Boraginaceae Research Articles

Phytochemical Profiling and Biological Assessment of the Aerial Parts from Three Mediterranean Alkanna Species (A. orientalis, A. tinctoria, A. kotschyana) in the Boraginaceae Family.

This study focuses on the phytochemical analysis of the aerial parts of three Alkanna species: A. orientalis (L.) Boiss., A. tinctoria Tausch. and A. kotschyana A. DC. (Boraginaceae) growing wild in the Mediterranean basin, as mostly the roots of the genus have been widely researched. Their methanol extracts were subjected to qualitative LC-MS analyses, resulting in the annotation of 28 different secondary metabolites, with 27 originating from A. orientalis, 25 from A. tinctoria and 23 from A. kotschyana. The detected metabolites are categorized into three chemical types: organic acids (2), flavonoids and their glycosides (17), and caffeic acid derivatives (9). Furthermore, the chemical profiles of the three species are discussed chemotaxonomically. Caffeic acid and its derivatives, along with glucosides of quercetin and kaempferol, were identified in all three studied species. Additionally, their total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated through various chemical assays, as well as their in vitro enzyme inhibitory properties towards cholinesterases (AChE and BChE), α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The results showed that A. tinctoria exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity (211 mgTE/g extract in DPPH and 366 mgTE/g extract in ABTS), probably due to its high total phenolic (53.3 mgGAE/g extract) and flavonoid (20.8 mgRE/g extract) content, followed by A. kotschyana. These chemical and biological findings provide valuable insights for potential promising applications of the aerial parts of the species outside of the well-known uses of their roots.

Versatile CYP98A enzymes catalyse meta-hydroxylation reveals diversity of salvianolic acids biosynthesis.

Salvianolic acids (SA), such as rosmarinic acid (RA), danshensu (DSS), and their derivative salvianolic acid B (SAB), etc. widely existed in Lamiaceae and Boraginaceae families, are of interest due to medicinal properties in the pharmaceutical industries. Hundreds of studies in past decades described that 4-coumaroyl-CoA and 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid (4-HPL) are common substrates to biosynthesize SA with participation of rosmarinic acid synthase (RAS) and cytochrome P450 98A (CYP98A) subfamily enzymes in different plants. However, in our recent study, several acyl donors and acceptors included DSS as well as their ester-forming products all were determined in SA-rich plants, which indicated that previous recognition to SA biosynthesis is insufficient. Here, we used Salvia miltiorrhiza, a representative important medicinal plant rich in SA, to elucidate the diversity of SA biosynthesis. Various acyl donors as well as acceptors are catalysed by SmRAS to form precursors of RA and two SmCYP98A family members, SmCYP98A14 and SmCYP98A75, are responsible for different positions' meta-hydroxylation of these precursors. SmCYP98A75 preferentially catalyses C-3' hydroxylation, and SmCYP98A14 preferentially catalyses C-3 hydroxylation in RA generation. In addition, relative to C-3' hydroxylation of the acyl acceptor moiety in RA biosynthesis, SmCYP98A75 has been verified as the first enzyme that participates in DSS formation. Furthermore, SmCYP98A enzymes knockout resulted in the decrease and overexpression leaded to dramatic increase of SA accumlation. Our study provides new insights into SA biosynthesis diversity in SA-abundant species and versatility of CYP98A enzymes catalytic preference in meta-hydroxylation reactions. Moreover, CYP98A enzymes are ideal metabolic engineering targets to elevate SA content.

Preservation of some rare species of natural flora in the Subtropical Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Conservation issues related to biological diversity, especially rare and endangered plant species, remain among the most pressing challenges. Scientific institutions and botanical gardens play a crucial role in addressing this problem. The Federal Research Centre "Subtropical Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences" (FRC SSC RAS) has been actively involved in the study of natural flora, including rare species, since the mid-1990s. The objective of these studies was to explore 48 rare plant species belonging to 34 genera from the families Boraginaceae, Ranunculaceae, Asparagaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, and Iridaceae in the conditions of the humid subtropics of Russia. The research revealed that the studied species are perennial herbaceous plants with high decorative qualities. Among them, 29 % are rhizomatous, 23 % are bulbous, 21 % are cormous, 19 % are short-rhizomatous, and 8% are tree-like. Phenological observations indicated that all species flowered, and almost all bore fruits. Winter-flowering species constituted 10% of the collection, spring-flowering species – 48 %, summer-flowering species – 31 %, and autumn-flowering species – 10 %. The studied plant species have various conservation statuses, with 16 species listed in the Red Books of the Russian Federation, 24 in the Krasnodar region, 20 in Sochi, 36 in other regions of the Russian Federation, and 20 on the IUCN Red List. Fourteen species are identified as rare and endemic.

