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Applied Biosciences
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Plant Natural Compounds: From Discovery to Application
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Plant Natural Compounds: From Discovery to Application

A special issue of Applied Biosciences (ISSN 2813-0464).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 18981

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Adriana Basile

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
Interests: plant natural products; secondary metabolites; antibacterial activity; antioxidant activity; antitumoral activity; microscopy; protection against environmental stresses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Viviana Maresca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy
Interests: bioindicators; aquatic mosses; biomarkers; antioxidant enzyme; DNA damage; ROS; stress-genes; heavy metals; environmental pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Piergiorgio Cianciullo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy
Interests: biomarkers; ecotoxicology; plant sciences; natural plants products

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will collect original research dealing with the discovery and applications of plant natural compounds. Plants are incredible chemical factories. According to some estimates, at least ~100,000 such secondary metabolites are now known to occur in 50,000 plant species and ~4000 new secondary metabolites are being discovered every year from a variety of plant species (Thangraj, 2015). This huge amount of chemical diversity can provide molecules for nutraceutical, therapeutical, and general purposes, such as preservatives and natural dyes for food and dressing industries. Today, about 11% of the 252 drugs considered as basic and essential by the World Health Organization (WHO) are derived from flowering plants (Cragg and Newman 2013). The therapeutic potential of plants is known and has been codified by human cultures for millennia. Nowadays, researchers have isolated several compounds from different plant taxa (from bryophytes to angiosperms), which have demonstrated a wide range of biological activities: anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, analgesic, antipyretic, antiproliferative, and citotoxic (Boustie and Grube, 2005; Shrestha and Clair, 2013). However, most of the research has focused on in vitro testing, which has the obvious disadvantage of not telling us how these molecules behave in living organisms. Furthermore, plants are of great interest in the food industry for many purposes. They can be used as nutraceuticals, flavoring, dressing, preservatives, or decontaminating agents or they are exploited for their biological effects on body parts. Natural plant compounds have another field of application in cosmetics: for example, botanical compounds are used as antiaging agents, due to the interesting content of antioxidants.

The challenge is discovering and demonstrating the effectiveness of plant substances for any purpose and that demands great scientific research effort to explore, discover, and share results in that immense field of scientific research.

Dr. Adriana Basile
Dr. Viviana Maresca
Dr. Piergiorgio Cianciullo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • plant natural compounds
  • bioactivities
  • food industry
  • sustainability
  • cosmetics
  • secondary metabolites
  • antimicrobial
  • antiviral
  • anticancer
  • nutraceutics

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 301 KiB  
Article
Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Lipid Oxidation in Pigs’ Fed Diets Containing Grape Pomace
by Barbara Cristina da Silveira Almeida, Maria do Carmo Mohaupt Marques Ludke, Teresinha Marisa Bertol, Jorge Vitor Ludke, Daniela Miotto Bernardi, Anildo Cunha Jr. and Arlei Coldebella
Appl. Biosci. 2024, 3(3), 378-391; https://doi.org/10.3390/applbiosci3030025 - 31 Aug 2024
Viewed by 957
Abstract
Grape pomace is a winery byproduct that is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant capacity. This study investigated the effect of 0, 5, and 10% inclusion of dehydrated grape pomace (DGP) in finishing pig diets on the growth performance, carcass traits, fatty acid profile, [...] Read more.
Grape pomace is a winery byproduct that is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant capacity. This study investigated the effect of 0, 5, and 10% inclusion of dehydrated grape pomace (DGP) in finishing pig diets on the growth performance, carcass traits, fatty acid profile, fresh meat quality, and fat stability of a local pig genotype. A total of 36 pigs, 18 barrows, and 18 gilts (83.23 ± 6.03 kg and 132.1 ± 5.6 days old) were allotted in a randomized block design considering the initial weight (block) within sex, with six replicates of each sex per treatment. Including DGP in the diets did not affect daily weight gain or the feed-to-gain ratio; however, daily feed intake increased linearly (p < 0.05) and backfat thickness at the last rib, backfat thickness at the first sacral vertebrae, P2 backfat thickness, fat area, and the percentage of lean meat decreased linearly (p < 0.05) in pigs. The inclusion of DGP in pig diets did not affect the antioxidant potential evaluated by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in mini hamburgers or the quality characteristics of fresh meat, except for intramuscular fat (EE). The dietary inclusion of DGP linearly increased (p < 0.05) EE, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and Σω-3 and reduced the ω-6:ω-3 ratio in a linear way (p < 0.05) in the loin of pigs. We concluded that it is feasible to include up to 10% of DGP in pig diets without affecting growth performance, but carcass quality may be impaired due to increased adiposity. Furthermore, meat quality can be improved by increasing intramuscular fat and ω-3 fatty acid content, but fat stability is not affected when DGP is included at up to 10% of the diet for 49 days prior to slaughter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Natural Compounds: From Discovery to Application)
17 pages, 3257 KiB  
Article
A Plant Model of α-Synucleinopathy: Expression of α-Synuclein A53T Variant in Hairy Root Cultures Leads to Proteostatic Stress and Dysregulation of Iron Metabolism
by Jasmina Kurepa, Kristen A. Bruce, Greg A. Gerhardt and Jan A. Smalle
Appl. Biosci. 2024, 3(2), 233-249; https://doi.org/10.3390/applbiosci3020016 - 20 May 2024
Viewed by 2048
Abstract
Synucleinopathies, typified by Parkinson’s disease (PD), entail the accumulation of α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates in nerve cells. Various αSyn mutants, including the αSyn A53T variant linked to early-onset PD, increase the propensity for αSyn aggregate formation. In addition to disrupting protein homeostasis and inducing [...] Read more.
Synucleinopathies, typified by Parkinson’s disease (PD), entail the accumulation of α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates in nerve cells. Various αSyn mutants, including the αSyn A53T variant linked to early-onset PD, increase the propensity for αSyn aggregate formation. In addition to disrupting protein homeostasis and inducing proteostatic stress, the aggregation of αSyn in PD is associated with an imbalance in iron metabolism, which increases the generation of reactive oxygen species and causes oxidative stress. This study explored the impact of αSyn A53T expression in transgenic hairy roots of four medicinal plants (Lobelia cardinalis, Artemisia annua, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and Polygonum multiflorum). In all tested plants, αSyn A53T expression triggered proteotoxic stress and perturbed iron homeostasis, mirroring the molecular profile observed in human and animal nerve cells. In addition to the common eukaryotic defense mechanisms against proteostatic and oxidative stresses, a plant stress response generally includes the biosynthesis of a diverse set of protective secondary metabolites. Therefore, the hairy root cultures expressing αSyn A53T offer a platform for identifying secondary metabolites that can ameliorate the effects of αSyn, thereby aiding in the development of possible PD treatments and/or treatments of synucleinopathies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Natural Compounds: From Discovery to Application)
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14 pages, 3448 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Cellular Interactions of Flavonoids with Similar Structures in Cells Overexpressing the 70 kDa Human Heat Shock Protein
by Garyfallia Papa, Yannis V. Simos, Antrea-Maria Athinodorou, Konstantinos I. Tsamis, Dimitrios Peschos, Charalampos Angelidis, Periklis Pappas and Patra Vezyraki
Appl. Biosci. 2024, 3(1), 137-150; https://doi.org/10.3390/applbiosci3010009 - 6 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1169
Abstract
Flavonoids share a common structural framework that serves as a hallmark indicative of their biological activity. In this study, we investigated the effects of two structurally similar flavonoids, fisetin and morin, through independent and combined in vitro assessments on embryonic mouse cells overexpressing [...] Read more.
Flavonoids share a common structural framework that serves as a hallmark indicative of their biological activity. In this study, we investigated the effects of two structurally similar flavonoids, fisetin and morin, through independent and combined in vitro assessments on embryonic mouse cells overexpressing the human 70 kDa heat shock protein (Hsp70) (Tg/Tg) and normal mouse fibroblast cell line (NIH/3T3). The primary objectives were to evaluate the biocompatibility and potential cytotoxicity of these flavonoids, along with assessing the cytoprotective role of Hsp70 in these cellular environments. To address these objectives, we conducted dose- and time-dependent cell survival tests. Additionally, we utilized flow cytometry to detect intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and to analyze apoptosis and the cell cycle. Throughout the experimental procedures, a notable observation was made: NIH/3T3 normal cells exhibited greater susceptibility compared to Tg/Tg cells when exposed to fisetin and morin. This difference in susceptibility is likely attributed to the robust cytoprotective effect of Hsp70 in Tg/Tg cells. Importantly, both cell lines demonstrated increased sensitivity to fisetin toxicity in comparison to morin, leading to significantly lower cell survival rates. These findings shed light on the differential responses of cell lines to flavonoid exposure, emphasizing the influence of Hsp70 and the distinct impact of fisetin and morin on cell viability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Natural Compounds: From Discovery to Application)
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10 pages, 681 KiB  
Article
Phenolic Compound Production Increased In Vitro Regenerated Cichorium intybus L.
by Yousif Abdullah Abas, Ayten Eroğlu, Abdullah Dalar, Musa Türker, Fethi Ahmet Ozdemir and Gaweł Sołowski
Appl. Biosci. 2023, 2(1), 84-93; https://doi.org/10.3390/applbiosci2010008 - 13 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1837
Abstract
Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is a low-height perennial or biennial herb from the family of Asteraceae. Investigation of different in vitro regeneration strategies of Cichorium intybus and increasing the number of secondary metabolites in vitro regenerated plant samples were the aims [...] Read more.
Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is a low-height perennial or biennial herb from the family of Asteraceae. Investigation of different in vitro regeneration strategies of Cichorium intybus and increasing the number of secondary metabolites in vitro regenerated plant samples were the aims of the research. Callus and plant regenerations were achieved in basal plant growth media supplemented with plant growth regulators (PGRs). Whole plant regeneration was carried out by direct organogenesis from leaf explant in Murashige and Skoog (MS) and B5 media supplemented with naphthalene acetic (NAA) acid and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The highest callus quantity was produced in MS medium supplemented with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and benzyl amino purine (BAP). The combination and concentrations of PGRs used in MS and B5 media not only provided root and shoot formation with callus, but also caused a change in the amounts of phenolic components. In addition, some PGRs used caused an increase in the number of phenolic compounds in callus and shoots developed from the leaf explant. When plants that grow in vitro and in vivo are compared with each other, it has been determined that plants grown in vivo contain higher amounts of some phenolic compounds. In vivo and in vitro samples were extracted in ethanol/water (80:20 v/v). The analysis of phenolic compounds (caftaric, chicoric, and chlorogenic acids and esculin) were performed in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and inulin was in UV spectrophotometry. The caftaric and chlorogenic acids and inulin concentrations were higher in vivo samples than that in vitro. Contrarily, esculin, and chicoric acid concentrations were higher in the in vitro regenerated samples. The higher concentration of valuable compounds in the in vitro regenerated samples, especially in callus tissue, gives hope for large-scale production of secondary metabolites under laboratory conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Natural Compounds: From Discovery to Application)
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Review

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34 pages, 22776 KiB  
Review
Therapeutic Potential of Olive Leaf Extracts: A Comprehensive Review
by Natália M. de Oliveira, Jorge Machado, Maria Helena Chéu, Lara Lopes and Maria Begoña Criado
Appl. Biosci. 2024, 3(3), 392-425; https://doi.org/10.3390/applbiosci3030026 - 22 Sep 2024
Viewed by 4772
Abstract
The olive tree is currently cultivated worldwide, with higher incidence in Mediterranean Basin. Its climate is highly favorable to the synthesis of phenolic compounds, stored in olive leaves; their consumption has been linked to a lower incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disorders for [...] Read more.
The olive tree is currently cultivated worldwide, with higher incidence in Mediterranean Basin. Its climate is highly favorable to the synthesis of phenolic compounds, stored in olive leaves; their consumption has been linked to a lower incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disorders for which the research interest upon this feature has increased in last decade. This study aimed (i) to review evidence about the importance of olive leaf extract (OLE) on human health and the physiological effect of its major compounds; (ii) to update the state of the art of studies conducted on the health and technological usage of olive leaf extract; (iii) to report potential uses of OLE in pharmaceuticals, food production, and cosmetics; and (iv) to prospect the future of clinical applications of OLE from diverse cultivars, especially in metabolic inflammatory conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Overall, cultivars richer in TPC, including TFC, αT, omega-3 and omega-9, present a main research target for supplementation alone or in conjunction with vitaminic compounds, due to their nutraceutical value in metabolic disorders, chronic inflammatory diseases, and anti-aging treatments, whereas cultivars with less water content might be useful as substrates for food preservation. With regard to future prospects, it would be of great interest to clarify the specific mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of OLE on neuro-immune and cardiovascular health to design safer and healthier nature-based medicine for a wide array of costly and highly prevalent chronic diseases, such as inflammatory and metabolic-related syndromes, namely, PCOS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Natural Compounds: From Discovery to Application)
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15 pages, 2622 KiB  
Review
The Antioxidant and Antibacterial Potential of Thyme and Clove Essential Oils for Meat Preservation—An Overview
by Sara Ricardo-Rodrigues, Maria Inês Rouxinol, Ana Cristina Agulheiro-Santos, Maria Eduarda Potes, Marta Laranjo and Miguel Elias
Appl. Biosci. 2024, 3(1), 87-101; https://doi.org/10.3390/applbiosci3010006 - 6 Feb 2024
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3249
Abstract
Consumers are looking for safer and more natural food options that are produced through natural methods without using synthetic preservatives. They also desire extended shelf life for their food products. Several medicinal and aromatic plants species combine food, spice, aromatic, and medicinal recognized [...] Read more.
Consumers are looking for safer and more natural food options that are produced through natural methods without using synthetic preservatives. They also desire extended shelf life for their food products. Several medicinal and aromatic plants species combine food, spice, aromatic, and medicinal recognized attributes. The essential oils from these plants contain a unique mixture of compounds specific to each plant, showing notable antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Essential oils are used widely as they are environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradable substitutes for harsh chemical preservatives. Thyme and clove are aromatic plants commonly used in traditional gastronomy, particularly in meat-based recipes. The preservation effects of these essential oils on fresh meat have not been widely studied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to review the use of thyme and clove essential oils in meat preservation, with particular emphasis on their antioxidant properties to mitigate lipid and protein oxidation. Different strategies have been used to boost the effects of essential oils in foods, which include mixtures of essential oils, encapsulation and nanoemulsification techniques, with or without edible coatings. The final objective is to promote the wide use of essential oils for meat preservation, eventually in combination with other innovative approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Natural Compounds: From Discovery to Application)
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26 pages, 1235 KiB  
Review
Wine Grapes Ripening: A Review on Climate Effect and Analytical Approach to Increase Wine Quality
by Maria Inês Rouxinol, Maria Rosário Martins, João Mota Barroso and Ana Elisa Rato
Appl. Biosci. 2023, 2(3), 347-372; https://doi.org/10.3390/applbiosci2030023 - 10 Jul 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3502
Abstract
Red wine grapes have an important impact on the economy of many regions, both for wine quality and for their richness in phenolic compounds, which have many health benefits. Climate has been changing substantially in the last years, which affects greatly grape polyphenolic [...] Read more.
Red wine grapes have an important impact on the economy of many regions, both for wine quality and for their richness in phenolic compounds, which have many health benefits. Climate has been changing substantially in the last years, which affects greatly grape polyphenolic composition and wine quality. In this review, we will unveil the importance of climate in grape development, both physically and chemically, the different methodologies used to evaluate grape quality, the interesting new approaches using NIR spectroscopy, and the functional properties of grapes and red wine, due to their high phenolic content. Climate has an impact in the development of phenolic compounds in grapes, namely in the anthocyanins biosynthesis. The phenolic chemical composition changes during maturation, therefore, it is essential to keep on track the accumulation of these key compounds. This information is crucial to help producers choose the best harvest date since specific compounds like polyphenols are responsible for the color, taste, and mouthfeel of wines, which directly affects wine quality. The usage of different methodologies to assess quality parameters in grapes and wine, can be used to provide essential information to create the chemical profile of each variety to develop calibration methods. NIR spectroscopy seems to be a reliable method to be used in vineyards during grape maturation to provide real time information on quality parameters to producers since many reliable calibration models have been developed over time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Natural Compounds: From Discovery to Application)
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