BMC microbiologyTianqing Feng, Jun Shang, Yonggui Ma, Juan Li, Yanrong Qin, Jitao Zhang, Shiyan Cheng, Gaosen Zhang, Huichun Xie
Notopterygium incisum is not only a traditional Chinese medicine but also an endemic herb. Artificial domestication and large-scale cultivation are crucial for resolving the crisis of wild resources and the supply-demand imbalance of N. incisum, yet current techniques have failed to stably provide the herb medicine in good quality. Metagenomic analyses revealed significant differences in the rhizomicrobiota between wild and cultivated N. incisum, particularly in microbial composition, gene functions, and community assembly. The rhizomicrobiota of the wild N. incisum from 3 different sites with an altitude drop over 1400 m had a similar composition when being compared with the cultivated samples. The wild N. incisum had higher abundances of beneficial microbes, particularly Hyphomicrobiales (Rhizobiales) (21.27% on average). In contrast, the rhizosphere microbial communities of the cultivated N. incisum showed a high prevalence of functional genes involved in the pathways of DNA repair and recombination proteins, replication and repair, peptidases and inhibitors, DNA replication proteins, and transfer RNA biogenesis. The co-occurrence networks analysis indicated that the stability of the wild samples' network remained significantly more robust when nodes were proportionally removed, as the wild samples' network had approximately the same positive and negative links while the cultivated samples' network had nearly all positive links and many fewer connectors. This is related to the conclusion that wild N. incisum exhibits superior efficacy, as reported in previous studies. Additionally, it can be observed from the sampling images that the root surface of wild N. incisum has more pronounced tiny protrusions, which may be associated with rhizobial attachment, thereby enhancing the nitrogen fixation process. Importantly, the observed shifts in rhizosphere microbial communities, particularly the enrichment of beneficial rhizobia in wild plants, are closely linked to enhanced accumulation of bioactive secondary metabolites such as coumarins and volatile oils. These microbiome-driven differences are likely associated with the superior medicinal quality of wild N. incisum compared to cultivated counterparts, highlighting the pivotal role of rhizosphere microbes in shaping therapeutic efficacy.
PloS oneYingzhe Wang, Pan Jiang, Jiaqiu Yuan, Jinghan Wu, Yue Zhang, Kun Guo
BACKGROUND: Eupatorium lindleyanum is a medicinal plant rich in bioactive sesquiterpenoids, yet the genetic and regulatory basis underlying their biosynthesis remains completely unexplored. In particular, the marked tissue-specific accumulation of these compounds-abundant in aerial organs but scarce in roots-lacks a molecular explanation. RESULTS: Here, we integrated UPLC-MS/MS-based metabolomics with RNA-Seq transcriptomics to comprehensively profile sesquiterpenoid metabolites and their associated gene expression signatures across root, stem, leaf, and flower tissues of Eupatorium lindleyanum. A total of 321 sesquiterpenoids were identified, exhibiting distinct tissue-specific accumulation patterns with highest abundance in flower, followed by leaf. Comparative analysis revealed 299 differentially accumulated sesquiterpenoid metabolites (DSMs), which were clustered into three major groups with preferential accumulation in leaf (Cluster 1), flower (Cluster 2), and root (Cluster 3). Transcriptome sequencing generated 99.43 Gb of clean data, yielding 147743 unigenes. Integration of metabolomic and transcriptomic datasets screened 20 structural genes (88 unigenes) involved in sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis, including MVA pathway genes (ACAT, HMGCS, HMGCR, MVK, PMK, MVD), MEP pathway genes (dxs, dxr, ispD, ispE, ispF, ispG, ispH), and downstream modification genes (FDPS, IDI, GAS, GDS, NES1, GAO, FLDH). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) further prioritized hub genes within modules significantly correlated with key sesquiterpenoids. Additionally, five transcription factor families (AP2/ERF, NAC, WRKY, MYB, and bHLH) were identified as potential regulators based on strong correlations with DSMs accumulation. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first comprehensive view of tissue-specific sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis in Eupatorium lindleyanum, establishing a prioritized set of candidate genes and regulators for functional validation. Our findings offer a foundational resource for metabolic engineering and molecular breeding aimed at enhancing the production of pharmacologically active sesquiterpenoids in this medicinal species.
MicrobiologyOpenSafia Arbab, Hanif Ullah, Mian Sayed Khan, Khalaf F Alsharif, Fuad M Alzahrani, Khalid J Alzahrani, Zhongyi Zeng, Li Ka
Livestock wound infections are a major challenge in veterinary medicine due to the increasing prevalence of bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. This study evaluated the phytochemical composition and antibacterial activity of selected medicinal plants traditionally used for the treatment of livestock wound infections. A total of 250 livestock wound samples were processed using standard bacteriological methods, resulting in the identification of 216 bacterial isolates. The predominant bacterial pathogens included Staphylococcus aureus (19.2%), Escherichia coli (13.6%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (12.0%), Streptococcus agalactiae (9.2%), Salmonella Typhimurium (9.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (8.0%), Enterococcus faecalis (7.6%), and Proteus mirabilis (7.6%). Methanol, ethanol, and aqueous extracts of Withania somnifera, Achyranthes aspera, Verbascum sinaiticum, Aloe vera, and Capparis zeylanica were evaluated for antibacterial activity using the agar well diffusion method. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, and phenolic compounds in most plant extracts. Among the tested plants, Withania somnifera exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, with inhibition zones ranging from 21 to 24 mm, while Achyranthes aspera demonstrated notable activity against E. coli, producing inhibition zones of 13-17 mm. Overall, Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible to the plant extracts than Gram-negative bacteria. These findings suggest that the investigated medicinal plants possess significant antibacterial potential and may serve as promising alternative therapeutic agents for the management of livestock wound infections.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represents a persistent autoimmune disease that causes continuous joint inflammation and results in synovial tissue overgrowth and worsening cartilage breakdown together with degeneration of bones. The existing pharmaceutical treatments provide symptom management although they create important adverse effects and raise ongoing security concerns. Plant-derived heterocyclic compounds present themselves as promising pharmaceutical substitution options because they demonstrate a wide spectrum of bioactivities that include anti-inflammatory protection together with immunomodulatory and antioxidative properties. This review investigates the therapeutic properties of natural heterocyclic compounds principally including flavonoids, alkaloids, coumarins and terpenoids for RA treatment. Medical plants contain these abundant compounds that adjust inflammatory pathways consisting of NF-κB, MAPK and JAK/STAT to decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 and restrict synovial fibroblast proliferation. The heterocyclic compounds found in medicinal plants also protect joints through two mechanisms: by improving antioxidant defences and activating cartilage repair. In addition to laboratory and animal test results the study evaluates how these natural compounds work together when combined in treatment plans. Research into structure-activity interactions of heterocyclic compounds alongside their molecular targets enables better development of safe plant-derived drugs. The research review demonstrates that plant-derived heterocyclic compounds need to become essential components in treating RA while promoting clinical studies to determine their human subject action and mechanism of operation.
