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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 4457

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Dr. Sokcheon Pak

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Guest Editor

School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst, NSW 2795, Australia
Interests: evidence-based practice; bee venom; nutrition; reproduction; cancer; natural medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Soo Liang Ooi

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Guest Editor Assistant

School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst, NSW 2795, Australia
Interests: evidence-based complementary medicine; nutrition; naturopathy; phytotherapy; natural medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nature has long been recognized as a crucial source for developing pharmaceutical agents, with many modern drug discoveries originating from naturally occurring substances. For example, over two-thirds of all anticancer drugs are directly derived from unaltered natural compounds or inspired by natural product pharmacophores. Natural products derived from plants, marine organisms, fungi, and other natural sources often exhibit diverse biological activities essential in drug discovery and development. With the rise of multi-drug resistance, emerging diseases, and the growing need for novel therapeutic agents, natural products play a crucial role in pharmaceutical research.

Exploring bioactive compounds from natural sources offers vast potential for discovering new disease treatments. Natural products promise to improve human health, from anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties to cardiovascular, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory effects. However, the identification, isolation, and optimization of these active compounds attending their mechanisms of action remain.

This Special Issue, “Natural Products with Pharmaceutical Activities”, aims to highlight research exploring natural compounds’ pharmaceutical potential. We welcome original research articles, communications, and reviews focusing on the identification, isolation, structural characterization, and pharmacological evaluation of bioactive compounds from natural sources. Studies that emphasize novel extraction methods, structure–activity relationships, mechanisms of action, and clinical potential are particularly encouraged.

We invite contributions from diverse fields, including but not limited to pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, natural product chemistry, and biotechnology, that contribute to advancing natural product-based drug discovery.

Dr. Sokcheon Pak
Guest Editor

Dr. Soo Liang Ooi
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

bioactive compounds
drug discovery
natural products chemistry
pharmacological evaluation
structure–activity relationship

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 3434 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Effects of Gossypetin on Liver Health in Diet-Induced Pre-Diabetic Male Sprague Dawley Rats

by Karishma Naidoo and Andile Khathi

Molecules 2025, 30(8), 1834; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30081834 - 19 Apr 2025

Viewed by 158

Abstract

The rising prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus has emerged as a global health challenge. Gossypetin (GTIN) is a natural flavonoid which has recently demonstrated antihyperglycaemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. Despite these findings, no studies have investigated its effects on liver health in the pre-diabetic state. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the effects of GTIN on liver health in diet-induced pre-diabetic male rats in the presence and absence of dietary intervention and to compare these effects with those of metformin (MET). Following 20 weeks of pre-diabetes induction, the animals were divided into six groups (n = 6) as follows: non-pre-diabetic (NPD) control, pre-diabetic (PD) control, and PD groups treated with GTIN (15 mg/kg body weight (bw)) or metformin (500 mg/kg bw) on either a normal diet or a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet for 12 weeks. The results showed that the PD group had significantly higher liver triglycerides (TAG), liver weights, sterol regulatory binding element regulatory protein-1c (SREBP-1c), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and liver injury enzyme levels, along with decreased liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, and plasma bilirubin levels in comparison to NPD. Histologically, there was an increased lipid droplet accumulation and structural disarray in the PD group. GTIN treatment significantly reduced liver TAGs, liver weights, and plasma SREBP-1c levels, as well as improved liver SOD and GPx activity while decreasing liver MDA levels and liver injury enzymes in comparison to the PD control. Notably, GTIN treatment increased plasma bilirubin levels. Liver histology in the GTIN-treated groups revealed decreased lipid droplet accumulation and improved tissue integrity. Similar results were observed for the liver parameters in the MET-treated groups. The findings of this study may suggest that GTIN and MET exhibit therapeutic effects on liver health in diet-induced pre-diabetes in both the presence and absence of diet intervention. Dietary intervention may confer beneficial effects on liver health, with the most favorable therapeutic outcomes observed through a combination of treatment with dietary intervention. Additionally, GTIN may exhibit greater hepatoprotective effects than MET in rats without dietary intervention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products with Pharmaceutical Activities)

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16 pages, 1679 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Efficacy of Phenyllactic Acid Against Foodborne Pathogens Salmonella enterica Serotype Derby and Escherichia coli O26

by Angela Maione, Annalisa Buonanno, Marianna Imparato, Giuseppe Maglione, Cristina Rossetti, Angela Michela Immacolata Montone, Marco Guida, Emilia Galdiero and Paola Zinno

Molecules 2025, 30(8), 1738; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30081738 - 13 Apr 2025

