Secondary metabolites (SMs) of medicinal plants are the material basis of their clinically curative effects. They are also important indicators for evaluating the quality of medicinal materials. ...However, the synthesis and accumulation of SMs are very complex, which are affected by many factors including internal developmental genetic circuits (regulated gene, enzyme) and by external environment factors (light, temperature, water, salinity, etc.). Currently, lots of literatures focused on the effect of environmental factors on the synthesis and accumulation of SMs of medicinal plants, the effect of the developmental growth and genetic factors on the synthesis and accumulation of SMs still lack systematic classification and summary. Here, we have given the review base on our previous works on the morphological development of medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites, and systematically outlined the literature reports how different environmental factors affected the synthesis and accumulation of SMs. The results of our reviews can know how developmental and environmental factors qualitatively and quantitatively influence SMs of medicinal plants and how these can be integrated as tools to quality control, as well as on the improvement of clinical curative effects by altering their genomes, and/or growth conditions.
•The secondary metabolites (SMs) of plant can be especially affected by developmental and environmental factors.•The review reveal the dynamic accumulation of SMs in medicinal plants.•Developmental and environmental factors has influence on the expression of SMs biosynthesis genes.•The review suggest regulation at post-transcriptional/translational levels on SMs.
Seed microbiome includes special endophytic or epiphytic microbial taxa associated with seeds, which affects seed germination, plant growth, and health. Here, we analyzed the core microbiome of 21
...seeds from seven different geographic origins using 16S rDNA and ITS amplicon sequencing, followed by bioinformatics analysis. The whole bacterial microbiome was classified into 17 microbial phyla and 39 classes. Gammaproteobacteria (67.6%), Alphaproteobacteria (15.6%), Betaproteobacteria (2.6%), Sphingobacteria (5.0%), Bacilli (4.6%), and Actinobacteria (2.9%) belonged to the core bacterial microbiome. Dothideomycetes comprised 94% of core fungal microbiome in
seeds, and another two dominant classes were Leotiomycetes (3.0%) and Tremellomycetes (2.0%). We found that terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, degradation of limonene, pinene, and geraniol, and prenyltransferases, were overrepresented in the core bacterial microbiome using phylogenetic examination of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) software. We also found that the bacterial genera
, and
were enriched core taxa and overlapped among
, maize, bean, and rice, while a fungal genus,
, was shared within
, bean, and Brassicaceae families. These findings highlight that seed-associated microbiomeis an important component of plant microbiomes, which may be a gene reservoir for secondary metabolism in medicinal plants.
Medicinal plants, a source of different phytochemical compounds, are now subjected to a variety of environmental stresses during their growth and development. Different ecologically limiting factors ...including temperature, carbon dioxide, lighting, ozone, soil water, soil salinity and soil fertility has significant impact on medicinal plants′ physiological and biochemical responses, as well as the secondary metabolic process. Secondary metabolites (SMs) are useful for assessing the quality of therapeutic ingredients and nowadays, these are used as important natural derived drugs such as immune suppressant, antibiotics, anti‐diabetic, and anti‐cancer. Plants have the ability to synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites to cope with the negative effects of stress. Here, we focus on how individual environmental variables influence the accumulation of plant secondary metabolites. A total of 48 articles were found to be relevant to the review topic during our systematic review. The review showed the influence of different environmental variables on SMs production and accumulation is complex suggesting the relationship are not only species‐specific but also related to increases and decline in SMs by up to 50 %. Therefore, this review improves our understanding of plant SMs ability to adapt to key environmental factors. This can aid in the efficient and long‐term optimization of cultivation techniques under ambient environmental conditions in order to maximize the quality and quantity of SMs in plants.
Mycotoxins in spices and herbs-An update Kabak, Bulent; Dobson, Alan D. W.
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition,
01/2017, Letnik:
57, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Spices and herbs have been used since ancient times as flavor and aroma enhancers, colorants, preservatives, and traditional medicines. There are more than 30 spices and herbs of global economic and ...culinary importance. Among the spices, black pepper, capsicums, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, saffron, coriander, cloves, dill, mint, thyme, sesame seed, mustard seed, and curry powder are the most popular spices worldwide. In addition to their culinary uses, a number of functional properties of aromatic herbs and spices are also well described in the scientific literature. However, spices and herbs cultivated mainly in tropic and subtropic areas can be exposed to contamination with toxigenic fungi and subsequently mycotoxins. This review provides an overview on the mycotoxin risk in widely consumed spices and aromatic herbs.
Selecting candidates for drug developments using computational design and empirical rules has resulted in a broad discussion about their success. In a previous study, we had shown that a species' ...abundance as expressed by the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) dataset is a core determinant for the development of a natural product into a medicine. Our overarching aim is to understand the unique requirements for natural product-based drug development. Web of Science was queried for research on alkaloids in combination with plant systematics/taxonomy. All alkaloids containing species demonstrated an average increase of 8.66 in GBIF occurrences between 2014 and 2020. Medicinal Species with alkaloids show higher abundance compared to non-medicinal alkaloids, often linked also to cultivation. Alkaloids with high biodiversity are often simple alkaloids found in multiple species with the presence of 'driver species' and are more likely to be included in early-stage drug development compared to 'rare' alkaloids. Similarly, the success of an alkaloid containing species as a food supplement ('botanical') is linked to its abundance. GBIF is a useful tool for assessing the druggability of a compound from a certain source species. The success of any development programme from natural sources must take sustainable sourcing into account right from the start.
Approximately 70% of anticancer drugs were developed or derived from natural products or plants. Southern Africa boasts an enormous floral diversity with approximately 22,755 plant species with an ...estimated 3000 used as traditional medicines. In South Africa more than 27 million individuals rely on traditional medicine for healthcare. The use of South African plants for the treatment of cancer is poorly documented, however there is potential to develop anticancer agents from these plants. Limited ethnobotanical studies report the use of plants for cancer treatment in traditional medicine. Plants growing in tropical or subtropical regions, such as in South Africa, produce important secondary metabolites as a protective mechanism, which could be used to target various factors that play a key role in carcinogenesis.
The aim was to collate information from primary ethnobotanical studies on South African plants traditionally used for the treatment of cancer. Evaluation of literature focused on traditionally used plants that have been tested for their in vitro activity against cancer cells. Secondary metabolites, previously identified within these plant species, were also included for discussion regarding their activity against cancer. The toxicity was evaluated to ascertain the therapeutic potential in further studies. Additionally, the aim was to highlight where a lack of reports were found regarding plant species with potential activity and to substantiate the need for further testing.
A review of ethnobotanical surveys conducted in South Africa for plants used in the treatment of cancer was performed. Databases such as Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar, university repositories of master's dissertations and PhD theses, patents and books were used. Plant species showing significant to moderate activity were discussed regarding their toxicity. Compounds identified within these species were discussed for their activity against cancer cells and toxicity. Traditionally used plants which have not been scientifically validated for their activity against cancer were excluded.
Twenty plants were documented in ethnobotanical surveys as cancer treatments. Numerous scientific reports on the potential in vitro activity against cancer of these plants and the identification of secondary metabolites were found. Many of the secondary metabolites have not been tested for their activity against cancer cells or mode of action and should be considered for future studies. Lead candidates, such as the sutherlandiosides, sutherlandins, hypoxoside and pittoviridoside, were identified and should be further assessed. Toxicity studies should be included when testing plant extracts and/or secondary metabolites for their potential against cancer cells to give an indication of whether further analysis should be conducted.
There is a need to document plants used traditionally in South Africa for the treatment of cancer and to assess their safety and efficacy. Traditionally used plants have shown promising activity highlighting the importance of ethnobotanical studies and traditional knowledge. There are many opportunities to further assess these plants and secondary metabolites for their activity against cancer and their toxic effects. Pharmacokinetic studies are also not well documented within these plant extracts and should be included in studies when a lead candidate is identified.
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Plant molecular farming (PMF), defined as the practice of using plants to produce human therapeutic proteins, has received worldwide interest. PMF has grown and advanced considerably over the past ...two decades. A number of therapeutic proteins have been produced in plants, some of which have been through pre-clinical or clinical trials and are close to commercialization. Plants have the potential to mass-produce pharmaceutical products with less cost than traditional methods. Tobacco-derived antibodies have been tested and used to combat the Ebola outbreak in Africa. Genetically engineered immunoadhesin (DPP4-Fc) produced in green plants has been shown to be able to bind to MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), preventing the virus from infecting lung cells. Biosafety concerns (such as pollen contamination and immunogenicity of plant-specific glycans) and costly downstream extraction and purification requirements, however, have hampered PMF production from moving from the laboratory to industrial application. In this review, the challenges and opportunities of PMF are discussed. Topics addressed include; transformation and expression systems, plant bioreactors, safety concerns, and various opportunities to produce topical applications and health supplements.
Summary
Andrographis paniculata is a herbaceous dicot plant widely used for its anti‐inflammatory and anti‐viral properties across its distribution in China, India and other Southeast Asian ...countries. A. paniculata was used as a crucial therapeutic treatment during the influenza epidemic of 1919 in India, and is still used for the treatment of infectious disease in China. A. paniculata produces large quantities of the anti‐inflammatory diterpenoid lactones andrographolide and neoandrographolide, and their analogs, which are touted to be the next generation of natural anti‐inflammatory medicines for lung diseases, hepatitis, neurodegenerative disorders, autoimmune disorders and inflammatory skin diseases. Here, we report a chromosome‐scale A. paniculata genome sequence of 269 Mb that was assembled by Illumina short reads, PacBio long reads and high‐confidence (Hi‐C) data. Gene annotation predicted 25 428 protein‐coding genes. In order to decipher the genetic underpinning of diterpenoid biosynthesis, transcriptome data from seedlings elicited with methyl jasmonate were also obtained, which enabled the identification of genes encoding diterpenoid synthases, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, 2‐oxoglutarate‐dependent dioxygenases and UDP‐dependent glycosyltransferases potentially involved in diterpenoid lactone biosynthesis. We further carried out functional characterization of pairs of class‐I and ‐II diterpene synthases, revealing the ability to produce diversified labdane‐related diterpene scaffolds. In addition, a glycosyltransferase able to catalyze O‐linked glucosylation of andrograpanin, yielding the major active product neoandrographolide, was also identified. Thus, our results demonstrate the utility of the combined genomic and transcriptomic data set generated here for the investigation of the production of the bioactive diterpenoid lactone constituents of the important medicinal herb A. paniculata.
Significance statement
Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees is a member of the order Lamiales, family Acanthaceae, that is widely used for the treatment of infectious disease, and is well known and historically documented in both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the Ayurvedic system of medicine in India. Here, we reported a chromosome‐scale A. paniculata genome sequence of 269 Mb, and investigated in vitro the functional characterization of two class‐II copalyl/labdadienyl diphosphate synthases (ApCPS1 and ApCPS3), two class‐I diterpene synthases (ApKS1 and ApKS2) and a glucosyltransferase gene ApUGT73AU1, to uncover diversified diterpenoid scaffolds on the basis of this genome information.
The iridoids comprise a large family of distinctive bicyclic monoterpenes that possess a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and ...antibacterial activities. Additionally, certain iridoids are used as sex pheromones in agriculturally important species of aphids, a fact that has underpinned innovative and integrated pest management strategies. To harness the biotechnological potential of this natural product class, the enzymes involved in the biosynthetic pathway must be elucidated. Here we report the discovery of iridoid synthase, a plant-derived enzyme that generates the iridoid ring scaffold, as evidenced by biochemical assays, gene silencing, co-expression analysis and localization studies. In contrast to all known monoterpene cyclases, which use geranyl diphosphate as substrate and invoke a cationic intermediate, iridoid synthase uses the linear monoterpene 10-oxogeranial as substrate and probably couples an initial NAD(P)H-dependent reduction step with a subsequent cyclization step via a Diels-Alder cycloaddition or a Michael addition. Our results illustrate how a short-chain reductase was recruited as cyclase for the production of iridoids in medicinal plants. Furthermore, we highlight the prospects of using unrelated reductases to generate artificial cyclic scaffolds. Beyond the recognition of an alternative biochemical mechanism for the biosynthesis of cyclic terpenes, we anticipate that our work will enable the large-scale heterologous production of iridoids in plants and microorganisms for agricultural and pharmaceutical applications.
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