Cordia Dichotoma: A Comprehensive Review of its Phytoconstituents and Endophytic Fungal Metabolites and their Potential Anticancer Effects.

Cordia Dichotoma is a valuable medicinal plant belonging to the family Boraginaceae. It consists of several beneficial secondary metabolite components, including alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, and tannins. Numerous studies have been conducted to assess the anticancer properties of Cordia Dichotoma on MCF-7, A-549, PC3, and HeLa cancer cell lines, primarily utilizing ethanolic extract, methanolic extract, and chloroform extract. The results of these studies have demonstrated significant effects. Furthermore, several studies have revealed the rich phytoconstituent content of Cordia Dichotoma with some significant components previously utilized by researchers to investigate the anticancer properties of specific compounds. This review discusses several of these components, including β-sitosterol, α-amyrin, Quercitrin, Robinin, betulin, Taxifolin, and Hesperetin. Additionally, a recent study uncovered that the anticancer effect of metabolites from endophytic fungi residing on the Cordia Dichotoma plant is attributed to a property of the plant itself. This review focuses on the current state of anticancer research related to this plant and its components.

Investigation of Cytotoxic, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity of Echium vulgare L. Seed

Echium vulgare L. is a plant belonging to the Boraginaceae family and is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases, especially known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to determine the cytotoxic activity of different concentrations of E. vulgare L. seed extracts obtained from methanol and hexane solvents on human breast cancer (MCF7) and human liver cancer (HepG2) cell lines using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The antioxidant activity of the extract obtained from methanol and hexane at the same concentrations was determined according to the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity method. Antimicrobial activity was determined by disk diffusion method and bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Bacillus megaterium and Candida albicans microorganisms as fungi were used for the study. The highest antibacterial activity was detected against Escherichia coli (E. coli) with a zone diameter of 16±4 mm. Seed extract of E. vulgare prepared with hexane showed the most effective cytotoxic activity on HepG2 cell line with 20% cytotoxicity rate. In antioxidant activity tests, the methanol extract of E. vulgare exhibited the highest activity with 4.5% reduction. In conclusion, seed extracts of E. vulgare appear to be a potential source for both anticancer and antimicrobial therapies.

Phenetic and cladistic analyses of Boraginaceae Juss.

BackgroundThe systematics of family Boraginaceae draw attention of many botanists for many years. The current study's primary goals are to clarify phenetic and phylogenetic relationships within Boraginaceae according to morphology and molecular characteristics and to evaluate the morphological characters that can be applied in systematics of Boraginaceae.ResultsThe macromorphological characters of 39 species, 2 subspecies and 5 varieties of wild boraginaceous plants were extracted and subjected to phenetic and principal component analysis that was performed for detecting the most important characters differentiating the studied taxa. The generated dendrogram is divided into five clear groups; Arnebia decumbens var. macrocalyx and Heliotropium curassavicum are the most distantly related species, while Echium angustifolium subsp. angustifolium and E. angustifolium subsp. sericeum are the most closely related species. The phylogenetic relations among the examined taxa were determined using DNA barcoding of the rbcl gene. The phylogenetic analysis generated a cladogram showing that among the studied taxa of Boraginaceae there is a bolster for three clear lineages with resolved relationships.ConclusionsIt is concluded that the chosen morphological characters were important in species delimitation, where more than half of the total morphological variations (67.94%) were explained by the first two principal components, indicating that the morphological characters showed high variability, which is useful for discrimination, and these characters, in addition to molecular characters, shared in drawing the phenetic and phylogenetic relationships within Boraginaceae that were considered not monophyletic groups. Boraginaceae contained some monophyletic genera such as Heliotropium and Alkanna, while the other studied taxa expressed a non-monophyletic relationships.

