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Advances in Research on Plant Natural Products
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Advances in Research on Plant Natural Products

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 17688

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Daniel K. Owens

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
Interests: antioxidant activity; phytochemicals; natural product chemistry; bioactivity; chromatography; plant physiology; plant biology; enzymology; crop protection; agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are able to generate their own energy from simple precursors and sunlight by photosynthesis, which serves as the primary source of biological energy on our planet. Energy is typically not as limited in plants as in non-photosynthetic organisms, as they can generate their own from sunlight. Therefore, in many cases, ATP can be harnessed for the production of compounds other than those required for central survival functions (e.g., metabolism and reproduction). These “secondary metabolites”, now more properly called natural products, can then be used to help plants evolve and adapt in their environments. As plants are sessile, they are particularly skilled at being responsive to changes in their local environments in order to survive. In addition to their roles in plants, natural products have antioxidant and cytotoxic activities; anti-inflammation and anti-allergic properties; as well antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. They provide pharmaceutical activity against infection and disease when consumed in the human diet. Furthermore, natural products have established roles in reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. A thorough understanding of the biosynthesis, accumulation, and functioning of natural products is critical for a variety of agricultural, medicinal, and nutraceutical applications.

Dr. Daniel K. Owens
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

  • secondary metabolites
  • synthetic biology
  • enzymology
  • metabolomics
  • phytochemicals
  • bioactivity

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2335 KiB  
Article
Biochemical Characterization of Black and Green Mutant Elderberry during Fruit Ripening
by Maja Mikulic-Petkovsek, Anton Ivancic, Sasa Gacnik, Robert Veberic, Metka Hudina, Silvija Marinovic, Christian Molitor and Heidi Halbwirth
Plants 2023, 12(3), 504; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030504 - 22 Jan 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2091
Abstract
The content of sugars, organic acids, phenolic compounds and selected enzyme activities in the anthocyanin pathway were analyzed in NIGRA (Sambucus nigra var. nigra—black fruits) and VIRIDIS (S. nigra var. viridis—green fruits) fruits over four stages of ripening. The [...] Read more.
The content of sugars, organic acids, phenolic compounds and selected enzyme activities in the anthocyanin pathway were analyzed in NIGRA (Sambucus nigra var. nigra—black fruits) and VIRIDIS (S. nigra var. viridis—green fruits) fruits over four stages of ripening. The share of glucose and fructose in green fruits was higher than in colored fruits, and the sugar content increased significantly until the third developmental stage. Ripe NIGRA berries had 47% flavonol glycosides, 34% anthocyanins, 3% hydroxycinnamic acids and 14% flavanols, whereas the major phenolic group in the VIRIDIS fruits, making up 88% of the total analyzed polyphenols, was flavonols. NIGRA fruits were rich in anthocyanins (6020 µg g−1 FW), showing strong activation of the late anthocyanin pathway (dihydroflavonol 4-reductase, anthocyanidin synthase). In both color types, phenylalanine ammonia lyase and chalcone synthase/chalcone isomerase activities were highest in the first stage and decreased during ripening. In VIRIDIS fruit, no anthocyanins and only one flavanol (procyanidin dimer) were found. This was most likely caused by a lack of induction of the late anthocyanin pathway in the last period of fruit ripening. The VIRIDIS genotype may be useful in studying the regulatory structures of anthocyanin biosynthesis and the contribution of distinct flavonoid classes to the health benefits of elderberries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research on Plant Natural Products)
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12 pages, 2072 KiB  
Article
Riceberry Rice Germination and UVB Radiation Enhance Protocatechuic Acid and Vanillic Acid to Reduce Cellular Oxidative Stress and Suppress B16F10 Melanogenesis Relating to F-Actin Rearrangement
by Parichaya Aimvijarn, Witchuda Payuhakrit, Nisamanee Charoenchon, Seiji Okada and Prasit Suwannalert
Plants 2023, 12(3), 484; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030484 - 20 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2226
Abstract
Ultraviolet type B (UVB) radiation plays an important role in hyperpigmentation disorder, which induces cellular oxidative stress and causes abnormal melanin production and secretion. The stress condition plays an essential role in actin polymerization relating to F-actin rearrangement and forms dendrite to send [...] Read more.
Ultraviolet type B (UVB) radiation plays an important role in hyperpigmentation disorder, which induces cellular oxidative stress and causes abnormal melanin production and secretion. The stress condition plays an essential role in actin polymerization relating to F-actin rearrangement and forms dendrite to send melanin pigment to the uppermost layer of the skin. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites that mainly synthesize under stress conditions to protect plants from harmful environments and have been reported as effective agents in anti-oxidant and anti-melanogenesis. However, the influence of phenolic compounds on F-actin rearrangement-associated dendrite formation has not been studied so far. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the enhancing phytophenolic targets in riceberry rice (Oryza sativa L.) germination and UVB radiation (RR-GR) to suppress melanogenesis relating to F-rearrangement. As a result, the RR-GR had the potential to enhance phenolic acids such as protocatechuic and vanillic acid, which have been proven to possess anti-oxidant activity and anti-tyrosinase properties. Riceberry rice’s modification showed the potential to reduce cellular oxidative stress and suppress B16F10 melanogenesis relating to F-actin rearrangement that is associated with dendrite formation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research on Plant Natural Products)
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18 pages, 3301 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Activity of 2-Acyl-cyclohexane-1,3-dione Congeners Derived from Peperomia Natural Products against the Plant p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Herbicidal Molecular Target Site
by Joey K. Ooka, Mauro V. Correia, Marcus T. Scotti, Harold H. Fokoue, Lydia F. Yamaguchi, Massuo J. Kato, Franck E. Dayan and Daniel K. Owens
Plants 2022, 11(17), 2269; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11172269 - 31 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3455
Abstract
Plastoquinone is a key electron carrier in photosynthesis and an essential cofactor for the biosynthesis of carotenoids. p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is a vital enzymatic step in plastoquinone biosynthesis that is the target of triketone herbicides, such as those derived from the pharmacophore backbone [...] Read more.
Plastoquinone is a key electron carrier in photosynthesis and an essential cofactor for the biosynthesis of carotenoids. p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is a vital enzymatic step in plastoquinone biosynthesis that is the target of triketone herbicides, such as those derived from the pharmacophore backbone of the natural product leptospermone. In this work, the inhibitory activity of a series of 2-acyl-cyclohexane-1,3-diones congeners derived from Peperomia natural products was tested on plant HPPD. The most active compound was a 2-acyl-cyclohexane-1,3-dione with a C11 alkyl side chain (5d; I50app: 0.18 ± 0.02 μM) that was slightly more potent than the commercial triketone herbicide sulcotrione (I50app: 0.25 ± 0.02 μM). QSAR analysis and docking studies were performed to further characterize the key structural features imparting activity. A 1,3-dione feature was required for inhibition of HPPD. Molecules with a side chain of 11 carbons were found to be optimal for inhibition, while the presence of a double bond, hydroxy, or methyl beyond the required structural features on the cyclohexane ring generally decreased HPPD inhibiting activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research on Plant Natural Products)
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Review

