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Plants
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Plant-Derived Natural Products: Development and Utilization
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Plant-Derived Natural Products: Development and Utilization

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 3432

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Suzana Branković

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Guest Editor
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia
Interests: physiological activities of plants extracts
Prof. Dr. Dusanka Kitic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia
Interests: plants; phytochemistry; phytotherapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jelena Živković

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Guest Editor
Department for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Institute for Medicinal Plants Research “Dr Josif Pančić“, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: ethnobotany; natural product chemistry; chromatography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are an integral part of traditional medicine in the treatment of various diseases. Their numerous compounds and natural products continue to inspire the design, discovery, and development of drugs and nutraceuticals.

Understanding the complex chemical composition and biological activities of plant-based natural products is fundamental in fully utilizing their potential benefits for human health.

Furthermore, the current concept of the ‘one-disease-one-target drug’ is increasingly giving way to a new paradigm in which drugs targeting multiple human physiological pathways are preferable—a concept known as polypharmacology. In this context, the potential of plant-derived products, which comprise complex mixtures of numerous bioactive compounds, is further emphasized.

Developing efficient and safe plant-derived products is a challenging task that demands a multidisciplinary approach. This approach integrates knowledge from various fields such as botany, phytotherapy, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, biotechnology, legislation, and industrial pharmacy. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to provide an overview of the latest progress in these topics, supporting future discoveries and the development and the utilization of drugs and nutraceuticals that are derived from plant sources. Original research and review articles within this scope are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Suzana Branković
Prof. Dr. Dusanka Kitic
Dr. Jelena Živković
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. Plants 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

  • plant extracts
  • essential oil
  • nutraceuticals
  • natural products
  • herbal medicine
  • phytotherapy
  • phytochemistry
  • drug development

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 620 KiB  
Article
Effects of Plant Extracts on Growth Promotion, Antioxidant Enzymes, and Secondary Metabolites in Rice (Oryza sativa) Plants
by Ei Ei, Hyun Hwa Park and Yong In Kuk
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2727; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192727 - 29 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1352
Abstract
Plant extracts are widely used in sustainable agriculture practices to enhance crop production and reduce chemical usage in agriculture. This study employed several extraction solutions of various plant extracts to synthesize planting and spraying strategies, assess the persistence efficacy of rice, and investigate [...] Read more.
Plant extracts are widely used in sustainable agriculture practices to enhance crop production and reduce chemical usage in agriculture. This study employed several extraction solutions of various plant extracts to synthesize planting and spraying strategies, assess the persistence efficacy of rice, and investigate the influence of selected water extracts on secondary chemicals at different rice planting stages. Among 17 water extracts that were evaluated on rice seeds, 7 were enhanced to align with the lengths of rice roots 50–70% and shoots 40–50%. The analysis of extraction, spraying, and planting experiments revealed that water extracts, soil application, and transplanting were the most efficient methods for stimulating rice growth, especially 0.1 and 0.5% concentrations. The efficacy of the extracts remained intact also after 14 days of treatment. This study showed that photosynthesis and antioxidant activities may play crucial roles in plant growth. Rice growth stimulation has been linked to photosynthesis, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant enzymes, providing a balanced supply of nutrients for plant growth. Among all tested water extracts, Psidium guajava, Aloe vera, Allium sativum, and Medicago sativa extracts can be used to promote plant growth in organic farming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Derived Natural Products: Development and Utilization)
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22 pages, 3459 KiB  
Article
Spasmolytic, Antimicrobial, and Antioxidant Activities of Spray-Dried Extracts of Gentiana asclepiadea L. with In Silico Pharmacokinetic Analysis
by Miloš S. Jovanović, Milica Milutinović, Suzana Branković, Tatjana Mihajilov-Krstev, Milica Randjelović, Bojana Miladinović, Nada Ćujić Nikolić, Katarina Šavikin and Dušanka Kitić
Plants 2024, 13(11), 1445; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13111445 - 23 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1563
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the spasmolytic activity of an underground parts extract of Gentiana asclepiadea L. (Gentianaceae), assess its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and explore the impact of extract encapsulation on the aforementioned bioactivities. An extract encapsulated by spray drying with whey [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate the spasmolytic activity of an underground parts extract of Gentiana asclepiadea L. (Gentianaceae), assess its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and explore the impact of extract encapsulation on the aforementioned bioactivities. An extract encapsulated by spray drying with whey protein, pure extract, and pure whey protein were comparatively tested. The main compounds identified via HPLC-DAD analysis underwent in silico ADME assessment. The spasmolytic effect was tested on a model of spontaneous rat ileum contractions, and the mechanism of action was further evaluated on acetylcholine-, KCl-, CaCl2-, BaCl2-, histamine-, N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester-, and glibenclamide-modified contractions. The most abundant compounds were secoiridoids (dominantly gentiopicroside), followed by C-glycosylated flavonoids and xanthones. Both pure and encapsulated extracts achieved significant spasmolytic effects, despite the spasmogenic activity of pure whey protein. The extract may exert its spasmolytic effect through multiple pathways, predominantly by antagonizing the Ca2+ channel and opening the K+ channel, while the nitric oxide pathway appears not to be involved. The antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the pure extract were moderate. The extract stabilized by encapsulation retained all of the tested bioactivities of the unencapsulated extract. The obtained results suggest that G. asclepiadea has potential for use in the treatment of some gastrointestinal complaints and that the encapsulated extract could be a valuable functional ingredient in pharmaceutical and food products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Derived Natural Products: Development and Utilization)
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