Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.4
4.2
Journals
Molecules
Special Issues
Drug Development Inspired by Natural Products II
molecules-logo
Submit to Molecules Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Drug Development Inspired by Natural Products II

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 9761

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Patrícia Rijo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. CBIOS Lusófona's Research Center for Biosciences and Health Technologies, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal
2. Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: natural bioactive compounds; natural dermocosmetics; natural products chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

For this second round of the Special Issue, we intend to collect innovative works associated with the most up-to-date developments in medicinal natural products as principal molecules for novel drug design and synthesis, as well as to contribute to the improved understanding of their respective biomechanical pathways. In particular, works describing the semi-synthetic synthesis of analogues, from natural sources, designed to improve biological activities and their various modes of action will be considered.

Dr. Patrícia Rijo
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
  • drug development
  • medicinal
  • modes of action
  • synthesis
  • drug design

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 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:

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

1 pages, 147 KiB  
Editorial
Drug Development Inspired by Natural Products II
by Patricia Rijo
Molecules 2023, 28(21), 7243; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28217243 - 24 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1005
Abstract
For centuries, natural products have been rich sources of healing compounds for different cultures [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Development Inspired by Natural Products II)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

15 pages, 2466 KiB  
Communication
Chitosan Nanoparticles-Preparation, Characterization and Their Combination with Ginkgo biloba Extract in Preliminary In Vitro Studies
by Monika Owczarek, Lucyna Herczyńska, Przemysław Sitarek, Tomasz Kowalczyk, Ewelina Synowiec, Tomasz Śliwiński and Izabella Krucińska
Molecules 2023, 28(13), 4950; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28134950 - 23 Jun 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2504
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs), due to their size, have a key position in nanotechnology as a spectrum of solutions in medicine. NPs improve the ability of active substances to penetrate various routes: transdermal, but also digestive (active endocytosis), respiratory and injection. Chitosan, an N-deacetylated derivative [...] Read more.
Nanoparticles (NPs), due to their size, have a key position in nanotechnology as a spectrum of solutions in medicine. NPs improve the ability of active substances to penetrate various routes: transdermal, but also digestive (active endocytosis), respiratory and injection. Chitosan, an N-deacetylated derivative of chitin, is a natural biodegradable cationic polymer with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Cross-linked chitosan is an excellent matrix for the production of nanoparticles containing active substances, e.g., the Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE). Chitosan nanoparticles with the Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) were obtained by ion gelation using TPP as a cross-linking agent. The obtained product was characterized in terms of morphology and size based on SEM and Zeta Sizer analyses as well as an effective encapsulation of GBE in nanoparticles—FTIR-ATR and UV-Vis analyses. The kinetics of release of the active substance in water and physiological saline were checked. Biological studies were carried out on normal and cancer cell lines to check the cytotoxic effect of GBE, chitosan nanoparticles and a combination of the chitosan nanoparticles with GBE. The obtained nanoparticles contained and released GBE encapsulated in research media. Pure NPs, GBE and a combination of NPs and the extract showed cytotoxicity against tumor cells, with no cytotoxicity against the physiological cell line. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Development Inspired by Natural Products II)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 4627 KiB  
Article
Cinnamon Oil-Loaded Nanoliposomes with Potent Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activities
by Neveen M. Ellboudy, Bassma H. Elwakil, Marwa M. Shaaban and Zakia A. Olama
Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4492; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28114492 - 1 Jun 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2180
Abstract
Despite recent scientific advances, the global load of bacterial disease remains high and has been established against a backdrop of increasing antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, there is a pressing need for highly effective and natural antibacterial agents. In the present work, the antibiofilm effect [...] Read more.
Despite recent scientific advances, the global load of bacterial disease remains high and has been established against a backdrop of increasing antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, there is a pressing need for highly effective and natural antibacterial agents. In the present work, the antibiofilm effect provided by essential oils was evaluated. Of these, cinnamon oil extract showed potent antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against Staphylococcus aureus at an MBEC of 75.0 µg/mL. It was revealed that benzyl alcohol, 2-propenal-3-phenyl, hexadecenoic acid, and oleic acid were the major components of the tested cinnamon oil extract. In addition, the interaction between the cinnamon oil and colistin showed a synergistic effect against S. aureus. Cinnamon oil that had been combined with colistin was encapsulated by liposomes to enhance the essential oil’s chemical stability, demonstrating a particle size of 91.67 nm, a PDI of 0.143, a zeta potential of −0.129 mV, and an MBEC of 50.0 µg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to observe the morphological changes in the Staphylococcus aureus biofilm that was treated with the encapsulated cinnamon oil extract/colistin. As a natural and safe option, cinnamon oil exhibited satisfactory antibacterial and antibiofilm performance. The application of liposomes further improved the stability of the antibacterial agents and extended the essential oil release profile. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Development Inspired by Natural Products II)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

20 pages, 1464 KiB  
Review
Application of Rosmarinic Acid with Its Derivatives in the Treatment of Microbial Pathogens
by Ourdia-Nouara Kernou, Zahra Azzouz, Khodir Madani and Patricia Rijo
Molecules 2023, 28(10), 4243; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28104243 - 22 May 2023
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3455
Abstract
The emergence of the antimicrobial resistance phenomena on and the harmful consequences of the use of antibiotics motivate the necessity of innovative antimicrobial therapies, while natural substances are considered a promising alternative. Rosmarin is an original plant compound listed among the hydroxycinnamic acids. [...] Read more.
The emergence of the antimicrobial resistance phenomena on and the harmful consequences of the use of antibiotics motivate the necessity of innovative antimicrobial therapies, while natural substances are considered a promising alternative. Rosmarin is an original plant compound listed among the hydroxycinnamic acids. This substance has been widely used to fight microbial pathology and chronic infections from microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and viruses. Also, various derivatives of rosmarinic acid, such as the propyl ester of rosmarinic acid, rosmarinic acid methyl ester or the hexyl ester of rosmarinic acid, have been synthesized chemically, which have been isolated as natural antimicrobial agents. Rosmarinic acid and its derivatives were combined with antibiotics to obtain a synergistic effect. This review reports on the antimicrobial effects of rosmarinic acid and its associated derivatives, both in their free form and in combination with other microbial pathogens, and mechanisms of action. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Development Inspired by Natural Products II)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop