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Bioactive Natural Products for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer, Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Aging

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 11885

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sylwia Katarzyna Naliwajko

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Bromatology, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Division of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Mickiewicza 2D, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland
Interests: natural compounds; diet; food; antioxidant; anticancer; antiaging
Dr. Michał Tomczyk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Division of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Białystok, ul. Mickiewicza 2a, 15-230 Białystok, Poland
Interests: pharmacognosy; phytochemistry; phytotherapy; natural compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products are a source of many bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and phytosterols, as well as vitamin and mineral ingredients, which may influence their therapeutic potential, including metabolic processes. Thus, these products have excellent health benefits. This Special Issue aims to discuss various aspects of bioactive compounds and natural products as sources of bioactive compounds with applications in the prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease, cancer, ageing and related aspects—including neurodegeneration, obesity and malnutrition. Through discussion on the use of natural products or dietary supplements and the pharmacological and clinical evidence of their safety and efficacy, we hope that this Special Issue will increase awareness of the value and potential of natural products. We would like to thank the authors for their valuable contributions, which support scientific progress in the analysis of natural products.

Dr. Sylwia Katarzyna Naliwajko
Dr. Michal Tomczyk
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. 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

  • bioactive compounds
  • natural compounds
  • food
  • diet
  • medicinal plants
  • anticancer
  • anti-aging
  • cardiovascular diseases

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3963 KiB  
Article
Chlorogenic Acid Attenuates Isoproterenol Hydrochloride-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy in AC16 Cells by Inhibiting the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway
by Kai He, Xiaoying Wang, Tingting Li, Yanfei Li and Linlin Ma
Molecules 2024, 29(4), 760; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29040760 - 7 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2074
Abstract
Cardiac hypertrophy (CH) is an important characteristic in heart failure development. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a crucial bioactive compound from honeysuckle, is reported to protect against CH. However, its underlying mechanism of action remains incompletely elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the mechanism [...] Read more.
Cardiac hypertrophy (CH) is an important characteristic in heart failure development. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a crucial bioactive compound from honeysuckle, is reported to protect against CH. However, its underlying mechanism of action remains incompletely elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the mechanism underlying the protective effect of CGA on CH. This study established a CH model by stimulating AC16 cells with isoproterenol (Iso). The observed significant decrease in cell surface area, evaluated through fluorescence staining, along with the downregulation of CH-related markers, including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) at both mRNA and protein levels, provide compelling evidence of the protective effect of CGA against isoproterenol-induced CH. Mechanistically, CGA induced the expression of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) while concurrently attenuating the expression of the core protein β-catenin in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, the experiment utilized the Wnt signaling activator IM-12 to observe its ability to modulate the impact of CGA pretreatment on the development of CH. Using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database combined with online platforms and tools, this study identified Wnt-related genes influenced by CGA in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and further validated the correlation between CGA and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in CH. This result provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effect of CGA against CH, indicating CGA as a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of heart diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Natural Products for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer, Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Aging)
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21 pages, 1453 KiB  
Article
Evaluating Phytochemical Profiles, Cytotoxicity, Antiviral Activity, Antioxidant Potential, and Enzyme Inhibition of Vepris boiviniana Extracts
by Kassim Bakar, Nilofar, Andilyat Mohamed, Łukasz Świątek, Benita Hryć, Elwira Sieniawska, Barbara Rajtar, Claudio Ferrante, Luigi Menghini, Gokhan Zengin and Małgorzata Polz-Dacewicz
Molecules 2023, 28(22), 7531; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28227531 - 10 Nov 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1587
Abstract
In the present study, we performed comprehensive LC-MS chemical profiling and biological tests of Vepris boiviniana leaves and stem bark extracts of different polarities. In total, 60 bioactive compounds were tentatively identified in all extracts. The 80% ethanolic stem bark extract exhibited the [...] Read more.
In the present study, we performed comprehensive LC-MS chemical profiling and biological tests of Vepris boiviniana leaves and stem bark extracts of different polarities. In total, 60 bioactive compounds were tentatively identified in all extracts. The 80% ethanolic stem bark extract exhibited the highest activity in the ABTS assay, equal to 551.82 mg TE/g. The infusion extract of stem bark consistently demonstrated elevated antioxidant activity in all assays, with values ranging from 137.39 mg TE/g to 218.46 mg TE/g. Regarding the enzyme inhibitory assay, aqueous extracts from both bark and leaves exhibited substantial inhibition of AChE, with EC50 values of 2.41 mg GALAE/g and 2.25 mg GALAE/g, respectively. The 80% ethanolic leaf extract exhibited the lowest cytotoxicity in VERO cells (CC50: 613.27 µg/mL) and demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells, particularly against H1HeLa cells, indicating potential therapeutic specificity. The 80% ethanolic bark extract exhibited elevated toxicity in VERO cells but had reduced anticancer selectivity. The n-hexane extracts, notably the leaves’ n-hexane extract, displayed the highest toxicity towards non-cancerous cells with selectivity towards H1HeLa and RKO cells. In viral load assessment, all extracts reduced HHV-1 load by 0.14–0.54 log and HRV-14 viral load by 0.13–0.72 log, indicating limited antiviral activity. In conclusion, our research underscores the diverse bioactive properties of Vepris boiviniana extracts, exhibiting potent antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and cytotoxicity potential against cancer cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Natural Products for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer, Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Aging)
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10 pages, 2057 KiB  
Communication
(1→3)-α-d-Glucooligosaccharides Increase the Killing Capacity of NK Cells against Selected Human Colon Cancer Cells
by Marta Kinga Lemieszek, Paulina Adamczyk, Iwona Komaniecka, Wojciech Rzeski, Michał Tomczyk and Adrian Wiater
Molecules 2023, 28(10), 4212; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28104212 - 20 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1661
Abstract
Despite the progress of medicine, colorectal cancer has occupied one of the highest positions in the rankings of cancer morbidity and mortality for many years. Thus, alternative methods of its treatment are sought. One of the newer therapeutic strategies is immunotherapy based on [...] Read more.
Despite the progress of medicine, colorectal cancer has occupied one of the highest positions in the rankings of cancer morbidity and mortality for many years. Thus, alternative methods of its treatment are sought. One of the newer therapeutic strategies is immunotherapy based on NK cells (natural killers), which are the body’s first line of defense against cancer. The aim of the study was to verify the possibility of using (1→3)-α-d-glucooligosaccharides (GOSs) obtained via acid hydrolysis of (1→3)-α-d-glucan from the fruiting body of Laetiporus sulphureus to improve the anticancer effect of NK-92 cells, with proven clinical utility, against selected human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines LS180 and HT-29. The study revealed that the investigated oligosaccharides significantly enhanced the ability of NK-92 cells to eliminate the examined colon cancer cells, mostly by an increase in their cytotoxic activity. The most significant effect was observed in LS180 and HT-29 cells exposed to a two-times higher quantity of NK cells activated by 500 µg/mL GOS, wherein NK-92 killing properties increased for 20.5% (p < 0.001) and 24.8% (p < 0.001), respectively. The beneficial impact of (1→3)-α-d-glucooligosaccharides on the anticancer properties of NK-92 suggests their use in colon cancer immunotherapy as adjuvants; however, the obtained data require further investigation and confirmation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Natural Products for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer, Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Aging)
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Review

