Natural Products from Plants: Association with Human Health and Therapeutic Benefits

Dear Colleagues,

Plants and their products are mainly consumed for nutritional support, while a majority of the world population also relies on botanicals for health purposes, either as “traditional medicine” or as “complementary and alternative medicine”. From a pharmaceutical point of view, many plant-derived compounds have been known since ancient times to possess bio/pharmacological activities. Today, we are witnessing a global resurgence in interest and use of plant-based therapies to promote human health by preventing the onset and progression of diseases. Numerous randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of botanical products, establishing their importance as a viable source of lead compounds in drug discovery programs. Biomolecular studies have revealed hundreds of cellular and molecular targets for phytochemicals, including key transcription factors, receptors, enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, cytokines, lipids, and non-coding RNAs.

Extensive research on the preventative and therapeutic effects of natural products requires regular updating of the literature as to the developing potential roles of these compounds in different human diseases. This Special Issue (SI) attempts to provide an overview of the current pharmacological features and therapeutic benefits of phytopharmaceuticals in health and diseases by covering a wide scope, from chronic and (auto)immune to age-related disorders. Thus, this SI would provide profound insights on the regulatory effects of phytochemicals on molecular signatures associated with pathologies, disease biomarkers, and aging-related pathways.

The SI is open to original research articles, short communications, and reviews.

Dr. Andrey Marchev
Dr. Nikolina Mihaylova
Guest Editors

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