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Metabolites
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Identification and Therapeutic Properties of Secondary Metabolites of Medicinal Plants...
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Identification and Therapeutic Properties of Secondary Metabolites of Medicinal Plants II

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 6724

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Marijana Zovko Končić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: phytotherapy; phytochemistry; natural product chemistry; chromatography; extraction procedures; secondary metabolites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Michał Tomczyk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Division of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Białystok, ul. Mickiewicza 2a, 15-230 Białystok, Poland
Interests: pharmacognosy; phytochemistry; phytotherapy; natural compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Secondary metabolites comprise a diverse group of molecules produced by higher plants that are not directly involved in the normal growth, development, or reproduction of the plants that produce them. Nevertheless, a growing body of research indicates that they may display multiple effects beneficial for the general well-being of human organisms. These effects include both non-specific ones that affect the whole organism, such as antioxidant or anti-inflammatory effects, and more specific effects that target just one organ or system, such as laxative, myorelaxant, or antitussive effects, to name a few. Among the plant secondary metabolites used as therapeutic agents are flavonoids, terpenes, cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, anthraquinone derivatives, and many others. They may be a part of prescription drugs (such as atropine or digoxine), or be incorporated into various phytochemical preparation or food supplements. However, for proper testing of the pharmacological activity of a secondary metabolite, it should be identified or isolated from the plant material and subjected to the appropriate biological assays.

This Special Issue is dedicated to the “Identification and Therapeutic Properties of Secondary Metabolites of Medicinal Plants” including, but not limited to, their isolation and structure determination, as well as chromatographic methods for their analysis in plant materials. Furthermore, submissions related to the in vivo, in vitro, and in silico study of their pharmacological activities are strongly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Marijana Zovko Končić
Dr. Michał Tomczyk
Guest Editors

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. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

  • antioxidant activity
  • bioactivity
  • chromatography
  • phytochemistry
  • phytotherapy
  • plant secondary metabolites
  • polyphenols

