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10 pages, 1544 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rapid Solidification of Plant Latices from Campanula glomerata Driven by a Sudden Decrease in Hydrostatic Pressure

by Arne Langhoff, Astrid Peschel, Christian Leppin, Sebastian Kruppert, Thomas Speck and Diethelm Johannsmann

Plants 2025, 14(5), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14050798 - 4 Mar 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 838

Abstract

By monitoring the solidification of droplets of plant latices with a fast quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), droplets from Campanula glomerata were found to solidify much faster than droplets from Euphorbia characias and also faster than droplets from all technical latices tested. A similar conclusion was drawn from optical videos, where the plants were injured and the milky fluid was stretched (sometimes forming fibers) after the cut. Rapid solidification cannot be explained with physical drying because physical drying is transport-limited and therefore is inherently slow. It can, however, be explained with coagulation being triggered by a sudden decrease in hydrostatic pressure. A mechanism based on a pressure drop is corroborated by optical videos of both plants being injured under water. While the liquid exuded by E. characias keeps streaming away, the liquid exuded by C. glomerata quickly forms a plug even under water. Presumably, the pressure drop causes an influx of serum into the laticifers. The serum, in turn, triggers a transition from a liquid–liquid phase separated state (an LLPS state) of a resin and hardener to a single-phase state. QCM measurements, optical videos, and cryo-SEM images suggest that LLPS plays a role in the solidification of C. glomerata. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Plant Physiology and Metabolism)

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19 pages, 4953 KiB

Open AccessArticle

ECPUB5 Polyubiquitin Gene in Euphorbia characias: Molecular Characterization and Seasonal Expression Analysis

by Faustina Barbara Cannea, Daniela Diana, Rossano Rossino and Alessandra Padiglia

Genes 2024, 15(7), 957; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15070957 - 21 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1527

Abstract

The spurge Euphorbia characias is known for its latex, which is rich in antioxidant enzymes and anti-phytopathogen molecules. In this study, we identified a novel polyubiquitin protein in the latex and leaves, leading to the first molecular characterization of its coding gene and expressed protein in E. characias. Using consensus-degenerate hybrid oligonucleotide primers (CODEHOP) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5′/3′-RACE), we reconstructed the entire open reading frame (ORF) and noncoding regions. Our analysis revealed that the polyubiquitin gene encodes five tandemly repeated sequences, each coding for a ubiquitin monomer with amino acid variations in four of the five repeats. In silico studies have suggested functional differences among monomers. Gene expression peaked during the summer, correlating with high temperatures and suggesting a role in heat stress response. Western blotting confirmed the presence of polyubiquitin in the latex and leaf tissues, indicating active ubiquitination processes. These findings enhance our understanding of polyubiquitin’s regulatory mechanisms and functions in E. characias, highlighting its unique structural and functional features. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress in Land Plants: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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36 pages, 3254 KiB

Open AccessReview

Plant Extracts as Skin Care and Therapeutic Agents

by Monika Michalak

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(20), 15444; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242015444 - 22 Oct 2023

Cited by 81 | Viewed by 27929

Abstract

Natural ingredients have been used for centuries for skin treatment and care. Interest in the health effects of plants has recently increased due to their safety and applicability in the formulation of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Long-known plant materials as well as newly discovered ones are increasingly being used in natural products of plant origin. This review highlights the beneficial effects of plants and plant constituents on the skin, including moisturizing (e.g., Cannabis sativa, Hydrangea serrata, Pradosia mutisii and Carthamus tinctorius), anti-aging (e.g., Aegopodium podagraria, Euphorbia characias, Premna odorata and Warburgia salutaris), antimicrobial (e.g., Betula pendula and Epilobium angustifolium), antioxidant (e.g., Kadsura coccinea, Rosmarinus officinalis, Rubus idaeus and Spatholobus suberectus), anti-inflammatory (e.g., Antidesma thwaitesianum, Helianthus annuus, Oenanthe javanica, Penthorum chinense, Ranunculus bulumei and Zanthoxylum bungeanum), regenerative (e.g., Aloe vera, Angelica polymorpha, Digitaria ciliaris, Glycyrrihza glabra and Marantodes pumilum), wound healing (e.g., Agrimonia eupatoria, Astragalus floccosus, Bursera morelensis, Jatropha neopauciflora and Sapindus mukorossi), photoprotective (e.g., Astragalus gombiformis, Calea fruticose, Euphorbia characias and Posoqueria latifolia) and anti-tyrosinase activity (e.g., Aerva lanata, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Dodonaea viscosa, Lonicera japonica and Schisandra chinensis), as well as their role as excipients in cosmetics (coloring (e.g., Beta vulgaris, Centaurea cyanus, Hibiscus sabdariffa and Rubia tinctiorum), protective and aromatic agents (e.g., Hyssopus officinalis, Melaleuca alternifolia, Pelargonium graveolens and Verbena officinalis)). Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Plant Sciences)

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11 pages, 1208 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Euphorbia characias Extract: Inhibition of Skin Aging-Related Enzymes and Nanoformulation

by Francesca Pintus, Sonia Floris, Antonella Fais, Benedetta Era, Clara Porcedda, Carlo Ignazio Giovanni Tuberoso and Carla Caddeo

Plants 2022, 11(14), 1849; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11141849 - 14 Jul 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2495

