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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The golden age of antibiotics is now becoming something of the past. This is due to both the increase in bacterial resistance against antibiotics, and the decrease in the investment by pharmacologic industries in the search for new antibacterial products. In this scenario, the search for new targets and antibacterial compounds that can control infections through natural products has become extremely relevant to advances in the knowledge in this area.

The research of natural products with antibacterial potential, which aims to obtain active principles or chemical synthesis models to develop new drugs, has reflected the enormous interest of the scientific community in this field. Moreover, the research on the biodiversity of crude extracts, isolated compounds, and derived synthetics, amongst other products, obtained from vegetal species, animal venom (vertebrate and invertebrate), and minerals plays an important role due to the rich terrestrial diversity and abundant possible sources. Therefore, this kind of research deserves to be further deepened.

The variety of molecules found in natural products has been contributing to the treatment of infectious diseases and they are a valuable resource in terms of antibacterial control through products commercialized by the cosmetic, dentistry, food, and plague-control industries, among others.

This Special Issue of Molecules will be dedicated to the publication of original research and reviews of bioactive compounds obtained from natural products with antibacterial potential in their different forms of expression: chemical approaches, biologic assays (in vitro and in vivo), new targets, and anti-virulence and in silico studies. Papers that describe the development of new alternatives and action mechanism strategies or pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of molecules obtained from natural products are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Carlos H. G. Martins
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 1915 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Abietane-Type Diterpenoids from the Arils of Torreya grandis

by Yuqi Gao, Jinghui Yang, Yue Zhang, Linlin Gao, Junmian Tian, Wenbo Han and Jinming Gao

Molecules 2024, 29(9), 1905; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29091905 - 23 Apr 2024

Viewed by 306

Abstract

A chemical investigation of the arils of Torreya grandis led to the isolation of seven abietane-type diterpenoids (compounds 1–7) including three previously undescribed compounds, one unreported natural product, and three known analogs. The structures of these compounds were determined by means of spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and ECD spectra. An antibacterial activity assay showed that compounds 5 and 6 had significant inhibitory effects on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, with MIC values of 100 μM. Moreover, compounds 1, 3, 4, and 7 exhibited anti-neuroinflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglia cells, with the IC₅₀ values ranging from 38.4 to 67.9 μM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibacterial Agents from Natural Source, 2nd Edition)

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25 pages, 1146 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytochemical Profiles and Antimicrobial Activity of Selected Populus spp. Bud Extracts

by Piotr Okińczyc, Jarosław Widelski, Kinga Nowak, Sylwia Radwan, Maciej Włodarczyk, Piotr Marek Kuś, Katarzyna Susniak and Izabela Korona-Głowniak

Molecules 2024, 29(2), 437; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29020437 - 16 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 969

Abstract

Buds of poplar trees (Populus species) are often covered with sticky, usually polyphenol-rich, exudates. Moreover, accessible data showed that some Populus bud extracts may be excellent antibacterial agents, especially against Gram-positive bacteria. Due to the fragmentary nature of the data found, we conducted a systematic screening study. The antimicrobial activity of two extract types (semi-polar—ethanolic and polar—ethanolic-water (50/50; V/V)) from 27 bud samples of different poplar taxons were compared. Antimicrobial assays were performed against Gram-positive (five strains) and Gram-negative (six strains) bacteria as well as fungi (three strains) and covered the determination of minimal inhibitory, bactericidal, and fungicidal concentrations. The composition of extracts was later investigated by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection (UHPLC-DAD) and with electrospray-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS). As a result, most of the extracts exhibited good (MIC ≤ 62.5 µg/mL) or moderate (62.5 < MIC ≤ 500 µg/mL) activity against Gram-positives and Helicobacter pylori, as well as fungi. The most active were ethanolic extracts from P. trichocarpa, P. trichocarpa clone ‘Robusta’, and P. tacamahaca × P. trichocarpa. The strongest activity was observed for P. tacamahaca × P. trichocarpa. Antibacterial activity was supposedly connected with the abundant presence of flavonoids (pinobanksin, pinobanksin 3-acetate, chrysin, pinocembrin, galangin, isosakuranetin dihydrochalcone, pinocembrin dihydrochalcone, and 2′,6′-dihydroxy-4′-methoxydihydrochalcone), hydroxycinnamic acids monoesters (p-methoxycinnamic acid cinnamyl ester, caffeic acid phenethylate and different isomers of prenyl esters), and some minor components (balsacones). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibacterial Agents from Natural Source, 2nd Edition)

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