Phytochemical Omics in Medicinal Plants 2.0

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural and Bio-derived Molecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 19850

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Life Sciences, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan
Interests: bioactive compounds; chromatography techniques; medicinal plants; phytochemicals; plant biotechnology; plant growth regulators; plant secondary metabolites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
Interests: elucidating the effects of medicinal plants; natural products on skin conditions; herb-drug interactions; advanced techniques to the analysis and biological effects of complex natural products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of the previous Special Issue "Phytochemical Omics in Medicinal Plants".

Since prehistoric times, medicinal plants (herbs) and tonics have been used in traditional medical practices for curing diseases and to provide health benefits. A huge array of phytochemicals have been identified in medicinal plants, such as carotenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and lignans, which have a wide range of biological activities, including antioxidant and antibacterial effects as well as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects, neuroprotection, and so on. Generally, naturally occurring compounds possess complicated bioactive effects and their efficacy is difficult to clarify. Therefore, comprehensive approaches on the synthesis and biological function of phytochemicals are needed.

In the past decade, multi-omics technology is an emerging field which can be used as a powerful tool to gain deep insights into biological systems. This Special Issue aims to integrate recent innovative approaches using high-throughput technologies (omics) such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, as well as bioinformatics and other related topics including biotechnology attempts, to make significant progress in understanding the relationship between phytochemicals and human health.

Dr. Jen-Tsung Chen
Dr. Jose M. Prieto
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. Biomolecules 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

  • bioactive compounds
  • omics
  • phytochemicals
  • medicinal plants
  • genomics

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 2049 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical Profile, α-Glucosidase, and α-Amylase Inhibition Potential and Toxicity Evaluation of Extracts from Citrus aurantium (L) Peel, a Valuable By-Product from Northeastern Morocco
by Ouijdane Benayad, Mohamed Bouhrim, Salima Tiji, Loubna Kharchoufa, Mohamed Addi, Samantha Drouet, Christophe Hano, Jose Manuel Lorenzo, Hasnae Bendaha, Mohamed Bnouham and Mostafa Mimouni
Biomolecules 2021, 11(11), 1555; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11111555 - 20 Oct 2021
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 4782
Abstract
Due to the high volume of peel produced, Citrus by-product processing could be a significant source of phenolic compounds, in addition to essential oil. Citrus fruit residues, which are usually dumped as waste in the environment, could be used as a source of [...] Read more.
Due to the high volume of peel produced, Citrus by-product processing could be a significant source of phenolic compounds, in addition to essential oil. Citrus fruit residues, which are usually dumped as waste in the environment, could be used as a source of nutraceuticals. Citrus aurantium (L), also known as sour or bitter orange, is a member of the Rutaceae family and is the result of interspecific hybridization between Citrus reticulata and Citrus maxima. The purpose of this study is to chemically and biologically evaluate the peel of C. aurantium, which is considered a solid waste destined for abandonment. To achieve more complete extraction of the phytochemicals, we used a sequential extraction process with Soxhlet using the increasing polarity of solvents (i.e., cyclohexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone, and ethanol–water mixture). Essential oil (EO) from the Citrus peel, which was present at 1.12%, was also prepared by hydrodistillation for comparison. Various phytochemical assays were used to determine the qualitative chemical composition, which was subsequently characterized using GC-MS and HPLC-DAD. The inhibitory effects of C. aurantium peel extract on two enzymes, intestinal α-glucosidase and pancreatic α-amylase, were measured in vitro to determine their potential hypoglycemic and antidiabetic actions. Each extract had a significantly different phytochemical composition. According to GC-MS analyses, which allow the identification of 19 compounds, d-limonene is the most abundant compound in both EO and cyclohexane extract, at 35.17% and 36.15% (w/w). This comparison with hydrodistillation shows the value of the sequential process in extracting this valuable terpene in large quantities while also allowing for the subsequent extraction of other bioactive substances. On the contrary, linoleic acid is abundant (54.35% (w/w)) in ethyl acetate extract (EAE) with a lower amount of d-limonene. HPLC-DAD analysis allows the identification of 11 phytochemicals, with naringenin being the most abundant flavanone, detected in acetone extract (ACE) (23.94% (w/w)), ethanol–water extract mixture (EWE) (28.71% (w/w)), and chloroform extract (CFE) (30.20% (w/w)). Several extracts significantly inhibited α-amylase and/or α-glycosidase in vitro. At a dose of 332 g/mL, ACE, CFE, and EWE inhibited the two enzymes by approximately 98%. There were strong significant correlations between naringenin and α-glucosidase inhibition and between gallic acid and α-amylase inhibition. Molecular docking experiments further verified this. Finally, oral administration of C. aurantium extracts at a dose of 2000 mg/kg did not cause any effect on mice mortality or signs of acute toxicity, indicating that it is non-toxic at these doses. These findings suggest that C. aurantium peels could be a valuable by-product by providing a rich source of non-toxic phytoconstituents, particularly those with potential antidiabetic action that needs to be confirmed in vivo. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemical Omics in Medicinal Plants 2.0)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

28 pages, 2074 KiB  
Review
Oroxylin A: A Promising Flavonoid for Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases
by Anjana Sajeev, Mangala Hegde, Sosmitha Girisa, Thulasidharan Nair Devanarayanan, Mohammed S. Alqahtani, Mohamed Abbas, Samir Kumar Sil, Gautam Sethi, Jen-Tsung Chen and Ajaikumar B. Kunnumakkara
Biomolecules 2022, 12(9), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12091185 - 26 Aug 2022
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 6442
Abstract
There have been magnificent advancements in the understanding of molecular mechanisms of chronic diseases over the past several years, but these diseases continue to be a considerable cause of death worldwide. Most of the approved medications available for the prevention and treatment of [...] Read more.
There have been magnificent advancements in the understanding of molecular mechanisms of chronic diseases over the past several years, but these diseases continue to be a considerable cause of death worldwide. Most of the approved medications available for the prevention and treatment of these diseases target only a single gene/protein/pathway and are known to cause severe side effects and are less effective than they are anticipated. Consequently, the development of finer therapeutics that outshine the existing ones is far-reaching. Natural compounds have enormous applications in curbing several disastrous and fatal diseases. Oroxylin A (OA) is a flavonoid obtained from the plants Oroxylum indicum, Scutellaria baicalensis, and S. lateriflora, which have distinctive pharmacological properties. OA modulates the important signaling pathways, including NF-κB, MAPK, ERK1/2, Wnt/β-catenin, PTEN/PI3K/Akt, and signaling molecules, such as TNF-α, TGF-β, MMPs, VEGF, interleukins, Bcl-2, caspases, HIF-1α, EMT proteins, Nrf-2, etc., which play a pivotal role in the molecular mechanism of chronic diseases. Overwhelming pieces of evidence expound on the anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-cancer potentials of this flavonoid, which makes it an engrossing compound for research. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies also displayed the promising potential of OA against cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, neurological disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, etc. Therefore, the current review focuses on delineating the role of OA in combating different chronic diseases and highlighting the intrinsic molecular mechanisms of its action. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemical Omics in Medicinal Plants 2.0)
Show Figures

Figure 1

31 pages, 1139 KiB  
Review
Phytochemistry and Diverse Pharmacology of Genus Mimosa: A Review
by Komal Rizwan, Ismat Majeed, Muhammad Bilal, Tahir Rasheed, Ahmad Shakeel and Shahid Iqbal
Biomolecules 2022, 12(1), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12010083 - 5 Jan 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7120
Abstract
The genus Mimosa belongs to the Fabaceae family and comprises almost 400 species of herbs, shrubs and ornamental trees. The genus Mimosa is found all over the tropics and subtropics of Asia, Africa, South America, North America and Australia. Traditionally, this genus has [...] Read more.
The genus Mimosa belongs to the Fabaceae family and comprises almost 400 species of herbs, shrubs and ornamental trees. The genus Mimosa is found all over the tropics and subtropics of Asia, Africa, South America, North America and Australia. Traditionally, this genus has been popular for the treatment of jaundice, diarrhea, fever, toothache, wound healing, asthma, leprosy, vaginal and urinary complaints, skin diseases, piles, gastrointestinal disorders, small pox, hepatitis, tumor, HIV, ulcers and ringworm. The review covered literature available from 1959 to 2020 collected from books, scientific journals and electronic searches, such as Science Direct, Web of Science and Google scholar. Various keywords, such as Mimosa, secondary metabolites, medicines, phytochemicals and pharmacological values, were used for the data search. The Mimosa species are acknowledged to be an essential source of secondary metabolites with a wide-ranging biological functions, and up until now, 145 compounds have been isolated from this genus. Pharmacological studies showed that isolated compounds possess significant potential, such as antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, and antiproliferative as well as cytotoxic activities. Alkaloids, chalcones, flavonoids, indoles, terpenes, terpenoids, saponins, steroids, amino acids, glycosides, flavanols, phenols, lignoids, polysaccharides, lignins, salts and fatty esters have been isolated from this genus. This review focused on the medicinal aspects of the Mimosa species and may provide a comprehensive understanding of the prospective of this genus as a foundation of medicine, supplement and nourishment. The plants of this genus could be a potential source of medicines in the near future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemical Omics in Medicinal Plants 2.0)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop