Application of Natural substances and their derivatives in infectious diseases

The field of anti-infective pharmacology is increasingly turning toward natural substances and their derivatives as promising avenues for combating infectious diseases. With the escalation of antimicrobial resistance posing a significant threat to global health, traditional options are losing efficacy at an alarming rate. Natural compounds, derived from plants, microbes, and marine organisms, offer immense structural diversity and bioactivity, which is being harnessed to discover innovative solutions. Recent research has highlighted their broad-spectrum potential—not only as antibacterials but also as antivirals, antifungals, and immunomodulators. However, despite encouraging laboratory and preliminary clinical evidence, key challenges remain in optimizing efficacy, understanding mechanisms of action, and translating these findings into clinical therapies. There remains debate concerning the scalability of natural product development, the emergence of resistance even to phytochemicals, and the need for systematic investigation into pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and safety.This Research Topic aims to advance the scientific understanding and clinical application of natural substances and their derivatives for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Specifically, it seeks to uncover new activities against a wide range of pathogens—including drug-resistant strains—while elucidating underlying mechanisms, improving molecular properties through structural modification, and overcoming barriers to clinical translation. The objectives also include highlighting state-of-the-art technological or methodological innovations that accelerate the development pipeline and critically assessing the opportunities and challenges in bringing such agents to bedside medicine.This Research Topic is confined to studies focused on the anti-infective activities of natural substances and their derivatives, specifically targeting pathogenic microbes and drug-resistant organisms. Submissions addressing non-infectious disease indications or synthetic compounds unrelated to natural origins will not be considered. To gather further insights in this area, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Discovery of bioactive natural products with antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, or antiparasitic activityo Structural optimization and derivatization to enhance anti-infective propertieso Mechanistic studies clarifying targets or pathways involved in anti-microbial and immunomodulatory activityo Efficacy against drug-resistant pathogens and modes of resistance circumventiono Strategies for improving bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, or safety of natural-origin compoundso Translational studies, clinical case series, and technology platforms for natural product development Topic editors: Rongpeng Li, Bo Yuan, Xueyan Hou Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79216/application-of-natural-substances-and-their-derivatives-in-infectious-diseases