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Life
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Therapeutic Effects of Natural Products on Human Diseases: 2nd Edition
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Therapeutic Effects of Natural Products on Human Diseases: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmaceutical Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 February 2025 | Viewed by 1723

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Seung Ho Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nano-Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
Interests: natural products; natural extracts; cancer; neurodegenerative diseases; immunological disorders; metabolic diseases; oriental medicine; micro-organisms; algae; functional foods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products are compounds or substances produced by living organisms that are found in nature. Since natural sources are considered potential resources for developing lead compounds in drug discovery, a significant number of studies have focused on finding new therapeutic effects of natural products on human diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, immunological disorders, and metabolic diseases.

This Special Issue, entitled “Therapeutic Effects of Natural Products on Human Diseases”, welcomes submissions of either research manuscripts or scientific reviews covering the therapeutic effects of various natural products (plants, microorganisms, algae, foods, animals, etc.) on human diseases. Importantly, mechanistic studies evaluated by in vitro and/or in vivo experiments to identify major molecules and/or cellular pathways of targeted therapeutic action of natural compounds should be involved.

Prof. Dr. Seung Ho Lee
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. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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
  • natural extracts
  • cancer
  • neurodegenerative diseases
  • immunological disorders
  • metabolic diseases
  • oriental medicine
  • microorganisms
  • algae
  • functional foods

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1399 KiB  
Article
Verbascum ponticum (Stef.) Extract Induces Lung Cancer Apoptosis via Mitochondrial-Dependent Apoptosis Pathway
by Pawan S. Faris
Life 2024, 14(11), 1520; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14111520 - 20 Nov 2024
Viewed by 314
Abstract
Non-small-cell lung carcinoma remains a significant health concern due to its high incidence and mortality rates. Traditional medicines play a central role in cancer therapy, with plant-derived bioactive compounds being studied for their potential to offer fewer side effects than conventional treatments. In [...] Read more.
Non-small-cell lung carcinoma remains a significant health concern due to its high incidence and mortality rates. Traditional medicines play a central role in cancer therapy, with plant-derived bioactive compounds being studied for their potential to offer fewer side effects than conventional treatments. In traditional Kurdish medicine, different Verbascum species are used to treat burns, inflammation, and other conditions. While some species extracts have shown cytotoxic effects against several cancer cell lines like A549, the efficacy and mechanisms of action of the other species like Verbascum ponticum (V. ponticum) remain to be elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of V. ponticum (Stef.) extract, collected from the Kurdistan region of the Iraq mountains, on A549 cells. A comprehensive approach was employed, utilizing immunocytochemical and functional analyses to assess apoptotic morphology, DNA fragmentation, alongside assays for cellular and mitochondrial function, proliferation, and viability. Additionally, the study investigated AIF mitochondrial translocation and evaluated mitochondrial membrane potential using the Rhodamine 123 assay. The results showed that the V. ponticum flower extract induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in A549 cells via disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of AIF, and translocation to the nucleus, independently of the caspase-3-activation pathway. These findings emphasize the potential of V. ponticum in lung cancer strategic treatments, meriting further phytochemical studies to identify the bioactive compounds it contains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Therapeutic Effects of Natural Products on Human Diseases: 2nd Edition)
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Review

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16 pages, 1771 KiB  
Review
The Influence of a Plant-Based Diet on Skin Health: Inflammatory Skin Diseases, Skin Healing, and Plant-Based Sources of Micro- and Macro-Nutrients
by Mildred Min, Anurag Tarmaster, Apple Bodemer and Raja K. Sivamani
Life 2024, 14(11), 1439; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14111439 - 7 Nov 2024
Viewed by 949
Abstract
Dietary patterns have been shown to worsen or alleviate several dermatological diseases. A well-balanced, plant-based diet is known to have anti-inflammatory, probiotic, and antioxidant properties, along with weight loss-promoting effects. Moreover, a plant-based diet has a low glycemic load, improving metabolic disease. Due [...] Read more.
Dietary patterns have been shown to worsen or alleviate several dermatological diseases. A well-balanced, plant-based diet is known to have anti-inflammatory, probiotic, and antioxidant properties, along with weight loss-promoting effects. Moreover, a plant-based diet has a low glycemic load, improving metabolic disease. Due to these qualities, plant-based diets may have beneficial effects on inflammatory skin conditions. In this review, we aim to discuss the possible mechanisms by which a plant-based diet reduces disease severity in psoriasis, acne, hidradenitis suppurativa, and atopic dermatitis. We also aim to clarify how a plant-based diet may influence skin healing and identify sources of vitamins, nutrients, fatty acids, and protein in a well-balanced, plant-based diet. We performed a literature search on PubMed/MEDLINE databases with the following keywords: “plant-based” OR “vegan” OR “vegetarian” OR “meat” OR “diet” AND “psoriasis” OR “hidradenitis suppurativa” OR “acne” OR “atopic dermatitis” OR “skin healing” OR “dermatology”. Our findings demonstrate that plant-based foods may improve inflammatory skin diseases by supporting the gut microbiome, exerting anti-inflammatory effects, providing barrier support, and improving glycemic control. With the proper education, there is an abundance of plant-based food sources or supplements that contain riboflavin, vitamin B12, vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein, thereby ameliorating the risk of nutritional deficiencies. Thus, a plant-based diet may have therapeutic potential in dermatology. In spite of the evidence available, there is a paucity of clinical studies focusing specifically on plant-based diets and dermatologic conditions and further investigation is warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Therapeutic Effects of Natural Products on Human Diseases: 2nd Edition)
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