scholarly journals Medicinal Plants and Their Bacterial Microbiota: A Review on Antimicrobial Compounds Production for Plant and Human Health

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 106
Author(s):  
Lara Mitia Castronovo ◽  
Alberto Vassallo ◽  
Alessio Mengoni ◽  
Elisangela Miceli ◽  
Patrizia Bogani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Fungal Endophytes ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Antimicrobial Compounds ◽  
Bacterial Endophytes ◽  
Popular Medicine ◽  
Bacterial Microbiota ◽  
Host Defense System ◽  
Plant Microbiota

Medicinal plants (MPs) have been used since antiquity in traditional and popular medicine, and they represent a very important source of bioactive molecules, including antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal molecules. Such compounds are often of plant origin, but in some cases, an origin or a modification from plant microbiota has been shown. Actually, the research continues to report the production of bioactive molecules by plants, but the role of plant–endophytic interaction is emerging. Classic examples are mainly concerned with fungal endophytes; however, it has been recently shown that bacterial endophytes can also play an important role in influencing the plant metabolism related to the synthesis of bioactive compounds. In spite of this, a deep investigation on the power of MP bacterial endophytes is lacking. Here, an overview of the studies on MP bacterial microbiota and its role in the production of plant antimicrobial compounds contributing to prime host defense system and representing a huge resource for biotech and therapeutic applications is provided.

scholarly journals Taxonomic Structure of Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities and Its Association With the Accumulation of Alkaloidal Metabolites in Sophora flavescens

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Chen ◽  
Na Li ◽  
Jiayu Chang ◽  
Kaida Ren ◽  
Jiangtao Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Sophora Flavescens ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Available N ◽  
Bacterial Microbiota ◽  
Plant Microbiota ◽  
Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities

Plant secondary metabolites (SMs) play a crucial role in plant defense against pathogens and adaptation to environmental stresses, some of which are produced from medicinal plants and are the material basis of clinical efficacy and vital indicators for quality evaluation of corresponding medicinal materials. The influence of plant microbiota on plant nutrient uptake, production, and stress tolerance has been revealed, but the associations between plant microbiota and the accumulation of SMs in medicinal plants remain largely unknown. Plant SMs can vary among individuals, which could be partly ascribed to the shift in microbial community associated with the plant host. In the present study, we sampled fine roots and rhizosphere soils of Sophora flavescens grown in four well-separated cities/counties in China and determined the taxonomic composition of rhizosphere bacterial communities using Illumina 16S amplicon sequencing. In addition, the association of the rhizosphere bacterial microbiota with the accumulation of alkaloids in the roots of S. flavescens was analyzed. The results showed that S. flavescens hosted distinct bacterial communities in the rhizosphere across geographic locations and plant ages, also indicating that geographic location was a larger source of variation than plant age. Moreover, redundancy analysis revealed that spatial, climatic (mean annual temperature and precipitation), and edaphic factors (pH and available N and P) were the key drivers that shape the rhizosphere bacterial communities. Furthermore, the results of the Mantel test demonstrated that the rhizosphere bacterial microbiota was remarkably correlated with the contents of oxymatrine, sophoridine, and matrine + oxymatrine in roots. Specific taxa belonging to Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi were identified as potential beneficial bacteria associated with the total accumulation of matrine and oxymatrine by a random forest machine learning algorithm. Finally, the structural equation modeling indicated that the Actinobacteria phylum had a direct effect on the total accumulation of matrine and oxymatrine. The present study addresses the association between the rhizosphere bacterial communities and the accumulation of alkaloids in the medicinal plant S. flavescens. Our findings may provide a basis for the quality improvement and sustainable utilization of this medicinal plant thorough rhizosphere microbiota manipulation.

scholarly journals Medicinal Plants and Zinc: Impact on COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Zineb Jalal ◽  
Meryem Bakour ◽  
Badiaa Lyoussi
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Distress Syndrome ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Severe Pneumonia ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Comprehensive Search

The world is currently grappling with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The infection can cause fever, a dry cough, fatigue, severe pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome, and in some cases death. There is currently no effective antiviral SARS-CoV-2 drug. To reduce the number of infections and deaths, it is critical to focus on strengthening immunity. This review aims to conduct a comprehensive search on the previous studies using Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Medline, PubMed, and Scopus for the collection of research papers based on the role of zinc in the immune system, the antiviral activity of zinc, the effect of zinc supplementation in respiratory infections, the therapeutic approaches against viral infections based on medicinal plants, and the role of plants’ bioactive molecules in fighting viral infections. In conclusion, we highlighted the pivotal role of zinc in antiviral immunity and we suggested the bioactive molecules derived from medicinal plants as a search matrix for the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.

Role of Exosomes in Photodynamic Anticancer Therapy

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (40) ◽  
pp. 6815-6824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Jiang ◽  
Chuanshan Xu ◽  
Wingnang Leung ◽  
Mei Lin ◽  
Xiaowen Cai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Photodynamic Therapy ◽  
Basic Principle ◽  
Photochemical Reaction ◽  
Cell Communication ◽  
Anticancer Therapy ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Tumor Tissues ◽  
Significant Attention

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a promising alternative treatment for malignancies based on photochemical reaction induced by Photosensitizers (PS) under light irradiation. Recent studies show that PDT caused the abundant release of exosomes from tumor tissues. It is well-known that exosomes as carriers play an important role in cell-cell communication through transporting many kinds of bioactive molecules (e.g. lipids, proteins, mRNA, miRNA and lncRNA). Therefore, to explore the role of exosomes in photodynamic anticancer therapy has been attracting significant attention. In the present paper, we will briefly introduce the basic principle of PDT and exosomes, and focus on discussing the role of exosomes in photodynamic anticancer therapy, to further enrich and boost the development of PDT.

Gut Mycobiota and Fungal Metabolites in Human Homeostasis

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izabella Mogilnicka ◽  
Marcin Ufnal
Keyword(s):  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Fungal Metabolites ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Fecal Transplantation ◽  
Bacterial Microbiota ◽  
Bowel Diseases ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel

Background:Accumulating evidence suggests that microbiota play an important role in host’s homeostasis. Thus far, researchers have mostly focused on the role of bacterial microbiota. However, human gut is a habitat for several fungal species, which produce numerous metabolites. Furthermore, various types of food and beverages are rich in a wide spectrum of fungi and their metabolites.Methods:We searched PUBMED and Google Scholar databases to identify clinical and pre-clinical studies on fungal metabolites, composition of human mycobiota and fungal dysbiosis.Results:Fungal metabolites may serve as signaling molecules and exert significant biological effects including trophic, anti-inflammatory or antibacterial actions. Finally, research suggests an association between shifts in gut fungi composition and human health. Changes in mycobiota composition have been found in obesity, hepatitis and inflammatory bowel diseases.Conclusion:The influence of mycobiota and dietary fungi on homeostasis in mammals suggests a pharmacotherapeutic potential of modulating the mycobiota which may include treatment with probiotics and fecal transplantation. Furthermore, antibacterial action of fungi-derived molecules may be considered as a substitution for currently used antibacterial agents and preservatives in food industry.

Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Anti-Cancer Therapies

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 482-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milena Kostadinova ◽  
Milena Mourdjeva
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Tumor Formation ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Cycle Arrest ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Blocking Mechanisms

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are localized throughout the adult body as a small population in the stroma of the tissue concerned. In injury, tissue damage, or tumor formation, they are activated and leave their niche to migrate to the site of injury, where they release a plethora of growth factors, cytokines, and other bioactive molecules. With the accumulation of data about the interaction between MSCs and tumor cells, the dualistic role of MSCs remains unclear. However, a large number of studies have demonstrated the natural anti-tumor properties inherent in MSCs, so this is the basis for intensive research for new methods using MSCs as a tool to suppress cancer cell development. This review focuses specifically on advanced approaches in modifying MSCs to become a powerful, precision- targeted tool for killing cancer cells, but not normal healthy cells. Suppression of tumor growth by MSCs can be accomplished by inducing apoptosis or cell cycle arrest, suppressing tumor angiogenesis, or blocking mechanisms mediating metastasis. In addition, the chemosensitivity of cancer cells may be increased so that the dose of the chemotherapeutic agent used could be significantly reduced.

