South African Journal of Botany最新文献

{"title":"Unveiling the anti-inflammatory power of Cajanus scarabaeoides seeds: In vitro evaluation, FTIR and LC-MS based analysis","authors":"Rajesh Rokkam,&nbsp;Felicity Pinipay,&nbsp;John Titus Killo,&nbsp;Satyanarayana Botcha,&nbsp;Raghava Rao Tamanam","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.04.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.04.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The biological activity of various components of <em>Cajanus Scarabaeoides</em> holds considerable significance. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of <em>C. scarabaeoides</em> seed extracts to combat inflammation and identify their functional groups. In vitro assessments were conducted using human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilization assays, specifically Heat-induced hemolysis, and Hypotonicity-induced hemolysis, to determine the anti-inflammatory efficacy. Additionally, the <em>in vitro</em> antiarthritic activity was evaluated through the Egg albumin denaturation assay. The identification of functional groups was accomplished using FTIR analysis. Results demonstrated that the crude methanol extract (CME) of seeds exhibited robust membrane stabilizing activity for heat-induced hemolysis (74.31 ± 0.55 %) at 1.0 mg/ml, surpassing the effectiveness of diclofenac sodium (41.05 ± 0.23 %), which served as one of the standards with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 546.14 ± 5.88 µg/ml. Similarly, in both hypotonicity-induced hemolysis and egg albumin denaturation assay, CME displayed the highest protective effect at 1.0 mg/ml (83.61 ± 1.91 % and 81.45 ± 0.18 % respectively) with an IC₅₀ of 129.86 ± 12.05 µg/ml, surpassing aspirin, and diclofenac sodium in terms of hypotonicity-induced hemolysis (79.83 ± 1.99 % and 61.23 ± 1.65 % respectively) and egg albumin denaturation assay (36.46 ± 0.16 % and 59.31 ± 0.18 % respectively) with IC₅₀ of 464.104 ± 6.19 µg/ml. All samples exhibited dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity in HRBC membrane stabilization tests and antiarthritic tests. FTIR analysis revealed the presence of multiple functional groups in the tested seed extracts of <em>C. scarabaeoides</em>. LC-MS analysis of CME revealed the presence of 29 probable compounds. The findings of this study suggest that <em>C. Scarabaeoides</em> seeds possess anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties, which implies that the plant's seed extract could be utilized in the treatment of inflammatory conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"181 ","pages":"Pages 36-46"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143828903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A review of ethnobotanical plants that are used for HIV management in Southern Africa","authors":"Kagera Zacharia Ng'weshemi ,&nbsp;Andrew Toyi Banyikwa ,&nbsp;John Joseph Makangara ,&nbsp;Daniel Madulu Shadrack ,&nbsp;Fidelice Mbaruku Simbangugile Mafumiko","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.045","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.045","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Background&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;HIV infections are one of the major health issues affecting southern African countries. HIV infections in southern African countries are managed by antiretroviral medications (ARVs) and ethnobotanical plants with anti-HIV properties. The development of HIV viral resistance to current ARVs necessitates the search for new and novel compounds with anti-HIV properties. Southern Africa is rich in biodiversity and phytochemicals with proven anti-viral, bacterial, and fungal properties, and therefore has a good reservoir of novel compounds that can be developed into highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Aim of the study&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The review aims to survey the literature that reported the use of ethnobotanical plants by traditional healers to treat HIV infections and opportunistic infections caused by HIV (a) without screening for active phytochemicals and (b) coupled with screening using crude extracts, and (c) screening and identification of active phytochemicals.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Materials and methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Peer-reviewed, original research, and review publications published from 2007 to 2024 were considered in this review. Articles used in this review were searched in Science Direct, Springer Link, PubMed Central, and Google Scholar. Papers were categorized into three groups: plants used or identified by traditional healers and not screened for active phytochemicals; active phytochemicals were screened for active phytochemicals using crude extract; and purified and screened. Other parameters that were identified and noted were the cell types, anti-HIV assays, and toxicity assays that were used to model HIV infection and inhibition, as well as other viral, bacterial, and fungal infections identified in the articles.