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Exploration of Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

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A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinals, Herbs, and Specialty Crops".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 11624

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Prof. Dr. Zsuzsanna Pluhár

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Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Institute of Horticultural Science, Buda Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 29-43 Villányi street, 1118 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: genetic diversity; chemovarieties; medicinal plant breeding; improvement of growing technologies of medicinal plants; propagation technologies; drought tolerance of medicinal plants; Thymus spp.; Lavandula spp.; Verbena officinalis; Hypericum perforatum

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A large number of medicinal plant species are currently in use, harvested from native populations in wild habitats all over the world, to obtain special active compounds used for therapeutic purposes. In general, wild herbs exhibit great morphological and chemical diversity as a consequence of various genetic and environmental factors. Genetic polymorphism existing in indigenous populations is likely to be influenced by their adaptation to diverse environmental factors. Wild herb populations provide rich sources of raw materials for different industrial purposes, however, with variable active compound amounts and patterns, as a result of changing conditions. Nowadays, gene expression studies provide valuable information about the background of active compound accumulation, and control mechanisms exist in different medicinal plant species. Characterization of wild herb taxa with the use of molecular biological techniques is a modern approach to the discovery of intraspecific taxonomic differences. Exploring morphological and chemical variability is an essential tool in the conservation of medicinal plant genetic resources as well as a basis for the improvement of new cultivars for growing.

In this Special Issue of Horticulturae, our aim is to provide valuable information on recent findings from the front line of research, concerning morphological, chemical and genetic variation in wild herb species with an insight to the possible use and initiatives of cultivation as well as stress tolerance. We welcome submissions in the form of original papers on the recent advances of morphological, genetic and biochemical studies as well as reviews of the field.

Prof. Dr. Zsuzsanna Pluhár
Guest Editor

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Keywords

genetic diversity
active compounds
medicinal and aromatic plants
natural habitats
molecular markers
phytochemical analysis
intraspecific taxa
chemotaxonomy
morphological and chemical variability
chemovarieties
micromorphology
introduction into cultivation
gene reservation
breeding
stress tolerance

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 3012 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variations in Essential Oil Composition and Chemotype Patterns of Wild Thyme (Thymus) Species in the Natural Habitats of Hungary

by Zsuzsanna Pluhár, Róbert Kun, Judit Cservenka, Éva Neumayer, Szilvia Tavaszi-Sárosi, Péter Radácsi and Beáta Gosztola

Horticulturae 2024, 10(2), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10020150 - 05 Feb 2024

Viewed by 902

Abstract

A comprehensive study was conducted on the diversity and characteristics of five Thymus species native to Hungary, concerning frequency of occurrence, habitat preferences, essential oil content of the dried flowering shoots, and chemotype patterns determined by GC/MS. Our main aims were to provide an overview of the essential oil diversity of thyme resources and select the best genotypes with potential for cultivation and utilization. Based on the results obtained in 74 populations of 63 localities belonging to 15 regions of the Transdanubian and Northern Hungarian Mountains, considerable essential oil diversity was found. Thymus pannonicus (TPA), of generalist character, was proven to be the most frequent species (38 populations), while T. serpyllum (TSE) occurred only in two habitats. High average amounts of essential oil (EO) were shown for T. pannonicus (0.46 mL/100 g DW), T. pulegioides (TPU: 0.47 mL/100 g DW), and T. serpyllum (0.59 mL/100 g DW), while low EO accumulating ability was detected in T. glabrescens (TGL: 0.26 mL/100 g DW) and in T. praecox (TPR: 0.10 mL/100 g DW). In general, the thymol chemotype was the most frequent (34 populations), found together with the related molecules (p-cymene: 26; γ-terpinene: 15), while numerous other monoterpenes (M: geraniol: 12, linalool: 7) or sesquiterpenes (S: germacrene D: 25, β-caryophyllene: 21) were dominant, as well as combined (MS) chemotypes, which were also described in the Eos of Thymus species in Hungary. Our findings confirmed that T. pannonicus shows potential for cultivation with homogenous drug quality, adequate amounts of essential oil, and stability in EO composition. Data from original habitats also supports its high tolerance and adaptability to diverse environmental conditions, which is advantageous when facing climate change and extremities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploration of Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives)