Medicinal-plant immunity and specialized metabolism are mechanistically linked, but rigorous receptor validation, causal multi-omics, and field trials are needed for reliable translational applications. Medicinal plants combine classical immune signaling with lineage-specific specialized metabolism. This review focuses on the immune systems of medicinal plants and on how pathogen perception reshapes the biosynthesis of pharmacologically valuable secondary metabolites. We synthesize evidence for pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI), emphasizing pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins, MAP kinase (MAPK) signaling, calcium influx, reactive oxygen species (ROS), salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), ethylene (ET), and abscisic acid (ABA) crosstalk. Examples from Atractylodes macrocephala, Panax ginseng, Cannabis sativa, Catharanthus roseus, Artemisia annua, Hypericum perforatum, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and Withania somnifera illustrate both progress and major knowledge gaps. We distinguish well-validated medicinal-plant mechanisms from inferences based on Arabidopsis, rice, tomato, and Nicotiana reference systems. The review further evaluates elicitor treatments, microbial inoculants, genetic engineering, genome editing, integrated pest management (IPM), multi-omics, and microbiome engineering as strategies to improve both disease resistance and metabolite quality. We propose that future studies should test mechanistic links between receptor activation, transcription-factor networks, metabolite flux, and field-level medicinal quality through paired transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, microbiome profiling, and targeted perturbation experiments. This synthesis provides a focused framework for translating plant-pathogen biology into resilient and chemically consistent medicinal-plant production.
NutrientsHaibin Wang, Guoliang Zhang, Shuqi Zheng, Yanhong Sun
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic progressive joint disease characterized by articular cartilage degeneration, subchondral bone remodeling, osteophyte formation, and synovitis. It is one of the most common disabling diseases in the middle-aged and elderly population. At present, clinical treatment is mainly based on relieving symptoms, and there is still a lack of interventions that can prevent or reverse the disease process. In recent years, bioactive components derived from medicine-food homology (MFH) and Medicinal Health Food (MHF) have received extensive attention in the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis due to their high safety and multi-target effects. In this paper, bioactive components with anti-osteoarthritis effects in medicinal and edible homologous and medicinal health foods are systematically reviewed, including polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and polysaccharides. The progress of research into cartilage protection through the regulation of inflammatory signaling pathways, mitigation of oxidative stress, regulation of chondrocyte metabolism, and epigenetic modification is summarized, and the future research directions in this field are discussed.
International journal of molecular sciencesKitti Leesiam, Arunporn Itharat, Weerachai Pipatrattanaseree, Puritat Kanokkangsadal, Thishnapha Vudhironarit, Vilailak Tiyao, Sunita Makchuchit, Pranporn Kuro…
Rang Chuet is a traditional Thai medicinal plant widely used for detoxification, although the name is applied to several botanically distinct species. This study investigated the ethnopharmacological basis and potential molecular mechanisms underlying this practice by integrating practitioner knowledge, botanical authentication, phytochemical profiling, and molecular docking. Structured interviews were conducted with 30 experienced traditional medicine practitioners from five regions of Thailand to document the therapeutic use and preparation of Rang Chuet. Botanical identification confirmed three species marketed under this name: Crotalaria spectabilis Roth, Curcuma rangjued Saensouk & Boonma, and Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl. Most practitioners used Rang Chuet primarily for detoxification, with C. spectabilis and T. laurifolia being the predominant species. LC-MS/MS analysis identified fifteen phytochemicals, including compounds common to both species, such as apigenin, quercetin, and caffeic acid, together with species-specific constituents including rosmarinic acid and α-spinasterol in T. laurifolia. Molecular docking suggested that selected phytochemicals may interact with xenobiotic-sensing receptors, with α-spinasterol showing favorable binding to the Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) and apigenin and catechin to the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR). However, C. spectabilis is a recognised source of hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and because molecular docking cannot distinguish agonist from antagonist activity or establish functional receptor activation, these predicted interactions should not be interpreted as evidence of detoxification efficacy or safety. These findings provide a scientific framework linking traditional knowledge, botanical diversity, phytochemical composition, and potential receptor-mediated mechanisms, and highlight the public health risk of botanical substitution under the shared vernacular name "Rang Chuet." These findings are hypothesis-generating and warrant future functional and toxicological validation, particularly regarding C. spectabilis.
Journal of helminthologyA Khan, S K Panda, M Yaghoobi, Q Ullah, H Hu, L Schoofs, W Luyten
Traditional systems of medicine have acted as a primary health care modality for resource-constrained regions of the world since time immemorial. This study investigates the anthelmintic activity of 17 ethnobotanically selected medicinal plants from the Swat region of Pakistan and characterises their phytochemical profiles. The anthelmintic activity of plant extracts prepared in five different solvents (hexane, acetone, ethanol, methanol, and water) was determined by using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, followed by assessment of the phytochemistry as well as thin-layer chromatographic profiling of the acetone plant extracts. The anthelmintic results revealed that 48% of the extracts showed significant activity against C. elegans, with Ajuga bracteosa and Punica granatum extracts, followed by Berberis lyceum, Mentha longifolia, and Artemisia maritima, being the most potent. Among solvents, acetone proved to be the most effective extractant solvent. The phytochemical analysis and TLC profiling revealed various phytochemical groups in selected plant extracts. These findings support the significance of ethnomedicinal herbs in the discovery of novel antiparasitic drug candidates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to document the anthelmintic properties of selected plants from the Swat region of Pakistan, along with phytochemical screening and TLC profiling. This study indicates that the plants with potent anthelmintic activity, such as A. maritima, M. longifolia, B. lyceum, A. bracteosa, and P. granatum, could be potential candidates for anthelmintic drug discovery.
Drug design, development and therapyWeining Sun, Jiale Wang, Rongshen Wang, Yufeng Zhang, Wenhui Zhang, Wanju Zhang, Wanzhong Li
Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce (Angular Solomon's seal) is a medicinal and edible plant belonging to the Asparagaceae family. Phytochemical investigations have revealed its diverse chemical constituents. This review systematically summarized 174 small molecular compounds, including steroidal saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, volatile oil constituents, and others, as well as 18 polysaccharides isolated from P. odoratum. The mass fragmentation characteristics of representative steroidal saponins, homoisoflavonoids, and alkaloids are also summarized, providing valuable information for rapid compound identification and quality evaluation. Previous studies have demonstrated that extracts and isolated compounds from P. odoratum exhibit potential pharmacological activities, including antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antiviral, antibacterial, organ-protective, anti-obesity, and others effects. Based on chemical specificity, pharmacological relevance, and measurability, potential Q-markers, including steroidal saponins, homoisoflavonoids, polysaccharides, and other characteristic components, are proposed for further investigation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the traditional uses, phytochemical constituents, fragmentation characteristics, pharmacological properties, toxicology, and Q-marker prediction of P. odoratum, offering scientific insights for quality evaluation and further development of this medicinal and edible plant.
FitoterapiaGanggang Liu, Changyu Yao, Zhiqiang Li, Zhifeng Li, Qi Wang
This study investigated the chemical constituents and biological activities of the stems of the Mongolian medicinal plant Syringa oblata Lindl. Through chromatographic separation and spectroscopic analysis, 30 compounds were isolated from the aqueous fraction, including four new and ten first-reported in Syringa species. Using human breast cancer MCF-7 cells as the research subject, the in vitro anti-tumor activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated by the CCK-8 method. In addition, among the 30 compounds detected by the DPPH method, nine showed strong antioxidant activity, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values lower than that of vitamin C. These results provide a scientific basis for the medicinal use of the stems of Syringa oblata Lindl.