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Between the years 2018 and 2024, a total of 22 publications and 6264 ethnobotanical plants were reported to be used for treating HIV infections and HIV co-infections in Southern Africa. These numbers are higher than the numbers reported between the years 2007 and 2018 which were 19 publications and a total of 1664 ethnobotanical plants. Most of the publications were survey studies that reported the use of ethnobotanical plants for the management of HIV infections and co-infections without screening and identification of active metabolites followed by survey studies that were coupled with screening of active metabolites using crude extracts. Very few studies went beyond survey studies and used the crude extract to test for the presence of phytochemicals with anti-HIV properties. Only one publication was found that reported the isolation and purification of active metabolite for anti-HIV properties in the year between 2018 and 2024 and only five studies in the years 2007 and 2018. Crude extracts of &lt;em&gt;Croton. dichogamus&lt;/em&gt; plant was found to have the lowest IC&lt;sub&gt;50&lt;/sub&gt; of 0.06 ± 0.01 μg/mL. IC&lt;sub&gt;50&lt;/sub&gt; of the pure compound was found","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"181 ","pages":"Pages 24-31"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143823389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring hydroxynitrile lyase activity in seed sources and characterisation of a novel hydroxynitrile lyase from Pyrus communis (Pear)","authors":"Asha Kumari ,&nbsp;Sushila Kumari ,&nbsp;Sheetal ,&nbsp;Savitri ,&nbsp;Monica Sharma","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study aimed to explore hydroxynitrile lyase (HNL) activity in locally available plant seeds, addressing the gap between the extensive number of cyanogenic plants and the relatively few documented HNLs. Our research delves into the Hydroxynitrile Lyase (HNL) activity in the seeds of twenty plants, unearthing three novel sources of HNL: <em>Caesalpinia crista, Pinus roxburghii,</em> and <em>Pyrus communis</em>. The latter, <em>Pyrus communis</em>, exhibited the highest HNL activity (3.57 μmol/min/mg), sparking further investigation into its enzyme extraction and reaction conditions. The optimal conditions for extracting crude <em>Pyrus communis</em> HNL from the defatted meal were found to be 8 % meal, extraction pH 7.0 and soaking for 8 h. For reaction condition optimisation, the enzyme displayed the highest activity in citrate buffer at pH 5.0. The ideal temperature for the enzyme reaction was 30 °C, with an incubation time of 30 min (7.59 μmol/min/mg). The optimal concentration of the racemic mixture of mandelonitrile for maximum activity was 10 mM, resulting in a maximum activity of 8.79 μmol/min/mg. The qualitative HPLC showed the presence of mandelonitrile peak at ∼RT 4.29 min synthesized using <em>Pyrus communis</em> HNL. The study highlights the potential of <em>Pyrus communis</em> HNL for developing new bioprocess to synthesize chiral cyanohydrins.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"181 ","pages":"Pages 14-23"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143817806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic control of fruit quality characters in the segregating generations of interspecific crosses and metabolic profiling of the fruits of promising segregants of tomato","authors":"Brati Acharya ,&nbsp;Soham Hazra ,&nbsp;Shouvik Gorai ,&nbsp;Suvojit Bose ,&nbsp;Pranab Hazra ,&nbsp;Arup Chattopadhyay ,&nbsp;Harshata Pal ,&nbsp;Anirban Maji","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.065","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.065","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Genetic control of ten fruit quality characters in segregating generations of the interspecific crosses (involving two wild relatives <em>viz</em>., <em>Solanum pimpinellifolium</em> and <em>Solanum lycopersicum</em> var. <em>cerasiformae</em>) was determined through skewness and kurtosis utilising mean data of F₂ to F₅ generations. Complementary gene action with fewer number of segregating genes was registered for total soluble solids (TSS) in cross 1 (Alisa Craig <em>Aft</em> × <em>Solanum pimpinellifolium</em>), reducing sugar (RS) in cross 1 and cross 2 (Berika × <em>Solanum lycopersicum</em> var. <em>cerasiformae</em>), ascorbic acid content (AA) in cross 1 and cross 3 (BCT 115 <em>dg</em> × <em>Solanum lycopersicum</em> var. <em>cerasiformae</em>), lycopene content (LYC) in cross 3, total anthocyanin content (TAC), total phenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) in cross 1. TSS in cross 3, total sugar (TS), AA and β carotene content (βC) in cross 2 and TFC in cross 3 registered complementary gene action with more number of genes. Duplicate gene action with less number of genes was recorded for LYC in cross 1 and TS in cross 3. Presence of duplicate gene interaction with more number of genes was recorded for RS, LYC and TPC in cross-2, tritratable acidity (TA) in all the three crosses and βC in cross 3. Metabolic profiling in the fruits of the promising segregants and the parents quantified 21 different metabolites which could be broadly categorised into sugar, amino acid, organic compound, organic acid, lipid and organo-silicon compound. The compendium provided in this investigation could be applied to isolate functionally rich tomato genotypes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"181 ","pages":"Pages 1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143817805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cyanobacteria inoculation mitigates salinity stress by regulating plant growth, photosynthetic performance, elemental concentrations and yield in wheat","authors":"Hamid Sodaeizadeh,&nbsp;Fariba Hokmollahi,&nbsp;Somayeh Ghasemi,&nbsp;Mohsen Sadeghian,&nbsp;Sanaz Tarrah","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.04.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.04.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Salinity stress is a significant global threat to agricultural productivity, particularly affecting crop yields in arid and semi-arid regions. Cyanobacteria (BGA) offer an environmentally friendly solution for the recovery of salt-affected soils. This study investigated the potential of BGA inoculation to mitigate salinity stress in wheat. Four BGA strains (<em>Jaaginema pseudogeminatum, Lyngbya austeri, Nostoc hatei,</em> and <em>Phormidium tenue</em>) were evaluated for their effects on wheat growth, physiological performance, and yield under saline conditions (0, 4, 8, and 12 dS m^-1 NaCl). The objective was to assess the ability of BGA to enhance wheat resilience to salinity through improved nutrient uptake, photosynthetic efficiency, and water use efficiency (WUE). The results indicate that salinity stress significantly reduced wheat growth and yield, but BGA inoculation alleviated these adverse effects. <em>P. tenue</em> increased the net photosynthetic rate by 210 %, WUE by 185 %, and total phenol content by 101 %, at 12 dS m^-1 salinity. Additionally, BGA inoculation reduced Na accumulation in plants while enhancing N, K, and Ca uptake. Morphological characteristics of wheat, such as plant dry weight, number of fertile spikelets, and 1000-seed weight, were also improved with BGA application. Among the strains, <em>P. tenue</em> was the most effective in mitigating the negative effects of salinity on wheat. The findings demonstrate that BGA inoculation can enhance wheat's tolerance to salinity by improving nutrient availability, photosynthetic performance, and osmotic adjustment. This eco-friendly approach offers a sustainable solution for reclaiming salt-affected soils and improving crop productivity in saline environments. Further field studies are recommended to validate these results under diverse environmental conditions and to explore the broader application of BGA in sustainable agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"180 ","pages":"Pages 857-869"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Essential oils from South African indigenous plants: Extraction techniques, phytochemistry, biological activities and applications","authors":"Yusuf O. Mukaila ,&nbsp;Trust M. Pfukwa ,&nbsp;Olaniyi A. Fawole","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.04.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.04.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Essential oils (EOs) are concentrated, volatile liquids derived from various plant parts, valued for their aromatic properties and widespread use in food flavoring, perfumery, and other applications. Despite substantial global advancements in EO research, limited attention has been given to EOs derived from South African indigenous plants. This review synthesizes existing literature, identifies research gaps, and highlights prospects in this field. Data were sourced from peer-reviewed articles and theses available in online repositories. The review focuses on EOs extracted from 100 South African indigenous plants, predominantly within the Asteraceae family. Hydro-distillation is identified as the primary extraction method; however, variations in EO composition and bioactivity suggest the need to explore alternative techniques. Phytochemical analyzes identified terpenes as the dominant constituents, with pinene and caryophyllene being the most prevalent monoterpene and sesquiterpene, respectively. Despite the discovery of bioactive compounds with commercial potential, significant gaps remain in biological and toxicological evaluations. EOs from these plants show promising applications in decay management and shelf-life extension of fruits and vegetables, emphasizing their value in postharvest technologies. This review highlights the economic potential of developing a sustainable indigenous EO industry in South Africa, underscoring the need for government regulation to support sustainable harvesting practices and ensure product quality. Advancing research on South African indigenous EOs is critical to unlocking their commercial and ecological benefits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"180 ","pages":"Pages 774-794"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anti-pain effect and mechanism of plant extracts in sensitive skin: A review","authors":"Rui Xu ,&nbsp;Xianxian Cao ,&nbsp;Yonglei Yuan ,&nbsp;Liping Qu","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sensitive skin pain has different pain symptoms and manifestations that negatively affect individuals' health, causing suffering, both physically and mentally, and reducing their quality of life. Plant extracts have multi-component, multi-target, and low side-effect therapeutic characteristics, and are widely used as analgesic drugs, providing new strategies for alleviating pain. However, there is a scarcity of studies summarizing the mechanisms by which plant extracts alleviate pain in sensitive skin. This article provides a comprehensive review of the mechanisms underlying sensitive skin pain and summarizes the main mechanisms and signaling pathways modulated by different plant extracts and compounds isolated from plants, with particular focus on the potential effects of these extracts on pain resistance in sensitive skin. Natural plant extracts have the potential to alleviate sensitive skin pain by repairing the skin barrier, reducing inflammation, regulating ion channels, decreasing vascular reactivity, and regulating emotions, and in doing so bring hope for a promising future in the management of sensitive skin pain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"180 ","pages":"Pages 837-856"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exogenous nitric oxide induces production of phenolic compounds, enzyme inhibitory properties and antioxidant capacity through activating the phenylpropanoid pathway in sage (Salvia officinalis) leaves","authors":"Hakan Terzi ,&nbsp;Hakan Yalçın ,&nbsp;Mustafa Yıldız ,&nbsp;Gökhan Zengin ,&nbsp;Emre Pehlivan ,&nbsp;Abdullahi Ibrahim Uba","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.044","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phenolic substances are crucial for the diverse biological activities of <em>Salvia</em> L. species, highlighting their importance for potential therapeutic applications. In the current study, the effects of nitric oxide (0, 100, and 1000 µM NO; donor diethylenetriamine NONOate) on the levels of phenolic compounds, total polyphenols, antioxidant capacity, and enzyme inhibitory features of the methanolic leaf extracts of sage (<em>S. officinalis</em> L.) were determined. Also, the impact of NO on the transcript level of some essential genes associated with the phenylpropanoid pathway was assessed. Rosmarinic acid (RA) was identified as the predominant phenolic compound, with its concentration rising from 4639.7 µg/g in the control to 5693.4 µg/g at 100 µM NO. The highest values of total phenolic (TPC, 117.81 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid contents (TFC, 39.86 mg QE/g) were observed in <em>S. officinalis</em> plants treated with 100 µM NO. Higher levels of antiradical scavenging activity (ABTS and DPPH), metal reducing potential (CUPRAC and FRAP), metal chelating ability (MCA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) correlated with these enhancements. Enzyme inhibition assays showed that NO-elicited extracts exhibited stronger acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase, and α-glucosidase inhibition, suggesting multiple health-promoting properties. Gene expression analysis revealed upregulation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (<em>PAL</em>), tyrosine aminotransferase (<em>TAT</em>), and rosmarinic acid synthase (<em>RAS</em>) genes in NO-treated samples, aligning with the elevated RA content and biological activities. Molecular docking studies unveiled that RA has strong interactions with AChE, BChE, α-amylase, and α˗glucosidase inhibition. Pearson's correlation analysis underscored strong positive relationships among phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, enzyme inhibition, and gene expression. Collectively, these findings suggest that NO elicitation can significantly boost the bioactive and therapeutic potential of sage leaves.