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12 pages, 3175 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Especially Rhizophagus intraradices as a Biostimulant, Improve Plant Growth and Root Columbin Levels in Tinospora sagittata

by Lu-Lu Meng, Fu-Qi Xu, Ze-Zhi Zhang, Mashael Daghash Alqahtani, Manal A. Tashkandi and Qiang-Sheng Wu

Horticulturae 2023, 9(12), 1350; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9121350 - 18 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1064

Abstract

Tinospora sagittata is a columbin-rich medicinal plant, but its columbin levels are reduced under artificial cultivation conditions. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of inoculations with Diversispora versiformis (Dv), Funneliformis mosseae (Fm), Rhizophagus intraradices (Ri), and mixed inoculation (Dv + Fm + Ri) (Mix) on growth performance, root morphology, leaf photosynthetic physiology, and root columbin levels in T. sagittata. These arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were able to colonize the roots, as evidenced by a root mycorrhizal colonization rate ranging from 17% to 48% and soil hyphal lengths ranging from 17.51 cm/g to 32.02 cm/g, with the Mix treatment being the greatest. AMF inoculations improved plant height (16–151%), leaf number (119–283%), shoot (37–211%), and root biomass (22–318%) to varying extents, with Ri and Mix treatments being the most prominent. AMF-treated plants presented relatively greater root total length, projected area, surface area, volume, and average diameter, especially those treated with Ri and Mix. AMF inoculations also significantly improved the leaf nitrogen balance index, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance, while the photosynthesis rate and chlorophyll index varied by AMF species, along with a decrease in intercellular CO₂ levels. Root columbin levels ranged from 0.524 mg/g to 5.389 mg/g, and AMF inoculation significantly increased root columbin levels by 228–928%, with Ri being the most significant. Root columbin levels were significantly positively correlated with soil hyphal length, root total length, root projected area, root surface area, root volume, and root average diameter, but not root AMF colonization rate. This study demonstrates for the first time that AMF, especially Ri, can be employed as a biostimulant to promote growth as well as root columbin levels in T. sagittata, where AMF-triggered improvement in root morphology is an important reason for promoting root columbin levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploration of Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives)

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25 pages, 6114 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activities of Extracts Obtained from Young Shoots of Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.), European Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), and Mountain Cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.)

by Maria-Beatrice Solcan, Ionel Fizeșan, Laurian Vlase, Ana-Maria Vlase, Marius Emil Rusu, Letiția Mateș, Andreea-Elena Petru, Ionuț-Valentin Creștin, Ioan Tomuțǎ and Daniela-Saveta Popa

Horticulturae 2023, 9(11), 1163; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9111163 - 24 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1229

Abstract

This study explores the bioactive potential of young shoots from blackcurrant, European blueberry, and mountain cranberry, widely employed in gemmotherapy and phytotherapy, as rich sources of antioxidants, antimicrobial agents, and anti-inflammatory components. The primary aims of this study were to enhance the extraction conditions for bioactive compounds from blackcurrant young shoots using Modde software for experimental design, to conduct a comprehensive phytochemical analysis of blackcurrant, European blueberry, and mountain cranberry young shoot extracts through LC–MS analysis, and to evaluate the in vitro biological activities of these optimized extracts. The experimental design comprised multiple variables: extraction techniques, solvent type, extraction time, apparent pH, and the solvent-to-vegetal product ratio. The responses included total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, condensed tannin content, and total antioxidant activity determined through the DPPH assay. Furthermore, the antioxidant potential of the extracts was validated through in vitro cell culture experiments, in addition to the cytotoxicity assessments conducted on both normal and cancer cell lines. Extracts obtained through Ultra-Turrax extraction using 70% acetone displayed high levels of polyphenolic compounds and enhanced antioxidant potential, regardless of young shoots origin. LC–MS analysis revealed the predominant occurrence of chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, and isoquercitrin in all examined samples. The optimized extracts also displayed significant biological potential when evaluated in vitro on cell lines. These results provide valuable insights into the potent bioactive components present in these young shoot extracts, paving the way for further exploration in therapeutic applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploration of Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives)

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16 pages, 948 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Exploring the Chemical Content of Primula veris L. subsp. veris Wild-Growing Populations along a Climate Gradient: An HPLC-PDA-MS Quality Assessment of Flowers, Leaves and Roots for Sustainable Exploitation

by Ilias Stefanis, Paschalina Chatzopoulou, Nikos Krigas and Anastasia Karioti

Horticulturae 2023, 9(10), 1120; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9101120 - 10 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1908

Abstract

Primula veris (cowslip) is an important medicinal–aromatic plant used traditionally for its expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as a valuable horticultural plant with ornamental value and agroalimentary interest (edible flowers and leaves). With extensive illegal harvesting across northern Greece to date, the long-term survival of Greek cowslip wild-growing populations seems compromised. With the aim to characterize the phytochemical content of locally adapted native genotypes of P. veris subsp. veris, we examined samples from 13 wild-growing populations sourced from 8 mountain areas along a longitudinal gradient of northern Greece. Flowers, leaves, and roots were separately evaluated with HPLC-PDA-MS for their chemical content to select the genotypes associated with the best phytochemical traits. The flowers were found to contain mainly flavonoids, isorhamnetin, quercetin, and kaempferol triglycosides, with varied population contents, generally higher in northwestern population samples with a colder and more humid climate; however, all in line with the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) reports. The leaves were characterized by the prevalence of kaempferol and quercetin triglycosides, being generally higher than that of the flowers. In the roots, saponins were detected in relatively low percentages, and the phenolic glycosides were found up to nearly 2%. The results of this study suggest a potential specificity of the marginal Greek genotypes being at the edge of the species’ native distribution range in Europe and Asia. The phytochemical characterization herein supports the domestication process of Greek native cowslip genotypes. In turn, this may alleviate the overharvesting pressure in wild populations, thus contributing to species conservation and offering an incentive for farmers to sustainably cultivate at local scales well-adapted indigenous genotypes of high value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploration of Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives)

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10 pages, 497 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Soil Types on the Morphology, Yield, and Essential Oil Composition of Common Sage (Salvia officinalis L.)

by Noémi J. Valkovszki, Tímea Szalóki, Árpád Székely, Ágnes Kun, Ildikó Kolozsvári, Ildikó Szalókiné Zima, Szilvia Tavaszi-Sárosi and Mihály Jancsó

Horticulturae 2023, 9(9), 1037; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9091037 - 14 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1076

Abstract

Common sage is a versatile medicinal and aromatic plant that adapts well to unfavorable soil conditions. We determined the effect of Fluvisol and Chernozem soils on sage morphology, leaf yield, essential oil content, and composition under rainfed, temperate conditions for two consecutive years. Based on the plant height, diameter, shoot length, and yield, Chernozem soil was significantly superior to Fluvisol. However, S. officinalis is considered a drought-tolerant plant; our results confirmed the importance of the available water capacity of the different soil types since the yield on both soil types decreased significantly after an extreme drought event in 2022. The essential oil concentration (0.67–1.10 mL/100 g DM) was higher on the Fluvisol, but the total oil content was higher in the case of Chernozem (78.64 ± 20.50 mL/m² DM). The ratio of essential oil components was also influenced by the soil types, but the highest amounts were analyzed for soils viridiflorol, α-humulen, and α-tujone. The essential oil yield showed a strong positive correlation with hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes (0.92) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (0.95). Moreover, significant correlations were identified between the harvest time, seasonal precipitation patterns, soil and plant characteristics, and drug quality. On both soil types, the macronutrient content of the soils showed a strong positive correlation with the morphological parameters. The essential oil concentration was higher in the arid season of 2022 in the case of both soil types. The soil type and the seasonal effects can also change the ratio of essential oils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploration of Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives)

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13 pages, 4297 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Effects of Different Culture Times Genes Expression on Ginsenoside Biosynthesis of the Ginseng Adventitious Roots in Panax ginseng

by Hong Chen, Xiangzhu Li, Yongjun Zheng, Mingming Liu and Kangyu Wang

Horticulturae 2023, 9(7), 762; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9070762 - 01 Jul 2023