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16 pages, 1830 KiB  
Review
Pentaclethra macroloba: A Review of the Biological, Pharmacological, Phytochemical, Cosmetic, Nutritional and Biofuel Potential of this Amazonian Plant
by Maria Louze Nobre Lamarão, Lindalva Maria de Meneses Costa Ferreira, Desireé Gyles Lynch, Luiz Roberto Barbosa Morais, José Otávio Carréra Silva-Júnior and Roseane Maria Ribeiro-Costa
Plants 2023, 12(6), 1330; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12061330 - 15 Mar 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4732
Abstract
Pracaxi (Penthaclethra macroloba (Willd.) Kuntze) is an Amazonian plant, traditionally used by the native population to treat health disorders such as inflammation, erysipelas, wound healing, muscle pain, ear pain, diarrhea, snake and insect bites as well as for cancer treatment. Other common [...] Read more.
Pracaxi (Penthaclethra macroloba (Willd.) Kuntze) is an Amazonian plant, traditionally used by the native population to treat health disorders such as inflammation, erysipelas, wound healing, muscle pain, ear pain, diarrhea, snake and insect bites as well as for cancer treatment. Other common uses include using the oil for frying, skin and hair beautification, and as an alternative source of energy. This review is focused on highlighting its taxonomy, occurrence and botanical origins, popular uses, pharmacology and biological activities, cytotoxicity, biofuel activity and phytochemistry in order to explore future therapeutic use and other applications. Pracaxi contains triterpene saponins, sterols, tannins, oleanolic acid, unsaturated fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids, with a high behenic acid value, which may serve for incorporation into drug delivery systems as well for the development of new drugs. These components are correlated with its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, healing, anti-hemolytic, anti-hemorrhagic, antiophidic, and larvicidal activities against Aedes aegypti and Helicorverpa zea, which ratify the popular/traditional uses. The species is nitrogen fixing; it is easy to propagate in floodplains and the terra firma, and it can be used for the reforestation of degraded areas. Additionally, the oil extracted from the seeds can leverage the bioeconomy of the region based on sustainable exploration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research on Plant Natural Products)
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21 pages, 5245 KiB  
Review
An Overview of Genus Malachra L.—Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activity
by Leonor Cervantes-Ceballos, Jorge Sánchez-Hoyos, Fredys Sanchez-Hoyos, Erick Torres-Niño, Jairo Mercado-Camargo, Amparo Echeverry-Gómez, Karick Jotty Arroyo, Esther del Olmo-Fernández and Harold Gómez-Estrada
Plants 2022, 11(21), 2808; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11212808 - 22 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4426
Abstract
The genus Malachra L. belongs to the family Malvaceae. It includes herbs or subshrubs of nine accepted species with approximately thirty synonyms, and it has been widely used in community folk medicine to treat health problems including inflammation, nasal obstruction, leishmaniasis, malaria, childbirth, [...] Read more.
The genus Malachra L. belongs to the family Malvaceae. It includes herbs or subshrubs of nine accepted species with approximately thirty synonyms, and it has been widely used in community folk medicine to treat health problems including inflammation, nasal obstruction, leishmaniasis, malaria, childbirth, kidney disorders, fever, respiratory tract diseases, among others. From the genus Malachra L., flavonoids, steroids, triterpenes, anthocyanins, leucoanthocyanins, saponins, carbohydrates, phenols, glycosides, and alkaloids have been isolated and identified. Some pharmacological reports have indicated that the genus has antidiarrheal, antiepileptic, antiulcerogenic, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, antiviral, anticancer, antibacterial, anthelmintic, and hepatoprotective properties. However, there have been limited studies of bioactive molecules with pharmacological and biological activities associated with Malachra alceifolia Jacq., Malachra capitata (L.) L., Malachra fasciata Jacq., Malachra radiata (L.) L., Malachra ruderalis Gürke., Malachra rudis Benth., Malachra helodes Mart., Malachra urens Poit. ex Ledeb. & Alderstam., and Malachra officinalis Klotzsch. In this review, we consider the conservation of these species to save the ancestral knowledge of their traditional use in populations, and their pharmacological potential for future studies in search of alternatives for solutions to diseases in humans and animals and tools for the design and search of potential bioactive compounds against infectious and non-infectious agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research on Plant Natural Products)
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