Botanical repellents provide a traditional means of personal protection, yet optimizing their formulations is increasingly required to address shifting mosquito feeding behaviors and mitigate disease transmission. The current study aimed to evaluate the repellent efficacy of essential oils and their binary combinations as complex matrices against Anopheles arabiensis bites, the major malaria vector in Ethiopia. Essential oils were extracted from fresh parts of four ethnobotanically investigated medicinal plants in the Ghibe Valley, Ethiopia, namely Croton macrostachyus, Echinops kebericho, Eucalyptus globulus, and Juniperus procera using hydrodistillation. The chemical composition of the essential oils was analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Arm-in-cage bioassays using laboratory-reared mosquitoes and human volunteers determined the effective dosage and complete protection time of the essential oils at 10% and 20% concentrations. A total of 131 chemical constituents were identified across the four analyzed essential oils. The C. macrostachyus leaf and seed oils provided a significantly longer protection time (p < 0.001), reaching 180 minutes with a mean percentage repellency of 85% to 100%. The essential oil of J. procera blended with C. macrostachyus or E. kebericho exhibited significant synergistic repellency (p < 0.001). The protection duration demonstrating by C. macrostachyus oil underscores their potential to meet the regulatory performance standards for natural insect repellents. Future investigations should include larger sample sizes, dermal toxicity assessments and field validation to fully support the commercialization of these essential oils.
Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiologyAkshay Kisan Mundhe, Reena Rajkumari
The increasing incidence of antifungal resistance in Candida albicans, mainly mediated by multidrug efflux transporters and alterations of cell-wall biosynthesis, requires the discovery of new antifungal compounds targeting multiple pathways involved in resistance. In the present study, we employed an integrated computational-experimental workflow to identify potential antifungal phytochemicals from the Indian Medicinal Plants, Phytochemistry and Therapeutics (IMPPAT) database. In the virtual screening, a total of 17,967 phytochemicals were screened against the ATP-binding cassette efflux transporter CDR1, followed by molecular docking, drug-likeness assessment, ADMET filtering, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and MM/PBSA binding free-energy calculations. Based on cross-target molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and MM/PBSA analyses of the top ten CDR1 phytochemicals against other antifungal resistance-associated proteins revealed that Apigenin-7-O-glucuronide is the only compound that exhibited favourable interactions with both CDR1 and GSC1, indicating its potential as a putative dual-target inhibitor. Molecular dynamics simulations showed the stability of the protein-ligand interactions, and MM/PBSA analysis confirmed Apigenin-7-O-glucuronide as the most energetically favourable CDR1 inhibitor (ΔGtotal = -35.56 kJ mol-1), and also showed favourable binding with GSC1 (ΔGtotal = -11.69 kJ mol-1). The HR-LCMS analysis of hydroethanolic extract of Eucalyptus camaldulensis gave putative evidence of presence of Apigenin-7-O-glucuronide based on accurate mass and database matches. The extract also showed concentration-dependent antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 10231 and environmental drug-resistant Candida and emerging pathogenic yeast isolates with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1.56 mg/mL and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of 6.25 mg/mL. Since the biological evaluation was performed using a crude hydroethanolic extract rather than the purified phytochemical, the observed antifungal activity cannot be exclusively attributed to Apigenin-7-O-glucuronide but provides preliminary biological support for the computational predictions and highlights the need for future validation using the purified compound and target-specific mechanistic studies. Together, these findings identify Apigenin-7-O-glucuronide as a putative dual-target antifungal lead and demonstrate the value of integrating large-scale virtual screening with preliminary biological evaluation for natural product-based antifungal drug discovery.
Pharmaceutical biologyRyland T Giebelhaus, Paula N Brown, Mariam Ali, Amy M Dodds, Lauren A E Erland
CONTEXT: Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) commonly known as 'kratom' is a tropical tree native to southeast Asia, that produces psychoactive monoterpenoid indole alkaloids including mitragynine. Kratom products are growing in popularity for increasing energy, improving mood and alleviating minor pain, but availability of commercial plant material is limited in North America. Propagation relies primarily on shoot cuttings rooted in soils with high levels of humus and is relatively inefficient. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to optimize in vitro shoot induction system for kratom using a Design of Experiments (DOE) approach and compare the metabolite profiles of in vitro and greenhouse-grown plants using metabolomics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A DOE approach was used to minimize the number of treatments necessary to optimize in vitro culture media to induce shoot and root morphogenesis in kratom explants. A clean mother stock of in vitro cultures was established and evaluated for medicinal bioactives via targeted and untargeted analyses by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). RESULTS: We found no significant difference in the quantified levels of mitragynine, melatonin, and some related metabolites, between in vitro-grown and greenhouse-grown plants within the experimental conditions of this study. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The presence of similar specialized metabolite profiles in greenhouse and in vitro-grown kratom plants paves the way for further studies on biotechnological engineering and production of these valuable compounds. In vitro propagation is a viable approach to produce bioactive compounds in kratom plants.
Drug design, development and therapyFebrina A Saputri, Raden M Febriyanti, Zulfan Zazuli, Callista A Mulyadi, Citra Aulia Rahma, Made A N D Putri, Najwa Kirana
This systematic review, conducted per PRISMA guidelines, examined the pharmacological activities and safety of six ethnobotanically prioritized medicinal plants for cardiometabolic disease: Gynura procumbens, Mimosa pudica, Tithonia diversifolia, Leucaena leucocephala, Smallanthus sonchifolius, and Syzygium cumini. Searches of PubMed and Scopus yielded 81 records, of which 66 studies met eligibility criteria, comprising in silico (n = 15), in vitro (n = 43), in vivo/clinical (n = 40), and safety/toxicity (n = 54) evidence. Mechanistic findings were categorized across glucose regulation, insulin signaling, lipid metabolism, vascular/endothelial function, inflammation, oxidative stress, and renal/cardiovascular complications. Gynura procumbens showed the broadest pharmacological activity, spanning glucose-lowering, lipid-modulating, vasorelaxant, and anti-inflammatory effects, alongside the most favorable short-term safety profile. Tithonia diversifolia, Leucaena leucocephala, and Smallanthus sonchifolius demonstrated robust multitarget antidiabetic activity in vitro but with accompanying hepatic, renal, or reproductive toxicity signals that may limit translation. At the same time, evidence for Mimosa pudica and Syzygium cumini remained largely preclinical, in silico, or polyherbal formulation-based. Safety data varied considerably across species and preparations, and long-term data on chronic toxicity, reproductive toxicity, and genotoxicity remain limited overall. These findings should be interpreted in light of the substantial heterogeneity in extraction methods and plant preparations, the general lack of standardized extracts, and the absence of a meta-analysis across the included studies. Overall, this review underscores the therapeutic potential of ethnobotanically selected medicinal plants for cardiometabolic disorders while highlighting the need for standardized, mechanistically validated, and clinically oriented research before therapeutic translation.
