, and considerable insecticidal properties for agricultural use in post-harvest grain preservation, presenting a cost-effective and promising bioresource for livestock feed production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Bioactive Compounds in Pharmaceuticals)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2385 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Therapeutic Efficacy of Parsley (Petroselinum crispum Mill.) as a Functional Food: Implications in Immunological Tolerability, Reduction of Muscle Cramps, and Treatment of Dermatitis
by Mariana Ganea, Laura Grațiela Vicaș, Octavia Gligor, Ioan Sarac, Emilian Onisan, Csaba Nagy, Corina Moisa and Timea Claudia Ghitea
Molecules 2024, 29(3), 608; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29030608 - 27 Jan 2024
Viewed by 980
Abstract
The status of parsley as a well-known folk medicine noted for its nutritional and medicinal properties prompted the exploration of its potential as a functional food and natural remedy. The paper aims to investigate the potential of parsley to enhance muscle function and [...] Read more.
The status of parsley as a well-known folk medicine noted for its nutritional and medicinal properties prompted the exploration of its potential as a functional food and natural remedy. The paper aims to investigate the potential of parsley to enhance muscle function and alleviate psoriasiform dermatitis, eventually establishing it as a natural, well-tolerated alternative with specific benefits for both muscles and skin. This study examines the tolerability of parsley in a cohort of 937 participants by assessing immunoglobulin G (IgG) reactions. The findings reveal high tolerability, as 96.26% of participants experienced no adverse effects. Among the 902 individuals lacking hypersensitivity, 37.02% reported muscle cramps, with a notable 15.02% reduction observed in the subgroup consuming parsley juice. In the subset of 32 subjects with dermatitis, the application of parsley extract ointment led to a significant decrease in dermatological parameters (redness, thickness, scaling). While the control group exhibited improvements, statistical significance was not observed. Notably, four categories of affected area reduction were identified, with scaling demonstrating the most pronounced impact. The results propose that parsley holds promise for favorable tolerability, contributing to the alleviation of muscle cramps and presenting an effective alternative in dermatitis treatment. Nonetheless, sustained validation through long-term studies is imperative to substantiate these preliminary findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Bioactive Compounds in Pharmaceuticals)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop