Chemical Components and Antibacterial Activity of the Essential Oil of Six Pyrrosia Species

Antioxidant activity of herbal medicine Pyrrosia lingua evaluated by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

The hydroxyl radical (˙OH) is one of the most reactive and harmful reactive oxygen species in living organisms. In this study, we used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to evaluate the antioxidant activity of herbal medicine Pyrrosia lingua (PL) by measuring its scavenging activity against ˙OH radicals. Using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical as a scavenging model, the PL extract (0.6 mg mL-1) was able to scavenge 95.1% of 0.5 mmol L-1 DPPH radicals, showing a quantitative linear relationship between the DPPH radical concentration and the double integral area under the characteristic peaks of the EPR spectra, with a coefficient of determination R2 = 0.9986. Additionally, we also studied the scavenging activity of the PL extract towards hyperactive ˙OH radicals through the reduction of the intensity of the DMPO-OH˙ adducts. The PL extract (0.5 mg mL-1) showed a high scavenging ability against extremely short-lived ˙OH radicals, with a scavenging rate of 93.6% for ˙OH radicals generated by continuous ultraviolet-irradiation of a 5 mM H2O2 aqueous solution for 30 minutes. This study developed a method based on EPR spectroscopy measurements to detect ˙OH radicals captured by herbal medicine, providing a reference for the application of PL in antioxidant and clinical disease therapies.

Insights into Chemical Diversity and Potential Health-Promoting Effects of Ferns

The scientific community is focusing on how to enhance human health and immunity through functional foods, and dietary supplements are proven to have a positive as well as a protective effect against infectious and chronic diseases. Ferns act as a taxonomical linkage between higher and lower plants and are endowed with a wide chemical diversity not subjected to sufficient scrutinization before. Even though a wealth of traditional medicinal fern uses were recorded in Chinese medicine, robust phytochemical and biological investigations of these plants are lacking. Herein, an extensive search was conducted using the keywords ferns and compounds, ferns and NMR, ferns and toxicity, and the terms ferns and chemistry, lignans, Polypodiaceae, NMR, isolation, bioactive compounds, terpenes, phenolics, phloroglucinols, monoterpenes, alkaloids, phenolics, and fatty acids were utilized with the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT. Databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Reaxys were utilized to reveal a wealth of information regarding fern chemistry and their health-promoting effects. Terpenes followed by phenolics represented the largest number of isolated active compounds. Regarding the neuroprotective effects, Psilotium, Polypodium, and Dryopteris species possessed as their major phenolics component unique chemical moieties including catechins, procyanidins, and bioflavonoids. In this updated chemical review, the pharmacological and chemical aspects of ferns are compiled manifesting their chemical diversity in the last seven years (2017-2024) together with a special focus on their nutritive and potential health-promoting effects.

Comprehensive analysis of nanoplastic effects on growth phenotype, nanoplastic accumulation, oxidative stress response, gene expression, and metabolite accumulation in multiple strawberry cultivars

Nanoplastics (NPs) have emerged as a novel environmental threat due to their potential impacts on both animals and plants. Currently, research on the ecotoxicity of NPs has mainly focused on marine aquatic organisms and freshwater algae, with very limited investigations conducted on horticultural plants. This study examined the effects of varying concentrations (0, 1, 10, 50 mg·L-1) of polystyrene NPs (PS-NPs) on strawberry growth. The findings revealed that low concentrations of PS-NPs stimulated strawberry growth, whereas high concentrations impeded it. Notably, diverse strawberry cultivars displayed considerable differences in their sensitivity to PS-NP exposure. Laser scanning confocal microscopy confirmed the absorption of PS-NPs by strawberry roots, with variations in PS-NP accumulation observed across different cultivars. Comparative transcriptomics analysis suggested that the differential expression of genes responsible for calcium ion transport played a significant role in the observed intervarietal differences in PS-NP accumulation among strawberry cultivars. Furthermore, distinct variations in endogenous oxidative responses were observed in different strawberry cultivars under PS-NP treatment. Further analysis indicated that the down-regulation of peroxidase (POD) gene expression and terpenoid compounds accumulation were responsible for heightened endogenous oxidative stress observed in certain strawberry cultivars under PS-NP treatment. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed on six strawberry cultivars to investigate their response to PS-NPs in terms of endogenous gene expression and metabolite accumulation. The results identified one commonly up-regulated gene (wall-associated receptor kinase-like) and sixteen commonly down-regulated genes associated with lipid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism. In addition, a significant reduction in fatty acid metabolite accumulation was observed in the six strawberry cultivars under PS-NP treatment. These findings have significant implications for understanding the effects of NPs on strawberry growth, metabolism, and antioxidant responses, as well as identifying marker genes for monitoring and evaluating the impact of NP pollution on strawberry.

Design strategies for adhesive hydrogels with natural antibacterial agents as wound dressings: Status and trends

The wound healing process is usually susceptible to different bacterial infections due to the complex physiological environment, which significantly impairs wound healing. The topical application of antibiotics is not desirable for wound healing because the excessive use of antibiotics might cause bacteria to develop resistance and even the production of super bacteria, posing significant harm to human well-being. Wound dressings based on adhesive, biocompatible, and multi-functional hydrogels with natural antibacterial agents have been widely recognized as effective wound treatments. Hydrogels, which are three-dimensional (3D) polymer networks cross-linked through physical interactions or covalent bonds, are promising for topical antibacterial applications because of their excellent adhesion, antibacterial properties, and biocompatibility. To further improve the healing performance of hydrogels, various modification methods have been developed with superior biocompatibility, antibacterial activity, mechanical properties, and wound repair capabilities. This review summarizes hundreds of typical studies on various ingredients, preparation methods, antibacterial mechanisms, and internal antibacterial factors to understand adhesive hydrogels with natural antibacterial agents for wound dressings. Additionally, we provide prospects for adhesive and antibacterial hydrogels in biomedical applications and clinical research.

Nutritional Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Volatiles Profile Characterization of Two Edible Undervalued Plants: Portulaca oleracea L. and Porophyllum ruderale (Jacq.) Cass

Wild edible plants are an important source of healthy food and have played an important role in traditional Mediterranean diets. In this paper, quality characteristics were typified in Portulaca oleracea L. and Porophyllum ruderale (Jacq.) Cass, undervalued plants inherent to the spring-summer season in the Valencian coastal region. Nutritional composition and bioactive compounds were analyzed and compared between plants in wild and organic cultivation conditions. Proximate analysis was carried out according to Association of Official Analytical Chemists methods. Total antioxidants were measured as 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate and total polyphenols content via the Folin-Ciocalteu procedure. The HS-SPME technique was used to characterize the volatiles profile, and the polyphenol profile was evaluated by HPLC. The most important microelement was iron. Total antioxidants ranged from 4392.16 to 7315.00 μmol Trolox·equivalents 100 g-1 fw, and total phenolic content ranged from 99.09 to 391.18 mg gallic acid equivalents·100 g-1 fw. Results show that the content of antioxidants and phenols was higher in wild species than in cultivated ones. The volatiles profile revealed that P. ruderale was rich in monoterpenoids (48.65-55.82%), and fatty alcohols were characteristic in P. oleracea species (16.21-54.18%). The results suggest that both plants could be healthy foods and could have new sustainable agro-ecological potential for the local commercial sector.

Ethanolic extract of Pyrrosia lingua (Thunb.) Farw. ameliorates OVX-induced bone loss and RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis

Pyrrosia lingua (Thunb.) Farw is a common plant that has been widely used as a traditional herbal medicine in China and Korea to treat patients suffering from pain, vaginal bleeding and urolithiasis. However, the pharmacological effects of P. lingua on bone remain unknown. We investigated the anti-osteoporotic effects of an ethanolic extract of P. lingua (EEPL). We found that EEPL suppressed osteoclast differentiation by directly acting on osteoclast precursor cells. EEPL suppressed the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced nuclear factor of activated T cells 1, a major transcription factor for osteoclastogenesis, by inhibiting RANKL-induced expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor/c-Fos, and activation of nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Moreover, administration of EEPL inhibited trabecular bone loss and weight gain in ovariectomized mice. Furthermore, we identified phytochemicals in EEPL that are known to exert anti-osteoclastogenic or anti-osteoporotic effects using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass-spectrometry analysis. Overall, the results of this study suggest that EEPL is effective therapeutic candidate that can be used to prevent or treat postmenopausal osteoporosis.

African and Asian Medicinal Plants as a Repository for Prospective Antiviral Metabolites Against HIV-1 and SARS CoV-2: A Mini Review

Introduction: The worldwide burden of viral infections has triggered a resurgence in the search for new and more efficient antiviral drugs. Scientists are also repurposing existing natural compounds such as the antimalarial drug artemisinin from Artemesia annua L. as potential drug candidates for some of the emerging and re-emerging viral infections such as covid-19 Aim: The aim of this review was to analyse the existing literature to explore the actual or potential natural antiviral compounds from African and Asian medicinal plants as lead compounds in the drug discovery process. Methods: We searched the literature on African and Asian medicinal plant species as antiviral agents for HIV-1 and the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in various databases and search engines such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and PubMed. The search was limited to in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies and excluded in silico studies. Results: We present 16 plant species with actual or potential antiviral activity against HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. These plant species span the continents of Africa and Asia where they are widely used for treating several other ailments. Conclusion: Natural compounds from plants can play a significant role in the clinical management of HIV/AIDS and the covid-19 pandemic. More research needs to be conducted to investigate the potential toxicities of the various compounds and their efficacies in clinical settings.

Plants-Derived Biomolecules as Potent Antiviral Phytomedicines: New Insights on Ethnobotanical Evidences against Coronaviruses

SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) is in focus over all known human diseases, because it is destroying the world economy and social life, with increased mortality rate each day. To date, there is no specific medicine or vaccine available against this pandemic disease. However, the presence of medicinal plants and their bioactive molecules with antiviral properties might also be a successful strategy in order to develop therapeutic agents against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, this review will summarize the available literature and other information/data sources related to antiviral medicinal plants, with possible ethnobotanical evidence in correlation with coronaviruses. The identification of novel antiviral compounds is of critical significance, and medicinal plant based natural compounds are a good source for such discoveries. In depth search and analysis revealed several medicinal plants with excellent efficacy against SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV, which are well-known to act on ACE-2 receptor, 3CLpro and other viral protein targets. In this review, we have consolidated the data of several medicinal plants and their natural bioactive metabolites, which have promising antiviral activities against coronaviruses with detailed modes of action/mechanism. It is concluded that this review will be useful for researchers worldwide and highly recommended for the development of naturally safe and effective therapeutic drugs/agents against SARS-CoV-2 infection, which might be used in therapeutic protocols alone or in combination with chemically synthetized drugs.