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
Natural Compounds in Neurological Diseases
molecules-logo
Submit to Molecules Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Natural Compounds in Neurological Diseases

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 3796

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Daniela Ribeiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research and Technology (IITAA), University of the Azores, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Interests: biological chemistry; antioxidants; anti-inflammatories; bioactive compounds; polyphenols
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Laura Oliveira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratório de Farmacologia e Neurobiologia/UMIB, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
Interests: neurophysiology; neuroimmunology; myasthenia gravis; invasive bacterial diseases; purines

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neurological diseases or disorders are diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. The WHO recognizes stroke, migraine, dementia, meningitis, and epilepsy as the five largest contributors. Still, the burden of neurological diseases is widely unrecognized. In recent years, a lot of scientific proof has been collected pointing out that the immune system interacts with most neurological disorders. Neuroinflammation comprises inflammation-like processes inside the parenchyma of the central nervous system. Inflammatory responses mediated by brain cells, microglia, and astrocytes, may lead to neuronal damage contributing to the development of neurological morbidities. Therapeutic approaches aiming to modulate microglia and astrocyte activation may be beneficial to mitigate the progression of neurological diseases. Natural products offer an opportunity to discover new compounds that can be converted into drugs given their chemical structure diversity.

This Special Issue will address some of the main current research on the role of natural compounds in neurological diseases, with particular interest in the ones that explore the inflammatory-mediated responses.

Dr. Daniela Ribeiro
Dr. Laura Oliveira
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

  • neurological disorders
  • neuroinflammation
  • inflammatory mediators
  • immune system
  • infection
  • natural products

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 (2 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:

Research

14 pages, 2663 KiB  
Article
Computational Studies to Understand the Neuroprotective Mechanism of Action Basil Compounds
by Varinder Singh, Somdutt Mujwar, Manjinder Singh, Tanveer Singh and Sheikh F. Ahmad
Molecules 2023, 28(20), 7005; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28207005 - 10 Oct 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1617
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, pose a significant global health challenge, emphasizing the need for novel neuroprotective agents. Basil (Ocimum spp.) has been recognized for its therapeutic potential, and numerous studies have reported neuroprotective effects. In this manuscript, we present [...] Read more.
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, pose a significant global health challenge, emphasizing the need for novel neuroprotective agents. Basil (Ocimum spp.) has been recognized for its therapeutic potential, and numerous studies have reported neuroprotective effects. In this manuscript, we present a computational protocol to extricate the underlying mechanism of action of basil compounds in neuroprotective effects. Molecular docking-based investigation of the chemical interactions between selected bioactive compounds from basil and key neuroprotective targets, including AChE, GSK3β, γ-secretase, and sirtuin2. Our results demonstrate that basil compound myricerone caffeoyl ester possesses a high affinity of −10.01 and −8.85 kcal/mol against GSK3β and γ-secretase, respectively, indicating their potential in modulating various neurobiological processes. Additionally, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to explore the protein–ligand complexes’ stability and to analyze the bound basil compounds’ dynamic behavior. This comprehensive computational investigation enlightens the putative mechanistic basis for the neuroprotective effects of basil compounds, providing a rationale for their therapeutic use in neurodegenerative disorders after further experimental validation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds in Neurological Diseases)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 2900 KiB  
Communication
Dried Loquat Fruit Extract Containing Chlorogenic Acid Prevents Depressive-like Behaviors Induced by Repeated Corticosteroid Injections in Mice
by Dong Wook Lim, Guijae Yoo and Changho Lee
Molecules 2023, 28(14), 5612; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145612 - 24 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1498
Abstract
Eriobotrya japonica (loquat tree) has been used in traditional medicine to treat respiratory ailments, inflammation, and skin diseases; however, its potential antidepressant-like effects have not been extensively investigated. In this study, we evaluated the antidepressant-like effects of E. japonica fruit extract (EJFE) in [...] Read more.
Eriobotrya japonica (loquat tree) has been used in traditional medicine to treat respiratory ailments, inflammation, and skin diseases; however, its potential antidepressant-like effects have not been extensively investigated. In this study, we evaluated the antidepressant-like effects of E. japonica fruit extract (EJFE) in a mouse model of corticosterone (CORT)-induced depression. An HPLC analysis revealed that chlorogenic acid (CGA) is the major compound in EJFE. Male ICR mice (5weeks-old) were injected with CORT (40 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) once daily for 21 days to induce depressive-like behaviors. Various behavioral tests, including the open field test, rotarod test, elevated plus maze (EPM), passive avoidance test (PAT), tail suspension test (TST), and forced swim test (FST), were conducted 1 h after the oral administration of EJFE at different doses (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) and CGA (30 mg/kg). High-dose EJFE and CGA significantly alleviated CORT-induced depressive-like behaviors, as indicated by the reduced immobility times in the TST and FST. A decrease in the step-through latency time in the PAT, without an effect on locomotor activity, suggested an improvement in cognitive function. Moreover, EJFE- and CGA-treated mice exhibited significantly reduced anxiety-like behaviors in the EPM. Our results imply the promising potential of EJFE containing CGA as a therapeutic candidate for depression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds in Neurological Diseases)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop