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Plants
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Biodiscoveries from Plants
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Biodiscoveries from Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 October 2022) | Viewed by 9164

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Phurpa Wangchuk

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Guest Editor
Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Smithfield, QLD 4878, Australia
Interests: natural products; medicinal plants; phytochemistry; metabolomics; secondary metabolites; drug discovery; anti-inflammatory; anthelmintics; antimalarials; inflammatory bowel disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants produce different protective secondary metabolites (PSMs) for defense and survival belonging to the major chemical classes of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, and lipids. PSMs are diverse in structure and biological properties, and they have been continuously exploited for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic uses. They are vital for human health and form the backbone of many pharmaceutical drugs. Indeed, more than 25% of the existing medicines belong to the PSMs of plants. The most popular PSM-derived drugs are morphine (isolated from Papaver somniferum), digitoxin (isolated from Digitalis purpurea), taxol (isolated from Taxus baccata), artemisinin (isolated from Artemisia annua), and aspirin (first isolated as salicylic acid from Filipendula ulmaria). The advancement in separation and spectroscopy sciences, including omics platforms, has made the isolation of novel compounds much more efficient. This Special Issue of Plants will highlight the biodiscovery of pharmacologically active secondary metabolites from plants and their potential applications in human health.

Dr. Phurpa Wangchuk
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plant secondary metabolites
  • alkaloids
  • flavonoids
  • terpenoids
  • saponins
  • lipids
  • biodiscovery
  • metabolomics
  • biological activities
  • medicinal applications
  • human health

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1831 KiB  
Article
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Endemic Plants of the Australian Wet Tropics
by Karma Yeshi, Roland Ruscher, Kim Miles, Darren Crayn, Michael Liddell and Phurpa Wangchuk
Plants 2022, 11(19), 2519; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants11192519 - 26 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1553
Abstract
Plants have been a vital source of natural antioxidants since ancient times. Plants growing under various abiotic stress conditions often produce more defensive secondary metabolites such as phenolics, flavonoids, and terpenoids during adaptation to the environment. Many of these secondary metabolites are known [...] Read more.
Plants have been a vital source of natural antioxidants since ancient times. Plants growing under various abiotic stress conditions often produce more defensive secondary metabolites such as phenolics, flavonoids, and terpenoids during adaptation to the environment. Many of these secondary metabolites are known to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study tested seven plants sourced from the mountaintop areas (above 1000 m elevation) of Mount Lewis National Park (falls under the Wet Tropics of Queensland), Australia, for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Of the seven studied plants, hydroethanolic extracts of six plants (Leptospermum wooroonooran, Ceratopetalum hylandii, Linospadix apetiolatus, Garcinia brassii, Litsea granitica, and Polyscias willmottii) showed high 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-free radical scavenging activity in a dose-dependent (25–1000 μg/mL) manner. At the highest concentration of 1 mg/mL, the DPPH free radical scavenged percentage varied between 75.4% and 92.3%. Only the species Alyxia orophila was inactive in the DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Pseudo-IC50 values of the extracts’ ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) based on dose-response curves showed a significant positive correlation with total phenolic content. Five out of the seven plants, namely G. brassii, C. hylandii, L. apetiolatus, L. wooroonooran, and A. orophila, showed inhibitory effects on the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, tumour necrosis factor (TNF), and interleukins (IL)-23 in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) assay. The results of this study demonstrate the value of tropical mountaintop plants in the biodiscovery of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory lead compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiscoveries from Plants)
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21 pages, 2133 KiB  
Article
The Importance of Pine Species in the Ethnomedicine of Transylvania (Romania)
by Nóra Papp, Dragica Purger, Szilvia Czigle, Dóra Czégényi, Szilvia Stranczinger, Mónika Tóth, Tünde Dénes, Marianna Kocsis, Anna Takácsi-Nagy and Rita Filep
Plants 2022, 11(18), 2331; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants11182331 - 06 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1782
Abstract
The geographical and ecological features of Transylvania enable the wide ethnobotanical use of pine species. The aim of this study was to survey the current ethnomedicinal and other traditional use of pine species of Hungarian-speaking ethnic groups in Transylvania and to compare them [...] Read more.
The geographical and ecological features of Transylvania enable the wide ethnobotanical use of pine species. The aim of this study was to survey the current ethnomedicinal and other traditional use of pine species of Hungarian-speaking ethnic groups in Transylvania and to compare them with earlier reports performed in Transylvania and from other countries related to the Carpathian Basin. Information on pine species was obtained using semi-structured interviews with 515 Transylvanian informants from 18 villages in the period 2007–2019. The young shoots of Abies alba Mill., Picea abies (L.) H. Karst., Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold, and Pinus sylvestris L. were applied to treat respiratory diseases, while the resin was used for dental problems. Syrup and decoction were made from the cones of all species, except Abies alba. Picea abies was the most frequently documented with seven preparations from different parts (even needles), and this species was mentioned in the treatment of 21 diseases. The least recorded was Abies alba, which was applied for coughs and decayed teeth. We recorded the use of the cones and needles of Picea abies for dyspnoea, thyroid glands, and kidney disorders, previously unknown in ethnomedicinal literature. Our data on the pine species confirm their current use and significance in Transylvania. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiscoveries from Plants)
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Review

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44 pages, 12483 KiB  
Review
Ethnobotanical Uses, Phytochemical Composition, Biosynthesis, and Pharmacological Activities of Carpesium abrotanoides L. (Asteraceae)
by Sabrin R. M. Ibrahim, Sana A. Fadil, Haifa A. Fadil, Rawan H. Hareeri, Hossam M. Abdallah and Gamal A. Mohamed
Plants 2022, 11(12), 1598; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants11121598 - 17 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1960
Abstract
Carpesium abrotanoides L. (Asteraceae) is a medicinal plant with immense therapeutic importance and bioactivities. It is commonly encountered in various Asian regions. It has numerous ethnomedicinal uses for curing diverse ailments such as toothache, stomach ulcer, boils, tonsillitis, bronchitis, bacterial infection, bruises, swelling, [...] Read more.
Carpesium abrotanoides L. (Asteraceae) is a medicinal plant with immense therapeutic importance and bioactivities. It is commonly encountered in various Asian regions. It has numerous ethnomedicinal uses for curing diverse ailments such as toothache, stomach ulcer, boils, tonsillitis, bronchitis, bacterial infection, bruises, swelling, virus infection, fever, and amygdalitis, as well as an anthelmintic versus round-, tape-, hook-, and pinworms. Different classes of phytoconstituents such as sesquiterpenes, sesquiterpene dimers, monoterpenes, and nitrogenous compounds have been reported from this plant. These phytoconstituents have proved to possess anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and insecticidal capacities. The present review aims to summarize all published data on C. abrotanoides including traditional uses, phytoconstituents, bioactivities, and toxicological aspects, as well as the synthesis and biosynthesis of its metabolites through an extensive survey on various databases and various publishers. These reported data could draw the attention of various natural-metabolite-interested researchers and medicinal chemists towards the development of this plant and/or its metabolites into medicine for the prevention and treatment of certain illnesses. Despite the diverse traditional uses of C. abrotanoides, there is a need for scientific evidence to support these claims. Clinical trials are also required to further assure these data and validate this plant utilization in treating several diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiscoveries from Plants)
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19 pages, 4334 KiB  
Review
Bergenia pacumbis (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) C.Y.Wu & J.T.Pan: A Comprehensive Review on Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology
by Apurba Gohain, Ajay Sharma, Hirok Jyoti Gogoi, Raymond Cooper, Ramandeep Kaur, Gulzar Ahmad Nayik, Ayaz Mukarram Shaikh, Béla Kovács, Franklin Ore Areche, Mohammad Javed Ansari, Nadiyah M. Alabdallah and Ammar AL-Farga
Plants 2022, 11(9), 1129; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants11091129 - 21 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3087
Abstract
The influence of medicinal plants on humanity spans time immemorial. These plants are also used at present with local and tribal peoples for the cures of various illnesses. Nature has produced an immense number of medicinal plants, which directly or indirectly help to [...] Read more.
The influence of medicinal plants on humanity spans time immemorial. These plants are also used at present with local and tribal peoples for the cures of various illnesses. Nature has produced an immense number of medicinal plants, which directly or indirectly help to treat various ailments and have numerous applications in the fields of pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food flavors and preservatives, aromas, and cosmetics. Bergenia pacumbis (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) C.Y.Wu & J.T.Pan (synonym: Bergenia ligulate Engl.), is an important medicinal plant belonging to the Saxifragaceae family, and not to be confused with Bergenia ciliata (Haw.) Sternb., and is popularly known as Pashanbheda (meaning to dissolve the kidney stone). This plant is a rich source of secondary metabolites (SMs) such as coumarins, flavonoids, benzenoids, lactones, tannins, phenols, and sterols, which make this plant a highly valued medicinal herb with a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities such as anti-urolithic, antioxidant, anti-viral, free radical scavenging, antidiabetic, anti-hepatotoxic, diuretic, antipyretic, anti-oxaluria, anti-tumour, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cardioprotective. This review summarizes traditional uses and offers up to date data for future research on B. pacumbis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiscoveries from Plants)
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