Viewed by 202

Abstract

Nowadays, the spread of foodborne diseases and the growing concerns about antibiotic resistance have shifted the focus of researchers towards the use of substances of natural origin. Phenyllactic acid (PLA), a naturally produced compound, has already demonstrated antimicrobial properties against pathogenic microorganisms and those responsible for food spoilage. This study examines the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of PLA against foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella enterica Derby and Escherichia coli O26. The study showed that PLA effectively inhibited both biofilm formation and bacterial planktonic growth, with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 2 to 2.75 mg mL⁻¹. A dose-dependent inhibition of biofilm formation was observed, reaching approximately 90% for Salmonella strains and 50% for E. coli at 1.5 mg mL⁻¹. The cytotoxicity evaluation on Caco-2 cells showed that PLA was well-tolerated at concentrations up to 2 mg mL⁻¹. PLA’s effectiveness was also demonstrated in real food matrices, where its application in minced beef stored at 4 °C significantly reduced microbial populations, unlike in untreated samples where bacterial counts increased. PLA showed a good ability to inhibit biofilm formation and eradicate a mature biofilm, measuring the total bacterial biofilm biomass. Additionally, PLA was found to be biocompatible in Caco-2 cells, confirming that it poses no health risk at the tested concentrations. The study also observed that PLA reduced bacterial adhesion to intestinal cells, suggesting its potential in preventing intestinal bacterial colonization. These results highlight PLA as a promising natural antimicrobial agent for food preservation, with potential applications in sustainable packaging and controlling microbial contamination in food processing. Future studies should further explore PLA’s long-term stability and its interactions in complex food environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products with Pharmaceutical Activities)

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25 pages, 4437 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Antiproliferative Activity and NO Inhibition of Neo-Clerodane Diterpenoids from Salvia guevarae in RAW 264.7 Macrophages

by Juan Pablo Torres-Médicis, Celia Bustos-Brito, Leovigildo Quijano, Brenda Y. Bedolla-García, Sergio Zamudio, Teresa Ramírez-Apan, Diego Martínez-Otero and Baldomero Esquivel

Molecules 2025, 30(7), 1628; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071628 - 5 Apr 2025

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Abstract

In this study, nine neo-clerodane-type diterpenoids (1–9) were isolated from the dichloromethane extract of Salvia guevarae Bedolla & Zamudio leaves. Compounds 1–6 were new natural products, and 7–9 were acetone artifacts. In addition, four neo-clerodanes diterpenoids (10–13) previously described from different sources and six triterpenoids—identified as 3β,20,25-trihydroxylupane, oleanolic acid, 3β-O-acetyl-oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, 3β-O-acetyl-betulinic acid, and 3β,28-O-diacetyl-betulin—were isolated. Additionally, five flavonoids were also isolated from the methanol extract: quercetin-3-O-β-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-galactopyranoside, taxifolin-7-O-β-glucopyranoside, naringenin-7-O-β-glucopyranoside, a mixture of 2R and 2S eriodictyol-7-O-β-glucopyranoside, caffeic acid, the methyl ester of rosmarinic acid, and rosmarinic acid. The structure of the isolated compounds was established by spectroscopic means, mainly ¹H and ¹³C NMR, including 1D and 2D homo- and heteronuclear experiments. The absolute configuration of 1 and 10 was ascertained via an X-ray analysis, and that of the other compounds via ECD. The antiproliferative activity of some diterpenoids was determined using the sulforhodamine B method, where guevarain B (2) and 6α-hydroxy-patagonol acetonide (7) showed moderate activity against the K562 line, with IC₅₀ (μM) = 33.1 ± 1.3 and 39.8 ± 1.5, respectively. The NO inhibition in RAW 264.7 macrophage activity was also determined for some compounds, where 2-oxo-patagonal (6), 6α-hydroxy-patagonol acetonide (7), and 7α-acetoxy-ent-clerodan-3,13-dien-18,19:16,15-diolide (10) were proven to be active, with IC₅₀ (μM) of 26.4 ± 0.4, 17.3 ± 0.5, and 13.7 ± 2.0, respectively. The chemotaxonomy of Salvia guevarae is also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products with Pharmaceutical Activities)

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20 pages, 12976 KiB

Open AccessArticle

1′-Acetoxychavicol Acetate Selectively Downregulates Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Factor 2 (TRAF2) Expression

by Chihiro Moriwaki, Shingo Takahashi, Nhat Thi Vu, Yasunobu Miyake and Takao Kataoka

Molecules 2025, 30(6), 1243; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30061243 - 10 Mar 2025

Viewed by 389

Abstract

1′-Acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) is a natural compound derived from rhizomes of the Zingiberaceae family that suppresses the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, the present study investigated the molecular mechanisms by which ACA inhibits the NF-κB signaling pathway in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. The results obtained showed ACA decreased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in A549 cells. It also inhibited TNF-α-induced ICAM-1 mRNA expression and ICAM-1 promoter-driven and NF-κB-responsive luciferase reporter activities. Furthermore, the TNF-α-induced degradation of the inhibitor of NF-κB α protein in the NF-κB signaling pathway was suppressed by ACA. Although ACA did not affect TNF receptor 1, TNF receptor-associated death domain, or receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 protein expression, it selectively downregulated TNF receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) protein expression. The proteasome inhibitor MG-132, but not inhibitors of caspases or lysosomal degradation, attenuated ACA-induced reductions in TRAF2 expression. ACA also downregulated TRAF2 protein expression in human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells. This is the first study to demonstrate that ACA selectively downregulates TRAF2 protein expression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products with Pharmaceutical Activities)