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 3863 KiB  
Article
Phytocompounds and Regulation of Flavonoids in In Vitro-Grown Safflower Plant Tissue by Abiotic Elicitor CdCl2
by Bushra Ejaz, Abdul Mujib, Rukaya Syeed, Jyoti Mamgain, Moien Qadir Malik, Kanchan Birat, Yaser Hassan Dewir and Katalin Magyar-Tábori
Metabolites 2024, 14(2), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14020127 - 16 Feb 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2003
Abstract
In this study, a Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) investigation of embryogenic callus and somatic embryo regenerated shoots of Carthamus tinctorius revealed the presence of a variety of sugars, sugar acids, sugar alcohols, fatty acids, organic acids, and amino acids of broad therapeutic value. [...] Read more.
In this study, a Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) investigation of embryogenic callus and somatic embryo regenerated shoots of Carthamus tinctorius revealed the presence of a variety of sugars, sugar acids, sugar alcohols, fatty acids, organic acids, and amino acids of broad therapeutic value. The in vitro developed inflorescence contained a wide range of active compounds. In embryogenic calluses, important flavonoids like naringenin, myricetin, kaempferol, epicatechin gallate, rutin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and delphinidin were identified. To augment the synthesis of active compounds, the effect of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) elicitation was tested for various treatments (T1–T4) along with a control (T0). Varying concentrations of CdCl2 [0.05 mM (T1), 0.10 mM (T2), 0.15 mM (T3), and 0.20 mM (T4)] were added to the MS medium, and flavonoid accumulation was quantified through ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectroscopy (UHPLC–MS/MS). The flavonoids naringenin, kaempferol, epicatechin gallate, pelargonidin, cyanidin, and delphinidin increased by 6.7-, 1.9-, 3.3-, 2.1-, 1.9-, and 4.4-fold, respectively, at T3, whereas quercetin, myricetin, rutin, and peonidin showed a linear increase with the increase in CdCl2 levels. The impacts of stress markers, i.e., ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), on defense responses in triggering synthesis were also evaluated. The maximum APX and SOD activity was observed at T3, while CAT activity was at its maximum at T2. The impact of elicitor on biochemical attributes like protein, proline, sugar, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content was investigated. The maximum protein, proline, and sugar accumulation was noted at high elicitor dose T4, while the maximum MDA content was noted at T3. These elevated levels of biochemical parameters indicated stress in culture, and the amendment of CdCl2 in media thus could be a realistic approach for enhancing secondary metabolite synthesis in safflower. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Identification and Therapeutic Properties of Secondary Metabolites of Medicinal Plants II)
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18 pages, 7328 KiB  
Article
Uncovering the Interrelation between Metabolite Profiles and Bioactivity of In Vitro- and Wild-Grown Catmint (Nepeta nuda L.)
by Anna Zaharieva, Krasimir Rusanov, Mila Rusanova, Momchil Paunov, Zhenya Yordanova, Desislava Mantovska, Ivanka Tsacheva, Detelina Petrova, Kiril Mishev, Petre I. Dobrev, Jozef Lacek, Roberta Filepová, Grigor Zehirov, Valya Vassileva, Danijela Mišić, Václav Motyka, Ganka Chaneva and Miroslava Zhiponova
Metabolites 2023, 13(10), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13101099 - 20 Oct 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1876
Abstract
Nepeta nuda L. is a medicinal plant enriched with secondary metabolites serving to attract pollinators and deter herbivores. Phenolics and iridoids of N. nuda have been extensively investigated because of their beneficial impacts on human health. This study explores the chemical profiles of [...] Read more.
Nepeta nuda L. is a medicinal plant enriched with secondary metabolites serving to attract pollinators and deter herbivores. Phenolics and iridoids of N. nuda have been extensively investigated because of their beneficial impacts on human health. This study explores the chemical profiles of in vitro shoots and wild-grown N. nuda plants (flowers and leaves) through metabolomic analysis utilizing gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Initially, we examined the differences in the volatiles’ composition in in vitro-cultivated shoots comparing them with flowers and leaves from plants growing in natural environment. The characteristic iridoid 4a-α,7-β,7a-α-nepetalactone was highly represented in shoots of in vitro plants and in flowers of plants from nature populations, whereas most of the monoterpenes were abundant in leaves of wild-grown plants. The known in vitro biological activities encompassing antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial potentials alongside the newly assessed anti-inflammatory effects exhibited consistent associations with the total content of phenolics, reducing sugars, and the identified metabolic profiles in polar (organic acids, amino acids, alcohols, sugars, phenolics) and non-polar (fatty acids, alkanes, sterols) fractions. Phytohormonal levels were also quantified to infer the regulatory pathways governing phytochemical production. The overall dataset highlighted compounds with the potential to contribute to N. nuda bioactivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Identification and Therapeutic Properties of Secondary Metabolites of Medicinal Plants II)
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19 pages, 1532 KiB  
Article
Comprehensive Characterization of Secondary Metabolites in Fruits and Leaves of Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus L.)
by Anna V. Faleva, Nikolay V. Ul’yanovskii, Aleksandra A. Onuchina, Danil I. Falev and Dmitry S. Kosyakov
Metabolites 2023, 13(5), 598; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13050598 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1950
Abstract
Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus L.) is a circumpolar boreal plant rich in bioactive compounds and is widely used in food and in folk medicine. In this study, a combination of two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry was used for the comprehensive [...] Read more.
Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus L.) is a circumpolar boreal plant rich in bioactive compounds and is widely used in food and in folk medicine. In this study, a combination of two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry was used for the comprehensive characterization of secondary metabolites in cloudberry lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts. Special attention was paid to the leaf extractives, which are highly enriched in polyphenolic compounds, the content of which reaches 19% in the extract (in gallic acid equivalent). The chemical composition of the polyphenolic fraction is represented mainly by the glycosylated derivatives of flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic (primarily caffeic), gallic (including the structure of galloyl ascorbate) and ellagic acids, catechin, and procyanidins. The contents of aglycones in the polyphenolic fraction were 64 and 100 mg g−1 for flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids, respectively, while the content of free caffeic acid was 1.2 mg g−1. This determines the exceptionally high antioxidant activity of this fraction (750 mg g−1 in gallic acid equivalent) and the ability to scavenge superoxide anion radicals, which is 60% higher than that of Trolox. The lower polar fractions consist mainly of glycolipids, which include polyunsaturated linolenic acid (18:3), pentacyclic triterpenic acids, carotenoid lutein, and chlorophyll derivatives, among which pheophytin a dominates. Along with the availability, the high antioxidant and biological activities of cloudberry leaf extracts make them a promising source of food additives, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Identification and Therapeutic Properties of Secondary Metabolites of Medicinal Plants II)
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