Viewed by 986

Abstract

Panax ginseng is an ancient and very potent herb, which has a long history of medicinal use, and recent studies have shown that ginsenosides are the main active substances in its pharmacological effects. However, the saponin content of wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng can hardly meet the market supply, and the ginseng adventitious root suspension culture technology can produce ginsenosides in a targeted manner. The length of culture time is an important factor affecting the growth and development of plants and the accumulation of secondary metabolites. After transcriptome sequencing of ginseng adventitious root material at different culture times, the results showed that a total of 5784 differentially expressed genes were screened, which contained 239 transcription factors. KEGG analysis showed that these differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. A proposed temporal analysis of differentially expressed genes among the two groups distributed the differentially expressed genes under nine clusters, and the differentially expressed genes under different clusters had the same expression trends, indicating that these genes can be jointly involved in specific biological processes. Extraction of ginsenosides from ginseng adventitious roots using water-saturated n-butanol and detection of ginsenoside content by high-performance liquid chromatography revealed a significant increase in total saponins and protopanaxadiol ginsenosides (particularly significant for ginsenosides Rd and Rb1), an increase in bioaccumulation of some protopanaxatriol ginsenosides, and a decrease in some protopanaxatriol ginsenosides (S-Rh1, R-Rg3, and Rf) saponin content decreased. We also found seven genes involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis and that the changes in these genes’ expression may be related to the accumulation of ginsenosides. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploration of Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives)

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17 pages, 3099 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Free Volatile Compounds as Chemophenetic Markers—Comparison with ITS2 and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 Sequence Data for 18 Species of the Genus Veronica

by Marija Nazlić, Dario Kremer, Željana Fredotović, Željka Trumbić, Valerija Dunkić and Jasna Puizina

Horticulturae 2023, 9(5), 524; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9050524 - 23 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1133

Abstract

(1) Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the free volatile compounds of 18 Veronica species (Plantaginaceae), as previously analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, with their DNA sequences for internal transcribed spacers ITS2 and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. (2) Methods: Two sets of DNA sequence data were generated and used for phylogenetic analysis: ITS2 sequences (~360 bp) obtained by next-generation sequencing and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequences (~580 bp) sequenced by the Sanger sequencing method. Clustering from previously analyzed free volatile compounds was performed by Ward’s method. (3) Results: Both sets of DNA sequence data showed that the 18 analyzed Veronica species were grouped into eight main groups corresponding to the following subgenera: Pentasepalae, Pocilla, Chamaedrys, Veronica, Beccabunga, Cochlidiosperma, Stenocarpon and Pseudolysimachium. Results of the clustering analysis of free volatile compounds showed better clustering when using microwave-extracted volatiles. Three clusters were detected with the following main compounds: hexahydrofarnesyl acetone, hexadecanoic acid, phytol, caryophyllene oxide and (E)-caryophyllene. (4) Conclusion: The phylogenetic analysis of ITS2 data obtained by NGS technology and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 data obtained by Sanger sequencing resulted in the grouping of 18 Veronica species into eight subgenera, which is in accordance with the existing classification. Statistical testing showed that there was no correlation between such clustering of Veronica species and clustering that was based on free volatile compounds. The achieved results can be viewed in the light of parallel evolution among some of the species of the Veronica genus as well as the fact that volatile compound composition can be influenced by environmental factors or epigenetic modifications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploration of Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives)

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14 pages, 2132 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Acetone Extract of Albizia lebbeck Stem Bark and Its In Vitro Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Activities

by Omer H. M. Ibrahim and Essam Y. Abdul-Hafeez

Horticulturae 2023, 9(3), 385; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030385 - 16 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1927

Abstract

To address the growing demand for natural sources of drugs, in addition to chemical ones, the present study aimed to explore the phytochemical and biological activity of acetone stem bark extract of Albizia lebbeck. The phytoconstituents of the derivatized acetone stem bark extract were analyzed using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), while the phenolic and flavonoid compounds were analyzed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Six bacterial strains (Serratia marcescens, Acinetobacter johnsonii, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Bacillus subtilis, Erwinia carotovora, Escherichia coli) and three fungal strains (Rhizoctonia solani, Penicillium italicum, Fusarium oxysporum) were evaluated for antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, in vitro cytotoxicity was assessed against three cancer cell lines (PC-3, Caco-2, and MCF-7). Our findings indicated that the acetone extract of A. lebbeck stem bark was rich in fatty acids, with a predominance of oleic acid (19.2%). Additionally, eight phenolic acids, primarily cinnamic acid, and eight flavonoids, primarily chrysoeriol and hesperidin, were identified. It was found that the acetone extract of the A. lebbeck stem bark exhibited a high potential antibacterial effect against B. subtilis and S. marcescens and evident antifungal activity against F. oxysporum. Based on the calculated selectivity index, PC-3 cells were found to have the highest value (2.95), followed by Caco-2 cells (1.92) and MCF-7 cells (1.34). These results suggest the richness of A. lebbeck stem bark in phytochemicals with promising antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploration of Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives)

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