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19 pages, 6497 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics, Antioxidant Activity Stability, and Anti-Fatigue Activity of Hydrolysates from Cucumaria frondosa Tentacles

by Mingbo Li, Juan Chen, Qiuting Wang, Chuyi Liu, Wenkui Song and Leilei Sun

Molecules 2025, 30(4), 889; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30040889 - 14 Feb 2025

Viewed by 476

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the impact of alcalase, trypsin, flavourzyme, and neutrase on the characteristics, antioxidant activity stability, and anti-fatigue activity of hydrolysates derived from Cucumaria frondosa tentacles (CFTHs). The results demonstrate that favourzyme hydrolysates exhibited the highest degree of hydrolysis (DH). Zeta potential and particle size measurements indicated that hydrolyzed peptides treated with favourzyme appeared aggregated and exhibited larger particle sizes. The antioxidant properties of CFTHs demonstrated good thermal stability, pH stability, and enhanced simulated gastrointestinal digestive stability. The anti-fatigue activity of CFTHs was examined using an acute exercise fatigue model. The results indicate that CFTHs extended the exhaustive swimming time of mice to 17.81 min. Additionally, CFTHs significantly elevated (p < 0.01) blood glucose (Glu) and liver glycogen (LG) levels, while also decreasing (p < 0.05) the concentrations of metabolites such as lactic acid (LA), urea nitrogen (BUN), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and ammonia (NH3). This reduction contributed to the alleviation of fatigue in the body. Furthermore, the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were significantly increased (p < 0.05), which aided in mitigating oxidative damage induced by strenuous exercise. These findings strongly support the potential utilization of CFTHs in food products as natural antioxidant and anti-fatigue alternatives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products with Pharmaceutical Activities)

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Review

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25 pages, 1685 KiB

Open AccessReview

Harnessing the Power of Alchemilla: A Natural Solution for Skin Health and Dermatological Disorders

by Sebastian Kanak, Barbara Krzemińska, Anna Berecka-Rycerz, Monika Kopeć and Katarzyna Dos Santos Szewczyk

Molecules 2025, 30(8), 1861; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30081861 - 21 Apr 2025

Abstract

Skin diseases are prevalent and encompass a wide range of disorders with varying clinical manifestations and diverse etiopathogenesis. The response to the necessity of multidirectional treatment is provided by species belonging to the genus Alchemilla, which is used in traditional medicine as well as in cosmetic formulations. Responsible for the healing properties of these plants for skin diseases are mainly compounds such as tannins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. The aim of the study was to analyze and synthesize the published literature on the Alchemilla species in skincare with a timeframe of December 2024. The literature indicates that due to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, astringent, antimicrobial, elastase activity and tyrosinase inhibitory properties of various Alchemilla species, extracts obtained from these plants can be successfully applied in skin rashes, acne, stretch marks, eczema, psoriasis, wrinkles and other dermatological issues. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review of the cosmetic activities of Alchemilla species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products with Pharmaceutical Activities)

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23 pages, 1942 KiB

Open AccessReview

Mechanism of Action and Therapeutic Potential of Xanthohumol in Prevention of Selected Neurodegenerative Diseases

by Anna Długosz, Błażej Błaszak, Damian Czarnecki and Joanna Szulc

Molecules 2025, 30(3), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30030694 - 5 Feb 2025

Viewed by 1032

Abstract

Xanthohumol (XN), a bioactive plant flavonoid, is an antioxidant, and as such, it exhibits numerous beneficial properties, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidative effects. The main dietary source of XN is beer, where it is introduced through hops. Although the concentration of XN in beer is low, the large quantities of hop-related post-production waste present an opportunity to extract XN residues for technological or pharmaceutical purposes. The presented study focuses on the role of XN in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, analyzing its effect at a molecular level and including its signal transduction and metabolism. The paper brings up XN’s mechanism of action, potential effects, and experimental and clinical studies on Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Additionally, challenges and future research directions on XN, including its bioavailability, safety, and tolerance, have been discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products with Pharmaceutical Activities)

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26 pages, 366 KiB

Open AccessReview

Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis): Potential Bioactivity, Extraction Methods, and Microencapsulation Techniques

by Sarah Gustia Redjeki, Alfa Fildzah Hulwana, Rizqa Nurul Aulia, Ira Maya, Anis Yohana Chaerunisaa and Sriwidodo Sriwidodo

Molecules 2025, 30(1), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30010160 - 3 Jan 2025

Viewed by 1388

Abstract

Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.), an oilseed native to the Peruvian rainforest, has garnered attention for its valuable components and its potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. Sacha inchi oil is rich in fatty acids, particularly omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9, along with antioxidants such as tocopherols, which collectively contribute to cardiovascular health, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and neuroprotective effects. The susceptibility of the oil to oxidation poses significant challenges for both storage and processing, making it essential to employ microencapsulation technologies to preserve its integrity and extend shelf life. This paper aims to provide a review of the therapeutic potential, extraction methods, and microencapsulation strategies for enhancing the oil’s stability and bioavailability. Optimizing both extraction processes and encapsulation strategies would enhance the oil’s stability and bioavailability, enabling it to be more effectively utilized in functional foods and therapeutic applications across the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical fields. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products with Pharmaceutical Activities)

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