Application of Plant Secondary Metabolites to Pain Neuromodulation, Volume II

  • 10k

    Total Downloads

  • 38k

    Total Views and Downloads

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

The importance of natural products and their metabolites in the treatment of pain and other diseases has been recognized by contemporary science, and a range of medications currently used in the clinic were indeed initially developed from natural products including medicinal plants.

Historically, the mark of obtaining bioactive compounds with analgesic potential occurred in the 19th century when the first analgesic drugs obtained from medicinal plants were marketed. These included especially the opioids, such as morphine extracted from papaver (Papaver somniferum) and acetylsalicylic acid, which was synthesized from salicylic acid extracted from willow bark (Salix spp.).

After almost two centuries, new analgesic compounds have been extracted from natural products, for example capsaicin obtained from pepper (Capsicum annuum), the peptide ziconotide extracted from the marine mollusc Conus magus, and cannabinoid compounds extracted from Cannabis sativa (tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and others).

In addition to the diversity of their chemical constituents, natural products have a range of pharmacological targets that make them potent analgesic compounds. In fact, a large part of these compounds is able to promote the modulation of several neurotransmission systems, such as opioid, cannabinoid and purinergic, as well as voltage-sensitive ion channels including transient receptor potential (TRP) channels and acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs). Besides, these compounds are normally important modulators of inflammatory mediators release and redox imbalance. Even in case of rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathy, focus on the redox imbalance as well as hyaluronidase inhibition are also the important factors, which are being considered by the researchers worldwide. In this context, natural products like nuciferoic acid plays a very important role in controlling hyaluronidase enzyme.

Thus, natural products are able to act in several areas of the nervous system, such as nociceptive fibres, spinal cord and encephalic nuclei of the descending pain modulatory pathway, which contribute to decrease of nociceptive stimulus perception, modulate the conduction pathways and activate descending pain control circuits. In fact, several research groups around the world have demonstrated that these compounds are able to modulate the complex neurobiology of pain transmission in the context of several painful conditions, such as fibromyalgia, cancer pain, neuropathic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, among others. The lack of an effective treatment for many of these disorders, constantly stimulates the development of research in this area.

However, challenges like the precise knowledge of their neuropharmacological effects and their mechanisms of action, stability, bioavailability and safety, as well as the scarcity of clinical trials, still represent obstacles to the advancement of this research field.

This Research Topic therefore aims to provide significant evidence of well-defined bioactive compounds or plant extracts obtained from medicinal plants and its potential analgesic effects through pain neuromodulation, supported with clear molecular targets and mechanisms of actions illustrated through a broad and translational approach. In this sense, several studies can contribute with this topical research, including:

- Preclinical studies (in silico, in vitro, in vivo) on analgesic and neuromodulator effects of natural products;
- Biotechnological studies demonstrating methods of improving the neuromodulator effect, stability, bioavailability and/or reduction of adverse effects of well-defined bioactive compounds or plant extracts;
- Clinical trials performed to test the efficiency of natural products to control human painful conditions;
- Systematic reviews and metanalysis about the effectiveness of well-defined bioactive compounds or plant extracts to control pain and its clinical applications.

For manuscripts dealing with plant extracts or other natural substances/compounds, the composition and the stability of the study material must be described in sufficient detail. The level of purity must be proven and included. Please refer to the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology, a subset of which concerning general standards in natural product research are applied to all such studies in all sections of Frontiers in Pharmacology.

This Research Topic is part of a series. See also Application of Plant Secondary Metabolites to Pain Neuromodulation

Keywords: pain, nociception, natural products, secondary metabolites, phytochemicals, medicinal plants

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

Participating Journals

Impact

  • 38kTopic views
  • 26kArticle views
  • 10kArticle downloads
View impact