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Health Benefiting Components of Plants and Fungi

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 2652

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Science and Technology, University of Swansea, Sketty, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
2. Phytoquest Limited, IBERS, Ceredigion, UK
Interests: iminosugars; sugar amino acids; pharmaceuticals; nutraceuticals; biochemistry
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is a growing interest in natural remedies in the developed world and a wealth of indigenous knowledge in less developed nations where traditions were kept strong. At the same time, the internet and scientific literature is being swamped with medicinal and health claims around foods and herbal and microbial extracts. Much of the information on the internet is confusing and not based on good science. Many scientific papers take traditional uses and relate them to compounds and extracts using in vitro assay data, without likely in vivo benefits. While plants and microorganisms contain a vast diversity of molecules, and many have potential as therapies, identifying which are the beneficial compounds and which might be detrimental or not specific or stable enough to have a significant effect in the body is not often straightforward. This Special Issue aims to consider only those molecules with activities that really are well substantiated and will try to correct common misunderstandings on benefits of natural compounds often claimed to be good for almost everything. The issue will also consider where the big opportunities are for discovering new medicines from plants for pharmaceutical development and the best ways of finding them.

Prof. Dr. Robert J. Nash
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • natural compounds and extracts
  • pharmaceutical development
  • in vitro
  • in vivo
  • new medicines
  • plants
  • fungi

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 5778 KiB  
Article
Extracellular Vesicles and PlantCrystals for Improved Bioavailability of Curcumin as a BCS Class IV Drug
by Muzn Alkhaldi, Tehseen Sehra, Soma Sengupta and Cornelia M. Keck
Molecules 2024, 29(24), 5926; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29245926 - 16 Dec 2024
Viewed by 770
Abstract
The limited water solubility of active compounds remains a significant challenge for efficient dermal drug delivery, particularly for BCS class IV drugs such as curcumin. This study aimed to enhance curcumin’s dermal penetration using two strategies: extracellular vesicles (EVs) and plantCrystals derived from [...] Read more.
The limited water solubility of active compounds remains a significant challenge for efficient dermal drug delivery, particularly for BCS class IV drugs such as curcumin. This study aimed to enhance curcumin’s dermal penetration using two strategies: extracellular vesicles (EVs) and plantCrystals derived from soybeans. EVs were isolated using classical methods. However, plantCrystals containing extracellular vesicles (PCEVs) were formed during the preparation of plantCrystals through bead milling. Curcumin was either added after PCEVs were formed, resulting in curcumin-added PCEVs, or added to the soybean dispersion before bead milling, forming curcumin-loaded PCEVs. The formulations were characterized for their physicochemical properties and assessed for dermal penetration efficacy using quantitative dermatokinetic and semi-quantitative ex vivo porcine ear models. The results indicated that curcumin-loaded PCEVs achieved higher penetration efficacy compared to curcumin-added PCEVs and curcumin-loaded EVs, with approximately 1.5-fold and 2.7-fold increases in penetration efficacy, respectively. Additionally, curcumin-loaded PCEVs showed superior penetration depth, while curcumin from the curcumin-loaded EVs remained in the stratum corneum. These findings suggest that the plantCrystals strategy via bead milling offers a more effective approach than the classical EVs strategy for improving the topical delivery of class IV drugs like curcumin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Benefiting Components of Plants and Fungi)
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Review

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18 pages, 1785 KiB  
Review
Biofortification of Mushrooms: A Promising Approach
by Klaudia Słyszyk, Marek Siwulski, Adrian Wiater, Michał Tomczyk and Adam Waśko
Molecules 2024, 29(19), 4740; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29194740 - 7 Oct 2024
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Abstract
Mushrooms exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities and are widely used for medical purposes and in nutrition. Numerous bioactive metabolites are responsible for these activities. Their distribution and biological effects differ depending on the fungal species and their chemical composition. Biofortification is [...] Read more.
Mushrooms exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities and are widely used for medical purposes and in nutrition. Numerous bioactive metabolites are responsible for these activities. Their distribution and biological effects differ depending on the fungal species and their chemical composition. Biofortification is a sustainable process that aims to improve the nutritional profile of food crops, as most of them are low in key nutrients. This review aims to delve into the process of fungal biofortification and review the most commonly used elements and species. Through biofortification, it is possible to combat hidden hunger, which affects as many as 2 billion people worldwide. “Hidden hunger” is a phenomenon in which the organism lacks the minerals and vitamins needed for development, growth, and good overall health. Mushrooms are increasingly being considered for biofortification due to their ability to accumulate various elements (both micro- and macroelements). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Benefiting Components of Plants and Fungi)
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