The chemical composition of the aerial parts’ essential oil of Cynoglossum clandestinum Desf. growing in Sicily, Italy

Cynoglossum L. is a taxonomically difficult genus belonging to the Boraginaceae family, distributed in Asia, Europe, mainly in Turkey, and in the Mediterranean region. Plants of this genus are used against various diseases in the ethnomedicine of several countries. In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oil was obtained from the hydrodistillation of aerial parts of the Sicilian accession of Cynoglossum clandestinum Desf. was analysed by GC and GC-MS. The main constituents of the essential oil were aldehydes and ketones (69.9%) with nonanal (18.9%), 4-sec-butoxy-2-butanone (18.1%), and 3-methyl-butanal (13.1%) as main metabolites. No one paper has been previously published on the essential oil of this species, and there is a lack of studies also in the near related genera. The aim of this work is in fact, to study a species that has never been investigated, and through this, try to help place it within the Boraginaceae family.

Comparative Analysis of Shikonin and Alkannin Acyltransferases Reveals Their Functional Conservation in Boraginaceae.

Shikonin and its enantiomer, alkannin, are bioactive naphthoquinones produced in several plants of the family Boraginaceae. The structures of these acylated derivatives, which have various short-chain acyl moieties, differ among plant species. The acylation of shikonin and alkannin in Lithospermum erythrorhizon was previously reported to be catalyzed by two enantioselective BAHD acyltransferases, shikonin O-acyltransferase (LeSAT1) and alkannin O-acyltransferase (LeAAT1). However, the mechanisms by which various shikonin and alkannin derivatives are produced in Boraginaceae plants remain to be determined. In the present study, evaluation of six Boraginaceae plants identified 23 homologs of LeSAT1 and LeAAT1, with 15 of these enzymes found to catalyze the acylation of shikonin or alkannin, utilizing acetyl-CoA, isobutyryl-CoA or isovaleryl-CoA as an acyl donor. Analyses of substrate specificities of these enzymes for both acyl donors and acyl acceptors and determination of their subcellular localization using Nicotiana benthamiana revealed a distinct functional differentiation of BAHD acyltransferases in Boraginaceae plants. Gene expression of these acyltransferases correlated with the enantiomeric ratio of produced shikonin/alkannin derivatives in L. erythrorhizon and Echium plantagineum. These enzymes showed conserved substrate specificities for acyl donors among plant species, indicating that the diversity in acyl moieties of shikonin/alkannin derivatives involved factors other than the differentiation of acyltransferases. These findings provide insight into the chemical diversification and evolutionary processes of shikonin/alkannin derivatives.

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids-Pros and Cons for Pharmaceutical and Medical Applications.

Heterocyclic organic compounds named pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) belong to a group of alkaloids and are synthesized by either plants or microorganisms. Therefore, they are naturally occurring secondary metabolites. They are found in species applied in the pharmaceutical and food industries, thus a thorough knowledge of their pharmacological properties and toxicology to humans is of great importance for their further safe employment. This review is original because it synthesizes knowledge of plant and microbial PAs, which is unusual in the scientific literature. We have focused on the Boraginaceae family, which is unique due to the exceptional richness and diversity of its PAs in plant species. We have also presented the microbial sources of PAs, both from fungi and bacteria. The structure and metabolism of PAs have been discussed. Our main aim was to summarize the effects of PAs on humans, including both negative, toxic ones, mainly concerning hepatotoxicity and carcinogenicity, as well as potentially positive ones for pharmacological and medical applications. We have collected the results of studies on the anticancer activity of PAs from plant and microbial sources (mainly Streptomyces strains) and on the antimicrobial activity of PAs on different strains of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi). Finally, we have suggested potential applications and future perspectives.

Ethnopharmacology and therapeutic potential of Anchusa strigosa: a comprehensive review

Anchusa strigosa Banks and Sol. is a rough flowering plant of the Boraginaceae family native to Eastern Mediterranean region that is widely used in traditional herbal medicine, mainly for the treatment of wounds, abdominal pain, and arthritis, to name a few. This article aims to gather knowledge related to the medicinal properties of A. strigosa. Specifically, it summarizes its traditional uses and pharmacological activities in the treatment of various diseases. Moreover, its botanical, ecological, and phytochemical characteristics are also discussed. Research showed that this plant is rich in pyrrolizidine alkaloids, particularly in the leaves. Other bioactive metabolites identified in this plant include flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenes, organic acids, and volatile organic compounds. These phytochemicals are responsible for the reported pharmacological properties of A. strigosa, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, gastric protective, antidiabetic, and pro-wound healing. This warrants further investigation into the molecular mechanism of action behind the observed effects to elucidate its therapeutic potential. Nevertheless, more research on this plant is needed to ensure its efficacy and safety.

Genome Assembly of Cordia subcordata, a Coastal Protection Species in Tropical Coral Islands.

Cordia subcordata trees or shrubs, belonging to the Boraginaceae family, have strong resistance and have adapted to their habitat on a tropical coral island in China, but the lack of genome information regarding its genetic background is unclear. In this study, the genome was assembled using both short/long whole genome sequencing reads and Hi-C reads. The assembled genome was 475.3 Mb, with 468.7 Mb (99.22%) of the sequences assembled into 16 chromosomes. Repeat sequences accounted for 54.41% of the assembled genome. A total of 26,615 genes were predicted, and 25,730 genes were functionally annotated using different annotation databases. Based on its genome and the other 17 species, phylogenetic analysis using 336 single-copy genes obtained from ortholog analysis showed that C. subcordata was a sister to Coffea eugenioides, and the divergence time was estimated to be 77 MYA between the two species. Gene family evolution analysis indicated that the significantly expanded gene families were functionally related to chemical defenses against diseases. These results can provide a reference to a deeper understanding of the genetic background of C. subcordata and can be helpful in exploring its adaptation mechanism on tropical coral islands in the future.

Protective effect of Cordia myxa leaves extract in FCA-induced arthritis in rats

Background: Arthritis, an age-related chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease primarily characterized by joint pain, swelling, stiffness, cartilage destruction, is increasing tremendously at an alarming rate and also becoming a major risk factor for other health complications. Cordia myxa, family Boraginaceae is an herbal plant used since ancient times for its various significant pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory effects. Scientific studies reporting anti-arthritic potential of leaves extract of this plant are still lacking. Therefore, the present work has been designed to investigate the protective effect of ethanolic extract of Cordia myxa leaves in Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA)-induced arthritis in rats. Methods: Ethanolic extract (100mg/Kg, 200mg/Kg and 400mg/Kg) was investigated for their efficacy in the management of FCA induced arthritis in rats. Various parameters like paw volume (using plethysmograph), paw thickness (using Vernier calliper), body weight, hematological and histopathological profile were observed. The protocol was approved by Institutional Animal Ethical Committee (MMCP/IAEC/94) and was according to CPCSEA guidelines. Results: The phytochemical screening reveals the presence of flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids, saponins and carbohydrates in the ethanolic extract of Cordia myxa leaves. Promising results with significant improvement were discovered as evident from all determined parameters when compared with standard drug methotrexate, which might be due to the presence of flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids in the ethanolic extract of Cordia myxa leaves. Conclusion: The present study supports the traditional use of Cordia myxa leaves as potential anti-arthritic agent which can be effective in Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA)-induced arthritis in rats, however its mode of action is still need to be studied.

Morphological Diversity of an Underutilized and Wild Edible Fruit (Cordia) Species in Three Districts of Bastar Region of Chhattisgarh, India

The multipurpose deciduous tree Cordia dichotoma belongs to the family Boraginaceae and it is variously called as Glueberry, Goonda, Lasora and locally as ‘Bohaar’ in Bastar (Chhattisgarh). The diversity in morphological traits in Cordia species were marked and identified at different locations of three districts of Bastar region to assess phenotypic morphological variation and to estimate genotypic and phenotypic variability for various morphological traits of fruits for future use. The quantitative traits like fruit weight, length, and diameter are important quality traits in many horticultural crops are used in genetic diversity studies. The underutilized fruits are advantageous crops being hardy in nature and tolerate extreme climatic conditions and possess high potential to provide nutritional and social benefits. The present investigation is performed for the identification, morphological analysis and diversity exploration with respect to food value of underutilized and wild edible fruit Cordia dichotoma found in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. A Total of ten numbers of representative trees of Cordia species from each district were selected for morphological and silvicultural studies. It is found that genotype of Cordia has morphological variations in the region. Two species of Cordia i.e., Cordia obliqua and Cordia dichotoma were taken for the study. This study revealed that source/provenance Jagdalpur and Dantewada had Cordia species with better fruit size than district Kondagaon source, also morphological variations of Cordia species in different sources or provenance with respect to fruit fresh weight, pulp weight, peel weight, pulp and peel ratio revealed that Cordia dichotoma G. Forst has better fruit size and pulp percentage.

Bacterial responses to plant antimicrobials: the case of alkannin and shikonin derivatives.

Alkannin, shikonin and their derivatives (A/S) are secondary metabolites produced in the roots of certain plants of the Boraginaceae family such as Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold & Zucc. and Alkanna tinctoria (L.) Tausch. These naphthoquinones express anti-cancer, wound healing, and antimicrobial activities. To study the interactions between endophytic bacteria isolated from A. tinctoria and the antimicrobials A/S, endophytic bacteria known to be resistant to the compounds were screened for their effect on A/S in liquid medium. Thereafter, the strain Pseudomonas sp. R-72008, was selected and tested for its ability to modify A/S in nutrient medium and minimal medium with A/S as sole carbon source. Bacterial growth was recorded, and high performance liquid chromatography-diode array and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analyses were performed to detect and quantify metabolites. In nutrient medium inoculated with R-72008, a decrease in the amount of A/S monomers initially present was observed and correlated with an increase of A/S oligomers. Moreover, a significant decrease of initial A/S monomers in minimal medium was correlated with bacterial growth, showing for the first time that a bacterial strain, Pseudomonas sp. R-72008, was able to use the naphthoquinones A/S as sole carbon source. This study opens new perspectives on the interactions between bacteria and plant antimicrobials.

Study of the antioxidant and anti-pancreatic cancer activities of Anchusa strigosa aqueous extracts obtained by maceration and ultrasonic extraction techniques.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Moreover, the incidence and mortality rates for pancreatic cancer are projected to keep increasing. A major challenge in the treatment of pancreatic cancer is the lack of effective screening approaches, which contributes to its poor prognosis, indicating the need for new treatment regimens and alternative therapies, such as herbal medicine. The medicinal plant A. strigosa, which is widely distributed in the Eastern Mediterranean region, is a short prickly plant from the Boraginaceae family that has been widely used in traditional medicine for treating various diseases. Nevertheless, its effect on human pancreatic cancer remains poorly investigated. In the present study, we screened the phytochemical content of Anchusa strigosa aqueous extracts obtained by maceration and ultrasound-assisted methods (ASM and ASU, respectively) and evaluated their antioxidant effects. We also investigated their anticancer effects and possible underlying mechanisms. The results show that both extracts were rich in bioactive molecules, with slight differences in their composition. Both extracts exhibited remarkable antioxidant potential and potent radical-scavenging activity in vitro. Additionally, non-cytotoxic concentrations of both extracts attenuated cell proliferation in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with a decrease in the proliferation marker Ki67 and an induction of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, the extracts increased the aggregation of pancreatic cancer cells and reduced their migratory potential, with a concomitant downregulation of integrin β1. Finally, we showed that the ASM extract caused a significant decrease in the levels of COX-2, an enzyme that has been linked to inflammation, carcinogenesis, tumor progression, and metastasis. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that A. strigosa extracts, particularly the extract obtained using the maceration method, have a potential anticancer effect and may represent a new resource for the design of novel drugs against pancreatic cancer.

Pharmacognostic Study of Ehretia acuminata R.Br.

Ehretia acuminata, commonly known as “Puna” in Pakistan, is from the Boraginaceae family and is used in ecological, medicinal, and agricultural sectors. The current study was conducted to assess the pharmacognostic potency of bark extracts from E. acuminata. The crude distilled water, ethanol, and chloroform extracts signified a concentration-dependent increase in intestinal mobility of the experimented animal, and the plant delivered methodical proof for its pharmacological usage as an antispasmodic drug. The bark distilled water, bark ethanol, and bark chloroform extracts revealed (11±1, 9±1, and 11±1) antispasmodic potential at (300 mg/kg). The distilled water, ethanol, and chloroform extracts also showed analgesic potential in the present study and the results were concentration dependent. The bark distilled water, bark ethanol, and bark chloroform extracts revealed the (10±1,16±1, and 11±1) analgesic potential at (300 mg/kg). The distilled water, ethanol, and chloroform extracts also showed the muscle relaxant potential in this study and the results were concentration dependent. The Bark distilled water, Bark ethanol, and Bark chloroform extracts revealed the (6±1, 5±1, and 5±1) at (300 mg/kg). While the distilled water, ethanol and chloroform extracts did not show acute toxic effects against the tested animal mice. In this study, bark extracts of E. acuminata showed pharmacological potency in experimental animals. The plant delivered scientific proof for its pharmacological usage as an antispasmodic, acutely toxic, muscle relaxant, as well as an analgesic drug.

Investigation of the Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial, and Antioxidant Activity of Endemic Onosma halophila Boiss. & Heldr.