Role of Flavonoids in Neurodegenerative Disorders with Special Emphasis on Tangeritin

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 581-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ambreen Fatima ◽  
Yasir Hasan Siddique
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Dietary Supplementation ◽  
Plant Polyphenols ◽  
Promising Candidate ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
The Brain

Flavonoids are naturally occurring plant polyphenols found universally in all fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants. They have emerged as a promising candidate in the formulation of treatment strategies for various neurodegenerative disorders. The use of flavonoid rich plant extracts and food in dietary supplementation have shown favourable outcomes. The present review describes the types, properties and metabolism of flavonoids. Neuroprotective role of various flavonoids and the possible mechanism of action in the brain against the neurodegeneration have been described in detail with special emphasis on the tangeritin.

scholarly journals Isolation and Characterization of Fungal Endophytes Isolated from Medicinal Plant Ephedra pachyclada as Plant Growth-Promoting

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Mohamed Aly Khalil ◽  
Saad El-Din Hassan ◽  
Sultan M. Alsharif ◽  
Ahmed M. Eid ◽  
Emad El-Din Ewais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Aspergillus Flavus ◽  
Endophytic Fungi ◽  
Fungal Endophytes ◽  
Penicillium Crustosum ◽  
Plant Growth Promoting ◽  
Penicillium Commune ◽  
Maize Plants ◽  
Growth Promoting

Endophytic fungi are widely present in internal plant tissues and provide different benefits to their host. Medicinal plants have unexplored diversity of functional fungal association; therefore, this study aimed to isolate endophytic fungi associated with leaves of medicinal plants Ephedra pachyclada and evaluate their plant growth-promoting properties. Fifteen isolated fungal endophytes belonging to Ascomycota, with three different genera, Penicillium, Alternaria, and Aspergillus, were obtained from healthy leaves of E. pachyclada. These fungal endophytes have varied antimicrobial activity against human pathogenic microbes and produce ammonia and indole acetic acid (IAA), in addition to their enzymatic activity. The results showed that Penicillium commune EP-5 had a maximum IAA productivity of 192.1 ± 4.04 µg mL−1 in the presence of 5 µg mL−1 tryptophan. The fungal isolates of Penicillium crustosum EP-2, Penicillium chrysogenum EP-3, and Aspergillus flavus EP-14 exhibited variable efficiency for solubilizing phosphate salts. Five representative fungal endophytes of Penicillium crustosum EP-2, Penicillium commune EP-5, Penicillium caseifulvum EP-11, Alternaria tenuissima EP-13, and Aspergillus flavus EP-14 and their consortium were selected and applied as bioinoculant to maize plants. The results showed that Penicillium commune EP-5 increased root lengths from 15.8 ± 0.8 to 22.1 ± 0.6. Moreover, the vegetative growth features of inoculated maize plants improved more than the uninoculated ones.

scholarly journals Benefits under the Sea: The Role of Marine Compounds in Neurodegenerative Disorders

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Mariano Catanesi ◽  
Giulia Caioni ◽  
Vanessa Castelli ◽  
Elisabetta Benedetti ◽  
Michele d’Angelo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Extreme Temperature ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Adjuvant Therapies ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Marine Compounds

Marine habitats offer a rich reservoir of new bioactive compounds with great pharmaceutical potential; the variety of these molecules is unique, and its production is favored by the chemical and physical conditions of the sea. It is known that marine organisms can synthesize bioactive molecules to survive from atypical environmental conditions, such as oxidative stress, photodynamic damage, and extreme temperature. Recent evidence proposed a beneficial role of these compounds for human health. In particular, xanthines, bryostatin, and 11-dehydrosinulariolide displayed encouraging neuroprotective effects in neurodegenerative disorders. This review will focus on the most promising marine drugs’ neuroprotective potential for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. We will describe these marine compounds’ potential as adjuvant therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, based on their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties.

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