Combating Infectious and Chronic Diseases with Natural Product Innovations

The ongoing battle against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and pandemic pathogens such as COVID-19 has exposed significant deficiencies in our therapeutic resources. This deficiency is further exacerbated by coinfections which heighten disease severity and complicate management in under-resourced areas. Additionally, issues such as multi-drug resistance, vaccine efficacy variability, viral mutations, and global health repercussions emphasize the critical need for innovative treatments that can effectively tackle a wide range of pathogens.

This Research Topic aims to expedite the research and development of natural products and their synthetic and semi-synthetic derivatives as potent therapeutic agents. The goal is to explore their effectiveness in addressing multiple health-threatening agents, including viruses like SARS and COVID-19, multidrug-resistant bacteria, protozoan diseases such as malaria, Chagas, leishmaniasis, and associated multimorbidities. By leveraging their biological activity, these natural compounds are envisioned as key solutions against both established and emerging health threats.

To gain broad perspectives on the medicinal chemistry of natural products and their roles against infectious and chronic diseases, this research welcomes contributions focused on, but not limited to, the following areas:

- Structural elucidation and bioactivity of natural products.
- Effects of semi-synthetic and synthetic derivatives on antimicrobial resistance and parasitic tropical pathogens.
- Potential of natural and derived compounds in managing multimorbidity diseases like cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.
- LCMS techniques and biological assessment of medicinal plant extracts.
- Explorations into the antipathogenic actions of natural products and their derivatives.
- Design and synthesis of natural product analogs for improved antimicrobial and antiprotozoal efficacy.
- Efficacy of herbal formulations in treating microbial, protozoal, diabetic, and obesity-related conditions.
- Insights into anti-infective properties derived from marine, fungal, mushroom, and bacterial natural products.