The Onosma halophila Boiss. & Heldr. belongs to the Boraginaceae family and it is endemic species from Turkey that distributes in Salt Lake (Tuz Gölü) and the surrounding salty steppes. In this study, the chemical content, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activity of endemic O. halophila were determined for the first time. Thirty-one components were identified by GC-MS analysis in O. halophila. Antimicrobial activity was tested against a total of eight microorganisms, including three Gram-positive, three Gram-negative bacterial strains, and two fungal strains, using the Micro dilution technique. The obtained extracts showed strong antifungal and antibacterial activity. The MIC value of extracts samples against the tested strains ranged from 15.625 to 125μg/mL. In addition, it was determined that the extracts had different levels of antioxidant activity. The IC50 values were determined 45.20-1760µg/mL for DPPH radical scavenging assay, 3.125-1016µg/mL for H2O2 radical scavenging assay, and 147.12-1837µg/mL for superoxide radical scavenging assay, respectively. As a result, it has been determined that O. halophila has the potential to be used in complementary medicine and various ethnobotanical fields in future due to the important components it contains.

Distribution, determination method, risk assessment, and strategy of exogenous pyrrolizidine alkaloids in tea

Background and aimPyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are secondary metabolites produced by plants. At present, more than 660 PAs have been identified in more than 6000 plants, mainly belonging to the families Boraginaceae, Compositae, Leguminosae, and so forth. PAs and their corresponding nitrogen oxides have variedtoxicities, including hepatotoxicity, pulmonary toxicity, and genotoxicity. The long-term intake of PAs can lead to cancer. This study aimed to review the literature on tea derived from C. sinensis only. ResultsTea is one of the most frequently items usedas both medicine and food. In recent years, PAs have been frequently detected in tea. The tea plant itself does not produce PAs, theymainly come from soil contamination caused by weeds in the tea garden. ConclusionsThis study reviewed data published in recent years on the distribution, detection, risk assessment, strategy, and prospects of PAs in tea. The findings of this study mightfacilitate the qualityimprovementand safe use of PAs in tea.

Natural Plant-Derived Compounds in Food and Cosmetics: A Paradigm of Shikonin and Its Derivatives.

Shikonin and its derivatives are the natural naphthoquinone compounds produced in the roots of the Boraginaceae family. These red pigments have been used for a long time in coloring silk, as food colorants, and in the Chinese traditional system of medicines The resurgence of public interest in natural and plant-based products has led to this category of compounds being in high demand due to their wide range of biological activities including antioxidant, antitumor, antifungal, anti-inflammatory ones. Different researchers worldwide have reported various applications of shikonin derivatives in the area of pharmacology. Nevertheless, the use of these compounds in the food and cosmetics fields needs to be explored more in order to make them available for commercial utilization in various food industries as a packaging material and to enhance their shelf life without any side effects. Similarly, the antioxidant properties and skin whitening effects of these bioactive molecules may be used successfully in various cosmetic formulations. The present review delves into the updated knowledge on the various properties of shikonin derivatives in relation to food and cosmetics. The pharmacological effects of these bioactive compounds are also highlighted. Based on various studies, it can be concluded that these natural bioactive molecules have potential to be used in different sectors, including functional food, food additives, skin, health care, and to cure various diseases. Further research is required for the sustainable production of these compounds with minimum disturbances to the environment and in order to make them available in the market at an economic price. Simultaneous studies utilizing recent techniques in computational biology, bioinformatics, molecular docking, and artificial intelligence in laboratory and clinical trials would further help in making these potential candidates promising alternative natural bioactive therapeutics with multiple uses.

β-acetoxyisovalerylalkannin suppresses proliferation and induces ROS-based mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in human melanoma cells

β-acetoxyisovalerylalkannin (β-AIVA) is one of shikonin/alkannin derivative, which were mainly extracted from Boraginaceae family. The effects of β-AIVA on human melanoma A375 cells and U918 cells were investigated in vitro. The CCK-8 assay showed that β-AIVA inhibited proliferation of cells. Results from flow cytometry, ROS assay and JC-1 assay showed that β-AIVA increased late apoptosis rate, induced the production of ROS and promoted mitochondrial depolarization in cells. β-AIVA regulated expressions of BAX and Bcl-2 proteins, and increased the expression of cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3. These findings suggest that β-AIVA may be a potential therapeutic drug for treating melanoma.