Potential and Limitation of Peptides from Native Plants of Uttarakhand

Abstract

Knowledge of plant-based medicines in the Uttarakhand region is extensive, and these remedies are utilized for preventive and curative purposes. Traditional medical knowledge and herbal remedies form the backbone of primary health care system. The native plants in Uttarakhand are essential to the local tribes because they can produce food and medicine. Examples include Buransh (Rhododendron) flowers, Sal (Shorea robusta), Chora (Angelica glauca), Timuru (Zanthoxylum armatum), Jatamansi (Nardostachys), Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa), Brahma Kamal (Saussurea obvallata). The diverse range of plants in this area may be explored for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) or proteins that can serve as alternative treatments to combat resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria effectively. Given the ever-increasing drug resistance among clinical pathogens, the value of novel AMPs is particularly relevant. In plants, the distinguishing feature of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) lies in the plentiful occurrence of cysteine residues, which contribute to the formation of numerous disulfide bonds. Several plant AMP families exist as defensins, hairpin-like peptides, thionins, knottin-type peptides (cyclic and linear), snakins, α-hairpins, and lipid transfer proteins. Some plants AMPs possess high levels of amino acids other than cysteine. Plant AMPs have the unique capability to cluster into distinct families and share conserved structural folds. Over time, computational approaches have gained prominence in understanding the crucial facets of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). These approaches offer the advantage of reducing the time and expense associated with traditional wet lab experiments. Several databases and tools have been created to aid researchers in providing up-to-date details on AMPs. However, despite the growing possibility of AMP resources in biological repositories, locating plant-derived AMPs remains challenging.