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Microbes & Immunity Advances in plant-based therapies and research

system through various mechanisms and molecular targets. (1) Evidence-based herbal medicine and natural products
Phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, are used for the prevention and management of
carbohydrates, and polyphenols are particularly noted for microbiological, immunological, and infectious
their immunomodulatory effects in numerous medicinal diseases
plants. Many edible plants are important sources of (2) Pharmaceutical formulations of pharmacologically
antimicrobial compounds exhibiting high activity active metabolites in managing chronic,
against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. microbiological, immunological, and infectious
Cultivated vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, and spices have diseases
been investigated more thoroughly than wild species; thus, (3) Different pharmacologically active metabolites are
they dominate the list. Although more than 7000 species of used in the management of human microbiological,
wild edible plants are encompassed in human diets, their and immunological diseases
immunomodulatory properties are poorly investigated, (4) Recent advances in the discovery of natural drugs
and most of them still need to be studied. 3 for addressing microbiological, immunological, and
infectious diseases
Recent advancements in medicine and molecular (5) Compounds from the Mediterranean diet and
biotechnology have significantly improved the containment medicinal plants.
and, in some cases, eradication of certain pathogens,
particularly in developed countries. Nonetheless, the Conflict of interest
emergence of evolving pathogens has given rise to new
infectious diseases. Technological and socioeconomic The author declares that he has no competing interests.
changes have accelerated global movement, further References
facilitating the spread of these diseases, as evidenced by the
rapid global dissemination of the 2009 influenza pandemic 1. Sun W, Shahrajabian MH. Therapeutic potential of phenolic
and the 2014 Ebola outbreak. 5 compounds in medicinal plants-natural health products for
human health. Molecules. 2023;28(4):1845.
In this context, natural products from plants are
emerging as promising candidates for next-generation doi: 10.3390/molecules28041845
antibacterial and antiviral agents. In developed countries, 2. Rahaman MM, Hossain R, Herrera‐Bravo J, et al. Natural
where 80% of the population depends on traditional antioxidants from some fruits, seeds, foods, natural
medicine for primary health care, and in countries products, and associated health benefits: An update. Food
such as India, renowned for its extensive collection of Sci Nutr. 2023;11(4):1657-1670.
medicinal herbs, the potential of plant-based treatments doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3217
for bacterial and viral diseases is substantial. In this regard, 3. Saad B. Prevention and treatment of obesity-related
Mediterranean wild edible plants and their antimicrobial inflammatory diseases by edible and medicinal plants and
properties have been known since ancient times, and their active compounds. Immuno. 2022;2:609-629.
rediscovering them as natural remedies for common doi: 10.3390/immuno2040038
infections is gaining traction in modern times. Current
strategies for combating bacterial infections heavily rely 4. Saad B. A review of the anti-obesity effects of wild edible
on antibiotics and preservatives, which often have limited plants in the Mediterranean diet and their active compounds:
From traditional uses to action mechanisms and therapeutic
efficacy and can cause serious side effects. This underscores targets. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(16):12641.
the urgent need for novel antimicrobial agents and food
preservatives with enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity. 6 doi: 10.3390/ijms241612641
Recent years have seen a surge in research on herbal 5. Hochma E, Yarmolinsky L, Khalfin B, Nisnevitch M,
medicines worldwide, with both developed and developing Ben-Shabat S, Nakonechny F. Antimicrobial effect
of phytochemicals from edible plants. Processes.
nations intensifying efforts to scientifically assess and 2021;9(11):2089.
validate these treatments through rigorous clinical trials.
This special issue aims to compile original research articles doi: 10.3390/pr9112089
that investigate the efficacy of active constituents or 6. Cappelli G, Mariani F. A systematic review on the
extracts from natural products in preventing and treating antimicrobial properties of Mediterranean wild edible
microbiological, immunological, and infectious diseases. plants: We still know too little about them, but what we do
We also welcome review articles that offer comprehensive know makes persistent investigation worthwhile. Foods.
insights into the current state of research in this field. Some 2021;10(9):2217.
of the highlights of this special issue include: doi: 10.3390/foods10092217

Volume 1 Issue 2 (2024) 2 doi: 10.36922/mi.4453