Abstract

Plant extracts have long served as important sources of bioactive compounds, and they are currently the focus of extensive research in the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies. However, their health benefits are often limited by low bioavailability. Nanoparticle delivery systems can represent a solution to such limitations. Euphorbia characias is a Mediterranean shrub known to have biological activities, such as inhibiting tyrosinase and showing a potential role as a skin-whitening agent. In this study, an ethanolic extract from E. characias leaves was tested for its inhibitory activity on skin-related enzymes, such as elastase, collagenase, and hyaluronidase, and for sun protection factors. Moreover, the extract was formulated in phospholipid vesicles to improve its local bioavailability and applicability. The vesicles were characterized by size, surface charge, storage stability, and entrapment efficiency. The nanoformulation was also evaluated for antioxidant activity and assayed for cytocompatibility and anti-tyrosinase activity in melanoma cells. Our findings demonstrated that the extract has a photo-protective effect and enzyme-inhibitory properties. E. characias nanoformulation was also cytocompatible and improved the extract’s activity in the cells, suggesting a potential skin application for antimelanogenic treatments and confirming the key role of nanotechnological approaches to maximize plant extract’s potentialities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnological or Innovative Formulation Approaches for Efficient Delivery of Plant Ingredients)

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15 pages, 3639 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Symmetric versus Asymmetric Features of Homologous Homodimeric Amine Oxidases: When Water and Cavities Make the Difference

by Eleonora Nicolai, Velia Minicozzi, Luisa Di Paola, Rosaria Medda, Francesca Pintus, Giampiero Mei and Almerinda Di Venere

Symmetry 2022, 14(3), 522; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym14030522 - 3 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2793

Abstract

Symmetry is an intrinsic property of homo-oligomers. Amine oxidases are multidomain homodimeric enzymes that contain one catalytic site per subunit, and that share a high homology degree. In this paper, we investigated, by fluorescence spectroscopy measurements, the conformational dynamics and resiliency in solutions of two amine oxidases, one from lentil seedlings, and one from Euphorbia characias latex, of which the crystallographic structure is still unknown. The data demonstrate that slight but significant differences exist at the level of the local tridimensional structure, which arise from the presence of large internal cavities, which are characterized by different hydration extents. Molecular dynamics and a contact network methodology were also used to further explore, in silico, the structural features of the two proteins. The analysis demonstrates that the two proteins show similar long-range symmetrical connectivities, but that they differ in their local (intra-subunit) contact networks, which appear mostly asymmetric. These features have been interpreted to suggest a new rationale for the functioning of amino oxidases as obligate homodimers. Full article

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22 pages, 17084 KiB

Open AccessReview

Euphorbia characias: Phytochemistry and Biological Activities

by Antonella Fais, Giovanna Lucia Delogu, Sonia Floris, Benedetta Era, Rosaria Medda and Francesca Pintus

Plants 2021, 10(7), 1468; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071468 - 17 Jul 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5115

Abstract

The aim of this review is to summarize all the compounds identified and characterized from Euphorbia characias, along with the biological activities reported for this plant. Euphorbia is one of the greatest genera in the spurge family of Euphorbiaceae and includes different kinds of plants characterized by the presence of milky latex. Among them, the species Euphorbia characias L. is an evergreen perennial shrub widely distributed in Mediterranean countries. E. characias latex and extracts from different parts of the plant have been extensively studied, leading to the identification of several chemical components such as terpenoids, sterol hydrocarbons, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, cerebrosides and phenolic and carboxylic acids. The biological properties range between antioxidant activities, antimicrobial, antiviral and pesticidal activities, wound-healing properties, anti-aging and hypoglycemic properties and inhibitory activities toward target enzymes related to different diseases, such as cholinesterases and xanthine oxidase. The information available in this review allows us to consider the plant E. characias as a potential source of compounds for biomedical research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research of Bioactive Substances in Plant Extracts)

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19 pages, 1938 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of Plant Water Extracts for Weed Control in Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum L. Subsp. durum Desf.)

by Alessandra Carrubba, Andrea Labruzzo, Andrea Comparato, Serena Muccilli and Alfio Spina

Agronomy 2020, 10(3), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10030364 - 6 Mar 2020

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5167

Abstract

The use of plant water extracts to control weeds is gaining attention in environmentally-friendly agriculture, but the study of the effect that such extracts may exert on the yield of durum wheat is still unexplored. In 2014 and 2016, the herbicidal potential of several plant water extracts was field tested on durum wheat (cv Valbelice). In 2014, extracts obtained from Artemisia arborescens, Rhus coriaria, Lantana camara, Thymus vulgaris, and Euphorbia characias were used, whereas in 2016 only A. arborescens and R. coriaria were tested as “donor” plants. In both years, weed incidence was evaluated, together with the major yield parameters of wheat. None of the treatments (including chemicals) could eradicate weeds from the field. In 2014, dicots were in general prevailing in plots treated with extracts of E. characias, while monocots prevailed after treatments with L. camara and R. coriaria. In 2016, lower weed biomass and diversity level were found, and only Avena and Phalaris were detected at harvest time. Treatment with plant water extracts affected grain yields, but it seems likely that those effects are not due to the diverse incidence of weeds in treated and untreated plots, rather to some direct action exerted by allelopathic substances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Herbaceous Field Crops Cultivation)

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