Molecular biology reportsT J Jasna, K S Sandra, Megh Pravin Vithalkar, D Vijaykumar, Yogendra Nayak
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease characterized by persistent synovial inflammation, progressive joint distruction, and systemic complications. Owing to the multifactorial nature of RA, therapies targeting a single molecular pathway often provide incomplete disease control and may be associated with long-term adverse effects. Network pharmacology has emerged as a powerful system-level approach that integrates bioinformatics, multi-omics datasets, molecular docking, and experimental validation to unravel the complex interactions among bioactive compounds, molecular targets, and signaling pathways. This review highlights the novel application of network pharmacology in deciphering the multi-target mechanisms of herbal medicines for RA and summarizes recent advances in this rapidly evolving field. Particular emphasis is placed on key pathogenic pathways, including NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, MAPK, JAK/STAT, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, oxidative stress responses, angiogenesis, and immune-cell dysregulation. Representative phytochemicals, such as quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, triptolide, and berberine, are discussed for their ability to modulate inflammatory responses, fibroblast-like synoviocyte activation, macrophage polarization, and osteoclastogenesis through coordinated regulation of multiple signaling networks. Importantly, this review underscores the translational significance of network pharmacology as a bridge between traditional herbal medicine and modern drug discovery, facilitating target prioritization, mechanism-based validation, and the rational development of multi-target therapeutics for RA. Collectively, network pharmacology provides a robust framework for the mechanistic interpretation of herbal medicines and offers a promising opportunity to accelerate the discovery and clinical translation of safer, more effective therapies for RA.
Scientific reportsBichitra Gohain, Rishab Sharma, Helen Soibam, Victor Singh Ayam
Type 2 diabetes is a growing public health concern in India, while plant-based remedies remain important in Assam. This study documented plants used for diabetes-related complaints in Biswanath district, quantified diabetes-specific salience and consensus, and integrated ethnobotanical indices with pharmacological evidence. From December 2022 to March 2024, semi-structured interviews with 440 informants were complemented by voucher-based taxonomic authentication. Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) and Fidelity Level (FL) were diabetes-specific, whereas Use Value (UV) measured ethnomedicinal versatility across all ailments. Published species-level antidiabetic evidence was graded as no eligible evidence, in vitro only, or in vivo and/or human. We documented 63 species in 57 genera and 39 families. Among 83 plant-part use records, fruit (22.9%) and leaf (21.7%) were most frequent. Andrographis paniculata (RFC = 0.223), Kalanchoe pinnata (0.200), and Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (0.180) were most frequently cited for diabetes; Allium sativum had the highest overall UV across all ailments (2.359), and Syzygium cumini the highest diabetes-specific FL (92.59%). Evidence-salience mapping placed 16 species (25.4%) in the Overlap zone; none met Gap-zone criteria under the species-level framework. Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides and Alocasia odora had only in vitro evidence. The framework supports prioritisation but does not establish the efficacy or safety of locally used plant parts or preparations.
Geographical authentication of medicinal plant materials remains challenging because multispectral variables are often highly collinear and sample grouping can complicate reliable model validation. Existing correlation-based feature-selection strategies also require careful adaptation to multiclass problems to avoid artificial ordering of class labels and information leakage during model development. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a compact and leakage-controlled multispectral learning framework for geographical-origin discrimination. This study analyzed 800 physical Pinellia ternata samples from Gansu Xihe, Sichuan Neijiang, Sichuan Chengdu, and Chongqing Dianjiang (200 samples per origin). Each physical sample was represented by 31 mean grayscale intensities calculated from Otsu-segmented multispectral regions of interest. A Pearson-correlation-guided deep multilayer perceptron (PCG-DeepMLP) was constructed by estimating one-vs-rest band relevance and inter-band redundancy only within the training data. The key methodological innovation is a unified multiclass-aware, relevance-redundancy spectral-learning framework in which class-specific one-vs-rest Pearson relevance is coupled with inter-band redundancy control and embedded within leakage-controlled grouped model development. By learning the spectral subset exclusively from each training partition before nonlinear classification, the framework produces compact and complementary multispectral signatures while preserving multiclass structure and strict independence of held-out groups. Model and feature-selection settings were chosen by three-fold grouped cross-validation within each training partition. PCG-DeepMLP retained 9-21 bands and achieved the highest mean accuracy (0.9812 ± 0.0135), macro-F1 (0.9812 ± 0.0135), Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC; 0.9752 ± 0.0179), and macro-AUC (0.9994 ± 0.0006) among seven models. Its macro-F1 was higher than that of 1D-CNN, 1D-ResNet, full-band MLP, PLS-DA, and random forest after Holm correction. Performance was estimated through a strict nested group-wise internal validation scheme, with every outer test fold remaining isolated from feature selection, preprocessing, and model optimization. These findings demonstrate that multiclass-aware relevance-redundancy learning can retain complementary Pinellia ternata origin-discriminative information in a compact and stable spectral representation, enabling accurate geographical-origin authentication while providing a principled basis for reduced-channel acquisition and future independent multi-batch validation.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)Katarzyna Gawłowska, Katarzyna Kaja Nowakowska, Julia Wiktoria Makówka, Wojciech Bajurny, Magdalena Patrycja Góral, Agata Bocheńska, Szymon Dariusz Kopecki, We…
Standard pharmacotherapy for mental disorders, including depression and anxiety, is supported by extensive clinical validation and international treatment guidelines. However, it is frequently associated with limitations such as adverse side effects, low patient adherence, and the risk of relapse. Conventional approaches rely primarily on antidepressants, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, neuroleptics, and stimulants, which modulate monoaminergic, GABAergic, and dopaminergic neurotransmission. Recently, preclinical and emerging clinical studies have suggested that selected natural substances-specifically mushroom-derived compounds and well-established medicinal plants-may offer complementary therapeutic pathways. This narrative review critically evaluates the pharmacological efficacy, mechanisms of action, and safety profiles of selected natural compounds, including psilocybin-related tryptamines, Hericium erinaceus, ibotenic acid/muscimol from Amanita muscaria, ergothioneine, as well as notable botanical agents (e.g., Hypericum perforatum, Valeriana officinalis). We systematically distinguish between robust human clinical data (e.g., psilocybin-assisted therapy) and preliminary in vitro/in vivo findings. Particular attention is paid to their neurotrophic, anti-inflammatory, and neuromodulatory properties, while emphasizing substantial safety concerns, including intoxication risks associated with isoxazole derivatives, and potentially severe cytochrome P450-mediated drug-drug interactions. Ultimately, while certain natural compounds show promise as adjunctive interventions, most remain strictly investigational and cannot replace evidence-based conventional pharmacotherapy without further long-term, large-scale randomized controlled trials.
Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safetyHeidy M W den Besten, Linda J Harris, Jennifer C Acuff, Francois Bourdichon, Rob Limburn, Andreja Rajkovic, Anett Winkler, Polly D Courtney
Low water activity ingredients, including dried fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices, are widely used in ready-to-eat (RTE) and non-RTE foods. Although low water activity limits microbial growth, bacterial pathogens can survive for extended periods in these products. Pathogen virulence, incorporation of dried ingredients in foods, and subsequent handling of the finished foods can collectively contribute to foodborne illness risk. This review summarizes the microbiological hazards associated with dried ingredients and discusses the effectiveness of conventional and emerging decontamination treatments for reducing pathogen levels. To support the evaluation of dried ingredients for RTE and non-RTE food applications, a qualitative risk-based microbiological decision framework is presented, along with practical examples demonstrating its use to rank risks and identify appropriate mitigation strategies. The framework considers the ingredient supply chain from production and harvest through packaging of finished products and integrates available outbreak, pathogen prevalence and levels, and product-specific data. This framework is intended to support the food manufacturing and food service sectors by providing a transparent, structured approach for evaluating, managing, and communicating pathogen risks associated with dry ingredients.
Chemistry & biodiversityZühal Bayrakçeken Güven, Mustafa Abdullah Yilmaz, Huseyin Inceer
In this study, the enzyme inhibition and antioxidant capacity of Achillea biserrata were determined, and their relationship with cytotoxic effects was investigated. Antiproliferative activity was evaluated by the MTT assay in L929, A549, B16F10, Hep-3B, PC-3, MCF-7, and CaCo-2 cell lines, and enzyme inhibition was assessed against tyrosinase, urease, PTP-1B, and DPP-4. Ethanol extracts showed the greatest bioactivity, whereas water extracts were the least active. The capitulum ethanol extract (CEE) exhibited the strongest inhibition of tyrosinase, urease, DPP-4, and PTP-1B (IC50: 72.83, 40.84, 70.12, and 302.42 µg/mL, respectively) and the highest cytotoxicity (IC50: 168.42-325.42 µg/mL). LC-MS/MS analysis identified quinic acid as the major constituent in the stem (44.614 mg/g extract) and capitulum (2.063 mg/g extract), and chlorogenic acid in the leaves (45.502 mg/g extract). Principal component analysis (PCA) integrating LC-MS/MS and bioactivity data supported the bioactive potential of A. biserrata, highlighting its promise as a pharmaceutical resource.
Cell biochemistry and functionMery Kocharyan, Gohar Sevoyan, Hasmik Karapetyan, Anzhela Sargsyan, Mikayel Ginovyan, Nikolay Avtandilyan, Hayarpi Javrushyan
Cancer cells undergo metabolic reprogramming to sustain proliferation, resist apoptosis, and adapt to oxidative stress. In the present study, we comparatively evaluated the anticancer effects of four medicinal plant extracts (Inula helenium, Hypericum alpestre, Rumex obtusifolius, and Alchemilla smirnovii) on HeLa cervical cancer cells, with particular emphasis on oxidative stress, l-arginine metabolism, and cellular energy pathways. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, while biochemical colorimetric methods were used to determine nitric oxide production, arginase and nitric oxide synthase activities, malondialdehyde levels, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, proline content, and key glycolytic metabolites. Nuclear morphology changes consistent with apoptotic features were examined by Hoechst 33258 staining. All tested extracts exhibited cytotoxic effects in HeLa cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, which were further enhanced when combined with the metabolic inhibitors l-NAME (Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester) or nor-NOHA (Nω-hydroxy-nor-l-arginine). Inula helenium showed the strongest potentiation in combination treatments. Several extracts significantly decreased arginase activity while increasing nitric oxide synthase activity and nitrite levels, indicating modulation of l-arginine metabolism. Treatments also increased malondialdehyde levels and stimulated antioxidant enzyme activities, consistent with redox imbalance and oxidative stress-mediated cytotoxicity. In addition, Inula helenium and Alchemilla smirnovii reduced intracellular glucose, pyruvate, and lactate concentrations, suggesting partial modulation of glycolytic metabolism. Fluorescence microscopy revealed chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, and apoptotic body formation, particularly after treatment with Hypericum alpestre and Rumex obtusifolius. These findings demonstrate that selected medicinal plant extracts exert cytotoxic effects by simultaneously modulating oxidative stress, amino acid metabolism, and energy pathways in cervical cancer cells. The investigated plants may represent promising sources of bioactive compounds for the development of complementary metabolic anticancer strategies.
Chemistry & biodiversityGaétan Tchangou Tabakam, Maurice Ducret Awouafack
Plants are sources of compounds with benefits in human health and animal well-being. Plant-based foods may contain huge numbers of different phytochemicals. This is the case of a Cameroonian medicinal plant Eriosema glomeratum from which phytochemical studies reported so far, the isolation of 22 compounds (1-22) with 4 new ones. Several semisynthesis were done on erioschalcones A and B, two new dihydrochalcones isolated from this plant, to afford 18 (23-38) derivatives from which thirteen were new. Among the compounds isolated and their derivatives, several had significant inhibitory activities against microbial strains Bacillus megaterium, Escherichia coli, Chlorella fusca and Microbotryum violaceum; and strong to moderate cytotoxicities on human cancer cell lines, lung (A549), breast (MCF-7), and cervical (HeLa). Compounds were mostly alkyl caffeate, flavonols, isoflavonoids, and dihydrochalcones. The use of medicinal plants for their benefits in the mankind is daily increasing and their chemotaxonomic categorization and the natural origin of their metabolites are essential for more valorization. In this work, we have summarized all the investigations carried out on E. glomeratum and discussed the relevant correlation on the biosynthetic relationship between the different classes of compounds, the structure-activity relationship (SAR), as well as the chemophenetic importance of isoflavonoids and dihydrochalcones.
Veterinary medicine and scienceAlireza Talebi, Arman Savari
BACKGROUND: Increasing drug resistance, together with possible transmission of these phenomena to other pathogenic agents, as well as the dissemination of resistant microbes and drug residues to the environment, poses existing challenges for human health. The journey in history of medicine indicates that the post-antibiotic era has been initiated and the application of medicinal plants is a promising alternative to antibiotics. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this review was to have a glance at available medicinal plant products in modern poultry production in the post-antibiotic era. However, the globalization of one-health needs efforts from both scientists and policy makers to work firmly in a harmonized mission continuously, and all nations must be simultaneously involved in this process to fulfil their obligation properly. METHODS: This review is focused on the role of the well-known medicinal plants in poultry and method of reviewing includes a brief introduction, history, the present status and prospective future by critical reviewing the published literatures. RESULTS: An extensive application of natural medicine in poultry during the post-antibiotic era in a comprehensive holistic one-health was reviewed, and some of the most relevant commercially available products were also mentioned as a footprint to encourage the researchers to include all the necessary parameters for practical application of the medicinal plant products during their study in details. Some recommendations/future directions on achieving the goals and completing the mission were also proposed. CONCLUSION: Application of the medicinal plants in intensive poultry industry is the best solution for production of antibiotic-free foods during the post-antibiotic era.
Plant physiologyDongran Zheng, Chang Yang, Zeyu An, Xin Wang, He Zhang, Jikang Zhang, Yang Zhang, Hao Wu, Yuhua Li, Yu Wang
Ginsenosides are the major bioactive triterpene saponins in ginseng (Panax ginseng) and are important determinants of its medicinal value. In vitro propagation of ginseng adventitious roots enables large-scale production of ginseng biomass under controlled culture conditions, and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is widely used to enhance ginsenoside accumulation in this system. However, how jasmonate signaling activates ginsenoside biosynthesis and reshapes ginsenoside composition remains unclear. Here, we found that MeJA treatment markedly increased total saponin content and shifted ginsenoside composition toward protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type compounds in bioreactor-cultured ginseng adventitious roots. Time-course transcriptomic analysis identified 2 early MeJA-responsive transcription factors, PgERF13 and PgbHLH14, whose overexpression in transgenic ginseng calli enhanced ginsenoside accumulation. Mechanistically, PgbHLH14 recognized E-box motifs in a distinct set of promoters and enhanced both PPD- and protopanaxatriol (PPT)-type ginsenosides, while increasing the PPD/PPT ratio. In contrast, PgERF13 bound DRE/CRT promoter elements in multiple biosynthetic gene promoters, broadly increasing pathway output with little effect on the PPD/PPT ratio. Moreover, PgERF13 and PgbHLH14 independently activated PgNAC72, a known positive regulator of ginsenoside biosynthesis, through distinct DRE/CRT and E-box promoter elements. Thus, the PgERF13/PgbHLH14-PgNAC72 module links jasmonate signaling to coordinated activation of dammarane-type ginsenoside biosynthesis and PPD-biased accumulation. This study provides insight into the transcriptional network controlling MeJA-induced ginsenoside biosynthesis in ginseng.
The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacologyJunkyu Park, Sujin Shin, Youngmin Kim, Jahyun Yoo, Yun-Seo Lim, YoungJoo Moon, Youngmin Bu, Kyungjin Lee, Ho-Young Choi
OBJECTIVES: Thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics remain first-line antihypertensive agents, exerting their primary renal effect through inhibition of the Na+-Cl- cotransporter (NCC) in the distal convoluted tubule, producing natriuresis and saluresis with relative K+ and Ca2+ sparing. Although numerous medicinal plants possess diuretic properties, most preclinical studies assess only urine volume, preventing mechanistic classification and obscuring whether observed diuresis reflects NCC-mediated tubular activity. METHODS: This focused review applied an electrolyte-based pharmacological framework to critically appraise medicinal plants with putative thiazide-like diuretic activity. KEY FINDINGS: Of nine studies assessed across seven plant species, Tagetes erecta most closely approximated the thiazide-like fingerprint-natriuresis with relative K+ sparing and a partial Ca2+-sparing effect under HCTZ-referenced conditions, with additive interaction with HCTZ. Remaining candidates showed broader saluretic profiles, HCTZ-comparable natriuresis through mechanistically distinct pathways, or mixed/loop-like electrolyte patterns, illustrating the pharmacological heterogeneity of herbal diuretics. Isoquercitrin and related flavonol scaffolds were identified as plausible candidates for NCC-targeted investigation. CONCLUSIONS: Genuinely thiazide-like electrolyte profiles are uncommon in the herbal diuretic literature, largely due to reliance on urine volume, inconsistent electrolyte profiling, and infrequent HCTZ comparison. Electrolyte-based classification frameworks would improve mechanistic interpretation and facilitate identification of pharmacologically selective candidates. T. erecta represents the priority candidate for future NCC-focused mechanistic investigation.
Zhongguo yi xue ke xue yuan xue bao. Acta Academiae Medicinae SinicaeFeng-Xia Dong, Hong-Rong Fei, Xue-Qin Hou, Lu-Yu Ma
Phytoestrogens are a class of natural compounds existing in plants，with their chemical structures similar to that of the endogenous estrogen 17β-estradiol in mammals.They can exert estrogenic or anti-estrogenic biological effects by binding to estrogen receptors，and have a wide range of effects on diseases caused by estrogen disorders in the body.Recent studies have discovered that phytoestrogens have significant effects in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.This article reviews the research progress in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer with phytoestrogens from the active components of Chinese medicinal plants，Chinese medicinal plants，and traditional Chinese medicine compound formulas，as well as the related mechanisms. Specifically，the phytoestrogens exert anti-estrogenic effects by binding to estrogen receptors，regulate cell proliferation and apoptosis signaling pathways （such as the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway，phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B signaling pathway，and P53 signaling pathway），inhibit tumor angiogenesis，and modulate metabolism and immune function.The review aims to provide a theoretical basis for clinical research on the prevention and treatment of breast cancer with traditional Chinese medicine.
Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), renamed from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by global consensus in May 2026, is one of the most common endocrine diseases in women of reproductive age, affecting physical and mental health. Growing evidence suggests that medicine-food homology (MFH) plants and their bioactive compounds may help regulate PMOS-related metabolism and reproductive abnormalities through dietary intervention. This review summarizes their reported roles and potential mechanisms. Based on the existing literature, this review presents nine edible plant resources identified under the MFH/dietary-use framework and 21 bioactive constituents or constituent classes, all selected for detailed synthesis from a broader eligible evidence base and with reported PMOS-related bioactivity. Across preclinical studies, these constituents appear to act through convergent, multi-target mechanisms, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities to reduce systemic inflammation, as well as restoring hormone balance, correcting abnormal lipid metabolism, relieving insulin resistance and protecting ovarian function. Importantly, the evidence base remains predominantly preclinical, with few human randomized trials. Key translational barriers include insufficient standardization of preparations and doses, limited oral bioavailability of several constituents, safety and herb-drug interaction concerns, and uncertain formulation feasibility for functional-food applications. By integrating evidence at the plant and compound levels, this review provides a mechanistic rationale-rather than clinical proof-for further investigation of dietary strategies relevant to PMOS and proposes a framework for the development and evaluation of MFH-based functional foods.
Plant GASA/Snakin proteins (GASA: Gibberellic Acid-Stimulated Arabidopsis) constitute a family of secreted cysteine-rich peptides. The family is defined by 12 highly conserved cysteine residues forming up to six disulfide bonds within a thermostable helical scaffold. Phylogenetically restricted to vascular plants, the family ranges from 10 members in rice to approximately 40 in polyploid species such as peanut (Arachis hypogaea), with paralogous expansion driven by whole-genome, segmental, and tandem duplication events, while the 12-cysteine spacing pattern is maintained under purifying selection across surveyed lineages. Phylogenetic analyses predominantly resolve three conserved subfamilies across monocots and eudicots, generally associated with GA-responsive growth regulation (Subfamily I), antimicrobial defense (Subfamily II), and abiotic stress adaptation (Subfamily III). GASA/Snakin proteins integrate inputs from at least six phytohormone pathways-gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), brassinosteroid (BR), salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and auxin-through combinatorial cis-regulatory elements and direct protein-protein interactions; GA, ABA, and BR integration is most robustly validated experimentally, whereas JA and auxin connections remain primarily inferential. Their redox output (antioxidant protection versus oxidative sensitization) is subfamily-specific and modulated by metal-binding capacity and cellular context. Given the rapid accumulation of genome-wide characterizations across more than 35 species between 2020 and 2026, this review synthesizes evolutionary, structural, regulatory, and functional dimensions of the GASA/Snakin family into a unified redox-hormone hub model, identifies critical knowledge gaps including the absence of any identified receptor and the limited availability of experimental three-dimensional structures, and outlines a research roadmap toward translational deployment in sustainable agriculture.
ChemMedChemGiulia Cazzaniga, Giusy L Fratello, Alexander T Apostle, Roberto Orru, David M Barber, Silvia Gazzola
Recognizing the strong interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health, the "One Health" perspective listed by WHO promotes cross-disciplinary integration as a key strategy to address global challenges. Within this framework, this perspective article summarizes the key themes and future directions emerging from the conference "Medicinal and Crop Protection Chemistry: Breaking Barriers, Building Synergies," held in Como, Italy, in October 2025. The meeting highlighted the strong conceptual and technological convergence between medicinal and crop protection science, two disciplines that share common goals in the discovery and development of bioactive compounds despite traditionally evolving as separate sectors. Emphasis was particularly placed on providing an updated overview of the latest advances in drug and agrodrug development through those strategies discussed during the congress, which ranged from established approaches in bioactive molecule discovery, such as bioisosterism and covalent ligand design, to emerging modalities including AI-assisted discovery and targeted protein degradation technologies. We believe that the congress represented an important opportunity to catalyze dialog across both sectors, encouraging the exchange and adaptation of innovative strategies rather than their simple transfer, with the hope that this interdisciplinary initiative will continue to grow and stimulate future collaborations toward sustainable solutions for global health and food security.
GenesZhihao Su, Tiangang Hu, Li Zhuo, Kaiqing Xie, Qichuan Jiang
Background: Fritillaria karelinii is an endangered medicinal herb mainly distributed in Central Asia, extending to northwestern China. Due to habitat fragmentation, overharvesting, and poor natural regeneration, this species has been designated as a Grade II national key protected species in China. Methods: To inform effective conservation strategies, we assessed the genetic diversity and population structure of F. karelinii using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci obtained via genotype-by-sequencing (GBS). A total of 87 individuals from 11 sampling sites across the Tacheng region in northern Xinjiang were genotyped, representing the species' known extant distribution in China. Results: A relatively high level of genetic diversity (mean HE = 0.1461) was detected in the species, and Bayesian assignment divided the sampled populations into two subtle but detectable genetic clusters. Conclusions: The relatively high diversity may be attributed to the edge-population effect and long-lived life-history traits, while the weak differentiation between the two groups may reflect restricted gene flow and genetic drift resulting from habitat isolation. Based on these findings, we propose conservation actions including immediate fencing of habitats to exclude livestock, ex situ germplasm collection separately from the two genetic groups as distinct management units, and cautious evaluation of potential germplasm introduction from Central Asia to broaden the genetic base while preserving local adaptation.
Archives of pharmacal researchRadha Arulkumar, Sang Gyun Noh, Hee Jin Jung, Seungwoo Kim, Mi Kyung Kim, Eric Lim, Arulkumar Nagappan, Jin Hwan Lim, Hae Young Chung
Aging is characterized by chronic inflammation involving a continuous, multifarious, low-grade inflammatory response that contributes to age-related chronic diseases. Recently, researchers have focused on age-related chronic inflammation and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals to ameliorate age-related degenerative conditions. As proposed earlier, senoinflammation is a broader view of age-related inflammation with an insightful perspective, which differs from the traditional phenomenal view. Recent advances have identified the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) as a central mediator of senoinflammation, driving chronic tissue inflammation and systemic aging. Here, we propose a conceptual synthesis and integrative framework linking senoinflammation with phytochemical-mediated modulation across cellular senescence, inflammatory signaling, and metabolic pathways, emphasizing SASP regulation, redox balance, and immune-metabolic crosstalk. Among the sixteen phytochemicals reviewed, curcumin and resveratrol exhibit the most extensive senotherapeutic activities, followed by ginsenosides, baicalin, myricetin, and other flavonoids, owing to their ability to target multiple senescence-associated signaling pathways and suppress the SASP; however, further studies are needed to establish their clinical efficacy and safety. We also highlight emerging evidence on organ-organ crosstalk in systemic aging and the differential anti-inflammatory effects of dietary interventions. A better understanding of the senoinflammation concept and phytochemical interventions will provide further insights and enable the development of more efficacious anti-inflammatory and anti-aging strategies, thus enhancing health and quality of life.
GenesLiang Chen, Yong-Zhen Zhong, Xiao-Qin Xu, Yue-Shun Wu, Di-Na Mai, Yi Tong, Wei Lan
BACKGROUND: The genus Anchusa L. includes plants used in Uyghur medicine for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. However, in China, the botanical origin of HERBA ANCHUSAE (Niushecao, a Uyghur medicinal herb) is severely confused. Traditional identification methods and standard DNA barcodes do not work well for these close relatives. Chloroplast genomes are known to contain variable regions that can help distinguish species, yet no such study has been done for Anchusa. Therefore, We compared the complete chloroplast genomes of six Anchusa species and the main adulterants of Niushecao. METHODS: We analyzed genome structure, repeat sequences, codon usage bias, and nucleotide diversity (Pi), as well as conducted comparative and phylogenetic analyses. RESULTS: All genomes shared a typical ring-shaped quadripartite structure, ranged from 150,178 to 150,844 bp in size, and contained the same set of genes. Despite this overall conservation, we identified several highly variable spots, mostly located in non-coding intergenic spacer regions. Using two complementary approaches-sliding window analysis and mVISTA-based sequence visualization-we identified three overlapping regions (rbcL-psaI, petA-psbJ, and trnC-GCA-petN) as candidate DNA barcodes for species identification. Our phylogenetic tree showed that Anchusa strigosa Banks & Sol. is most closely related to the true medicinal species Anchusa azurea Mill. (Bootstrap support (BS) = 100%), while other look-alikes formed separate branches. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide the first chloroplast genomic resources for this genus and offer potential molecular markers for authenticating Anchusa medicinal materials, laying a foundation for future development of molecular authentication methods.
Colloids and surfaces. B, BiointerfacesWanshu Deng, Di Yang, Shuhan Guo, Ximiao Zhai, Shuaipeng Feng, Luming Song, Zhu Liu, Long Wang, Tongying Jiang, Qinfu Zhao
With the expanding use of carbon dots (CDs) in biomedicine, researchers have leveraged abundant medicinal plant resources to develop an emerging class of carbon-based nanomaterials: medicinal plant-derived carbon dots (MP-CDs). MP-CDs combine the favorable features of CDs, including ultrasmall size, fluorescence, good biocompatibility, and tunable physicochemical properties, with the bioactivities associated with medicinal plant components, such as low toxicity, intrinsic pharmacological functions, and multitarget effects. Accordingly, MP-CDs show strong promise as multifunctional nanoplatforms for biomedical applications. This review summarizes precursor types and pretreatment strategies for MP-CDs synthesis, compares MP-CDs with medicinal plants and conventional CDs, and discusses recent advances in bioimaging, antitumor therapy, antioxidant and antibacterial applications, and biosensing. Current limitations and future directions are also addressed.
KEY MESSAGE：: LbUBC enhances salt tolerance by promoting salt gland development via repressing LbTTG1, revealing a synergisticregulatory mechanism in Limonium bicolor. In the context of increasingly severe soil salinization, salt-tolerant genetic resources from halophytes show great application potential. In particular, the recretohalophyte Limonium bicolor, which possesses specialized salt gland structures, has become a key model for deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying salt tolerance and salt gland development. In this study, using LbTTG1-overexpressing and -silenced lines, we demonstrate that LbTTG1 negatively regulates salt-gland development and salt tolerance. Through yeast one-hybrid, EMSA, and dual-luciferase assays, Lb7G33228 (LbUBC) was screened and verified as an upstream transcriptional regulator of LbTTG1. LbUBC enhances salt tolerance in L. bicolor by positively regulating salt-gland development, verified using LbUBC silence and overexpression strains. Interestingly, LbUBC represses the expression of its downstream target LbTTG1, thereby releasing the inhibitory effect of LbTTG1 on salt-gland development. In this manner, LbUBC positively regulates salt-gland development, achieving a dynamic balance in the regulation of salt-gland development and salt tolerance in L. bicolor. This study reveals a synergistic regulatory mechanism involving multiple genes, offering new insights for comprehensively dissecting the molecular regulatory network of salt-gland development.
Dianthus helenae Vved. is an endemic medicinal species of the Nuratau Mountains, Uzbekistan, and its genomic resources have remained largely unavailable. In this study, we sequenced, assembled, and characterized the complete chloroplast genome of D. helenae and evaluated its phylogenetic position within Dianthus. The plastome exhibited a typical circular quadripartite structure with a total length of 149,567 bp, comprising a large single-copy (LSC) region of 82,856 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,105 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 24,803 bp each. The genome contained the typical set of chloroplast genes, including protein-coding genes, transfer RNAs, and ribosomal RNAs, with duplicated genes located in the IR regions. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete chloroplast genome sequences strongly supported the placement of D. helenae within Dianthus and recovered it as a distinct lineage relative to other sampled species. Sliding window analysis of nucleotide diversity revealed uneven sequence variation across the plastome, with higher variability in the SSC and LSC regions than in the IRs. Several highly variable loci, including trnK-UUU , rps16-trnQ-UUG , rpl32, ycf1, and ndh-associated regions, were identified as potential molecular markers. These results provide an important genomic resource for Dianthus and establish a foundation for future phylogenetic, taxonomic, conservation, and molecular identification studies of this endemic Central Asian species.
Plant cell reportsCsaba Máthé, Márta M-Hamvas, Tamás Garda, Zoltán Kónya
PP2A is the most abundant member of the non-metal-dependent serine-threonine phosphatases in eukaryotes. It is an important player in the reversible phosphorylation of proteins and involved in a wide variety of cellular processes, from signal transduction events to cell cycle regulation and a large number of metabolic processes. At the subcellular level, there is a comprehensive knowledge on PP2A-mediated regulation of chromatin and cytoskeletal organization and there is increasing evidence for its relevant functions in the organization of membrane compartments. Relatively little is known about the related regulatory functions of this enzyme complex in the responses of plants to abiotic stresses. However, recent research has revealed several aspects of these relationships at the subcellular level, mainly for osmotic/salt and heat stress. PP2A is a family of three-subunit holoenzyme complexes, where "A" are scaffolding, "B" are regulatory and "C" are catalytic subunits. Here we discuss the involvement of all these subunits in the regulation of stress-related changes in chromatin, cytoskeleton (microtubule and microfilament), endomembrane (including ER) and plastid/mitochondrial organization and emphasize how they sustain the functioning of plant cells under multiple abiotic stresses. There are crucial subunits in this respect, for example A1, C3 and C4 as well as "B" regulatory subunits such as FASS and members of the B and B' subfamilies. PP2A is involved in stress hormone (featuring ABA) signaling at multiple levels. In light of recent research, we show that different PP2A holoenzymes link together diverse stress-related signaling mechanisms.
Journal of chromatography. AQing Tian, Mengyao Wang, Feiyang Yu, Lingli Ma, Lianxing Wang, Jin He, Yadan Zou, Yuefei Wang, Xue Li, Wenzhi Yang
Mycotoxin contamination in medicinal and edible plants threatens food safety and public health, and developing effective adsorbents for their enrichment and detection is essential. A novel magnetic cyclodextrin-functionalised microporous organic network (MON), TEPA-Fe3O4@α-CD-MON, was synthesized via an in situ growth strategy. The adsorbent efficiently enriched trace levels of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), zearalenone (ZEN) and ochratoxin A (OTA), simultaneously. Experimental results combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the adsorbent exhibited excellent extraction performance and high adsorption capacity (e.g., AFB2: 79.9 mg/g-the highest among reported adsorbents) through π-π interactions, hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. At optimized conditions, the established TEPA-Fe3O4@α-CD-MON-MSPE-HPLC-DAD method was successfully applied to 20 medicinal and edible plants, demonstrating a wide linearity range (25-5000 μg/L), good precision (RSD < 8.76%) and high stability. The method proves simple, efficient, and highly promising for monitoring trace mycotoxins in the complex matrices.
Sphingolipids, a class of lipids, are widely present in the cell membranes of all eukaryotic and some prokaryotic organisms. These lipids play crucial roles in the formation of the lipid bilayer and are categorised into several groups, including sphingomyelins, ceramides, sphingosine-1-phosphate, and glycosphingolipids. In addition to their structural significance, sphingolipids also show bioactivity, regulating various signalling pathways involved in cell growth, differentiation, ageing, and apoptosis, and are closely associated with several chronic diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Notably, dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism contributes to obesity-related metabolic dysfunction through altered lipid accumulation, insulin signalling, organelle stress, and inflammation. This review summarises the various mechanisms and recent research advances related to sphingolipids and their association with obesity. It further examines how the metabolic effects of ceramides vary according to their acyl-chain length, enzyme of origin, tissue distribution, and metabolic context, as well as how adipose depot, sex, age, and metabolic phenotype influence the sphingolipid response to obesity. It further considers plant-derived sphingolipids as a compositionally distinct exogenous input to host sphingolipid pools, comparing their structural and enzymatic features with those of mammalian sphingolipids. Pharmacological, dietary, and lifestyle approaches that modify sphingolipid metabolism are also considered. Accordingly, the review summarises our current knowledge regarding the dietary occurrence, intestinal handling, and metabolic effects of sphingolipids and identifies the evidence gaps that currently limit conclusions regarding their relevance to obesity.
Scientific reportsMagda A Akl, Asmaa A Serage, Aya G Mostafa, Ahmed I Abd-Elhamid, Yasser Al-Amier
Finding new affordable biosorbents for the remediation of toxic inorganic pollutants is a great challenge. This challenge arises from the need for biosorbents with functional groups that can efficiently chelate heavy metals and facilitate their removal from water. The present study examines the application of the local Egyptian Sahara medicinal plant Anabasis articulata, in both raw (ANA) and NaOH-modified (ANAS) forms, as biosorbents for removing Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The characterization of both biosorbents was conducted using multiple analytical techniques, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Boehm titration, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effects of experimental variables on Pb(II) biosorption, including initial Pb(II) concentration, pH, biosorbent dosage, contact duration, and the presence of foreign ions, were systematically investigated. To ensure the reliability of the kinetic and isotherm adsorption models, error functions, including χ2, SSE, and MSE, were used as validation tools. Analysis of adsorption equilibrium data demonstrated that the Langmuir model most accurately described the process, yielding maximum capacities of 76.38 ± 0.26 mg/g and 46.74 ± 0.21 mg/g for ANA and ANAS, respectively. A measurable enhancement in adsorption was observed following mercerization, which altered the dominant Pb(II) binding mechanism. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that Pb(II) biosorption on ANA and ANAS was exothermic and endothermic, respectively. The ANA extract exhibited significant antioxidant activity as determined by the DPPH radical scavenging assay. Furthermore, the methanolic extract of ANA showed potential antimicrobial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The mechanism of Pb(II) biosorption onto ANA and ANAS biosorbents is elucidated. The ANAS biosorbent, produced via a simple, environmentally friendly process, offers a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment in arid regions.
Journal of agricultural and food chemistryChao Chen, Yan Li, Wei Zhang, Xiuhai Gan
The application of herbicides plays a critical role in ensuring food security. However, the long-term overuse of herbicides can lead to a range of adverse effects. Therefore, it is essential to develop innovative and sustainable herbicides. A series of pyridazinone derivatives targeting phytoene desaturase (PDS) were designed and synthesized by using a structure-based drug design strategy. A bioassay showed that 16c (100%, 85%) exhibited stronger herbicidal activity against portulaca oleracea (P.o.) than that of norflurazon (NRF, 60%, 45%) in both post- and pre-emergence applications at a dosage of 150 g a.i./ha, while also showing greater safety to nontarget organisms. Meanwhile, levels of 15-cis-phytoene, carotenoids, and chlorophyll revealed that 16c effectively inhibited PDS activity. Molecular dynamics simulations and binding action assays confirmed that Arg195 is a key residue for the interaction between 16c and Synechococcus PDS (SynPDS). Therefore, 16c could be developed as a potent PDS inhibitor for herbicides.