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"180 ","pages":"Pages 811-819"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unraveling the bioactive profile of finger millet wine: In-vitro hypoglycemic, anti-urease activities, and In-silico molecular docking approach","authors":"Hage Sonia ,&nbsp;Techi Boni ,&nbsp;Nilamoni Chelleng ,&nbsp;Nazim Uddin Afzal ,&nbsp;Prasenjit Manna ,&nbsp;Suman Koirala ,&nbsp;Parimal Kar ,&nbsp;Chandan Tamuly","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.058","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.058","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is no comprehensive chemical analysis of hypoglycemic and anti-urease properties, as well as computational studies of finger millet wine (FMW). Therefore, the current study aims to investigate its hypoglycemic and anti-urease properties along with its glucose utilisation and GLUT4 transport behaviour in Rat L6 myoblast cell line and its molecular docking studies. Results revealed that FMW inhibited α-glucosidase and urease enzyme with an IC₅₀ value of 8.45 and 67.67 µg/mL, respectively. Seven phenolic compounds: <em>p</em>-coumaric, <em>trans-</em>ferulic, caffeic, protocatechuic, sinapic, vanillic, and <em>trans</em>-cinnamic acid were identified by HPLC. HS-SPME/LLE-GC–MS identified major compounds 2,3-Butanediol (24.80/0.08 %), Ethyl hydrogen succinate (24.46/11.04 %), Caffeine (14.84/5.81 %), and Methyl 4-<em>O</em>-methyl-d-arabinopyranoside (4.23/2.09 %). Glucose utilization and GLUT4 translocation showed significant (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) improvement at the concentration of 40 µg/mL. Molecular docking (MD) simulation and Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) studies revealed protocatechuic acid (-27.84 kcal/mol) had highest binding affinity. Additionally, we identified the hotspot residues Trp-376, Trp-481, Glu-521, Asp-404, Asp-649, and Asp-616. Thus, it can be summarised, finger millet-based wine shows potential hypoglycaemic activity backed up by glucose utilisation, docking studies have further supported the bioactive importance of this wine. This finding might open a scope for further optimization and further <em>in-vivo</em> research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"180 ","pages":"Pages 820-836"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anti-cancer effects of Plumbago zeylanica L. against human triple-negative breast cancer: Insights from network pharmacology and in-vitro experimental validation","authors":"Arif Jamal Siddiqui ,&nbsp;Ahmed Mohajja Alshammari ,&nbsp;Mitesh Patel ,&nbsp;Ahmed EISA Mahmoud Ghoniem ,&nbsp;Maqsood Ahmed Siddiqui ,&nbsp;Randa Abdeen Husien Abdalla ,&nbsp;Mouna Ghorbel ,&nbsp;Riadh Badraoui ,&nbsp;Fevzi Bardakci ,&nbsp;Mohd Adnan","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.051","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.03.051","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that lacks targeted therapeutic options due to the absence of estrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptors. The present study explores the anti-cancer potential of <em>Plumbago zeylanica</em> L. (<em>P. zeylanica</em>), a medicinal plant known for its diverse pharmacological properties. Using a combined approach of network pharmacology and in-vitro experimental validation, present study investigates the bioactive compounds in <em>P. zeylanica</em> and their interactions with molecular targets involved in TNBC progression. Network pharmacology identified 380 potential targets of <em>P. zeylanica</em> and 2890 TNBC-associated targets, intersecting to reveal 129 common targets. Gene enrichment and pathway analyses highlighted key pathways, including EGFR resistance, HIF-1 signaling and breast cancer pathways. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations further supported these findings, revealing strong binding affinities between <em>P. zeylanica</em> compounds, particularly zeylanone and critical proteins like PARP1, ESR1 and HSP90AA1. In-vitro assays on MDA-MB-231 cells showed a dose- and time-dependent reduction in cell viability, with an IC₅₀ of 90.79 μg/mL. Apoptosis induction was confirmed through Annexin V/PI staining, with 23 % early apoptosis and 0.90 % late apoptosis. Furthermore, cell cycle analysis revealed G1 phase arrest, inhibiting cell proliferation. These results suggest that <em>P. zeylanica</em> is a promising natural therapeutic agent against TNBC, warranting further research for potential clinical applications in cancer treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"180 ","pages":"Pages 795-810"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}