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26 pages, 5562 KiB  
Review
Potential Targets of Natural Products for Improving Cardiac Ischemic Injury: The Role of Nrf2 Signaling Transduction
by Haixia Wang, Juanjuan Han, Gorbachev Dmitrii and Xin-an Zhang
Molecules 2024, 29(9), 2005; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29092005 - 26 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1317
Abstract
Myocardial ischemia is the leading cause of health loss from cardiovascular disease worldwide. Myocardial ischemia and hypoxia during exercise trigger the risk of sudden exercise death which, in severe cases, will further lead to myocardial infarction. The Nrf2 transcription factor is an important [...] Read more.
Myocardial ischemia is the leading cause of health loss from cardiovascular disease worldwide. Myocardial ischemia and hypoxia during exercise trigger the risk of sudden exercise death which, in severe cases, will further lead to myocardial infarction. The Nrf2 transcription factor is an important antioxidant regulator that is extensively engaged in biological processes such as oxidative stress, inflammatory response, apoptosis, and mitochondrial malfunction. It has a significant role in the prevention and treatment of several cardiovascular illnesses, since it can control not only the expression of several antioxidant genes, but also the target genes of associated pathological processes. Therefore, targeting Nrf2 will have great potential in the treatment of myocardial ischemic injury. Natural products are widely used to treat myocardial ischemic diseases because of their few side effects. A large number of studies have shown that the Nrf2 transcription factor can be used as an important way for natural products to alleviate myocardial ischemia. However, the specific role and related mechanism of Nrf2 in mediating natural products in the treatment of myocardial ischemia is still unclear. Therefore, this review combs the key role and possible mechanism of Nrf2 in myocardial ischemic injury, and emphatically summarizes the significant role of natural products in treating myocardial ischemic symptoms, thus providing a broad foundation for clinical transformation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Natural Products for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer, Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Aging)
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28 pages, 4020 KiB  
Review
Hesperidin, a Bioflavonoid in Cancer Therapy: A Review for a Mechanism of Action through the Modulation of Cell Signaling Pathways
by Arshad Husain Rahmani, Ali Yousif Babiker and Shehwaz Anwar
Molecules 2023, 28(13), 5152; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28135152 - 30 Jun 2023
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4251
Abstract
Cancer represents one of the most frequent causes of death in the world. The current therapeutic options, including radiation therapy and chemotherapy, have various adverse effects on patients’ health. In this vista, the bioactive ingredient of natural products plays a vital role in [...] Read more.
Cancer represents one of the most frequent causes of death in the world. The current therapeutic options, including radiation therapy and chemotherapy, have various adverse effects on patients’ health. In this vista, the bioactive ingredient of natural products plays a vital role in disease management via the inhibition and activation of biological processes such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell signaling molecules. Although natural products are not a substitute for medicine, they can be effective adjuvants or a type of supporting therapy. Hesperidin, a flavonoid commonly found in citrus fruits, with its potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective properties, and cardio-preventive factor for disease prevention, is well-known. Furthermore, its anticancer potential has been suggested to be a promising alternative in cancer treatment or management through the modulation of signal transduction pathways, which includes apoptosis, cell cycle, angiogenesis, ERK/MAPK, signal transducer, and the activator of transcription and other cell signaling molecules. Moreover, its role in the synergistic effects with anticancer drugs and other natural compounds has been described properly. The present article describes how hesperidin affects various cancers by modulating the various cell signaling pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Natural Products for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer, Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Aging)
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