FENGMEI QIAN^1,2, PEIYAO REN², LI ZHAO², DANNA ZHENG², WENFANG HE³, JUAN JIN^3,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.8, pp. 1853-1867, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.029353

Abstract Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious complication of diabetes with rising prevalence worldwide. We aimed to explore the anti-DN mechanisms of the compound celastrol derived from the medicinal plant Tripterygium wilfordii. Methods: Celastrol-related targets were obtained from Herbal Ingredients’ Targets (HIT) and GeneCards databases. DN-related targets were retrieved from GeneCards, DisGeNET, and Therapeutic Targets Database (TTD). A Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed using ClusterProfiler. The cytoHubba plugin was used to select… More > Graphic Abstract

AFAF ALHARTHI^*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.8, pp. 1743-1755, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027154

Abstract Natural biomaterials are now frequently used to build biocarrier systems, which can carry medications and biomolecules to a target region and achieve a desired therapeutic effect. Biomaterials and polymers are of great importance in the synthesis of nanomaterials. The recent studies have tended to use these materials because they are easily obtained from natural sources such as fungi, algae, bacteria, and medicinal plants. They are also biodegradable, compatible with neighborhoods, and non-toxic. Natural biomaterials and polymers are chemically changed when they are linked by cross linking agents with other polymers to create scaffolds, matrices, composites, and interpenetrating polymer networks employing… More >

Esraa E. Shalan¹, Said S. Soliman¹, Ahmed A. Mahmoud¹, Jameel M. Al-Khayri^2,*, Salha M. ALshamrani³, Fatmah A. Safhi⁴, Areej S. Jalal⁴, Diaa Abd El-Moneim⁵, Abdallah A. Hassanin^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.92, No.7, pp. 2183-2196, 2023, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2023.028537

Abstract Determination of the somaclonal variation of in vitro-propagated plants is crucial to determine the appropriate micropropagation protocol and growth regulators for commercial scale multiplication. In this research, nine multiplication media (MM) augmented with different concentrations of 6-benzyl adenine (BA), Kinetin (Kin), and Thidiazuron (TDZ), Three rooting media (RM) supplemented with three levels of α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and three types of soil mixtures (v/v); Coco peat/Vermiculite/Sand (CVS), Peat moss/Perlite/Sand (PPS) and Peat moss/Perlite (PP) were used in the micropropagation protocol of daylily plants. MM2 showed the maximum shoot length and the number of leaves, while MM9 showed the maximum number… More >

CHENHAO SHI¹, MAOHONG HUA², GUANHUA XU^3,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.6, pp. 1329-1344, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.028381

Abstract Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic disease that often presents with abdominal pain, diarrhea, hematochezia, and significant morbidity. Gancao Xiexin decoction (GXD), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been applied for the clinical treatment of UC, while its action mechanisms are unclear. Methods: The active ingredients and their targets of GXD, and UC-related targets, were derived from public databases. Protein-protein interaction, Gene Ontology (GO), and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were used to analyze the important active compounds, key targets, and signaling pathways. Then, molecular docking and animal experiments were performed to verify the findings. A total… More >

MAN REN^1,2,3,#, YUAN YANG^1,2,#, DAN LI⁴, NANNAN ZHAO⁵, YUPING WANG^2,6,*, YONGNING ZHOU^2,6,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.5, pp. 977-989, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.028402

Abstract Background: 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (PGG) is a natural polyphenolic compound derived from multiple medicinal plants with favorable anticancer activity. Methods: In this study, the mechanisms of PGG against gastric cancer were explored through network pharmacology and molecular docking. First, the targets of PGG were searched in the Herbal Ingredients’ Targets (HIT), Similarity Ensemble Approach (SEA), and Super-PRED databases. The potential targets related to gastric cancer were predicted from the Human Gene Database (GeneCards) and DisGeNET databases. The intersecting targets of PGG and gastric cancer were obtained by Venn diagram and then subjected to protein-protein interaction analysis to screen hub targets. Functional and… More >

Kakudji Kisimba¹, Anand Krishnan^2,*, Mbuso Faya¹, Kahumba Byanga³, Kabange Kasumbwe⁴, Kaliyapillai Vijayakumar⁵, Ram Prasad^6,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.6, pp. 2575-2591, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.026159

Abstract Nanoparticles have distinct properties that make them potentially valuable in a variety of industries. As a result, emerging approaches for the manufacture of nanoparticles are gaining a lot of scientific interest. The biological pathway of nanoparticle synthesis has been suggested as an effective, affordable, and environmentally safe method. Synthesis of nanoparticles through physical and chemical processes uses unsafe materials, expensive equipment and adversely affects the environment. As a result, in order to support the increased utilization of nanoparticles across many sectors, nanotechnology research activities have shifted toward environmentally safe and cost-effective techniques that outperform chemical and/or biological procedures. The use… More > Graphic Abstract

SUBHASH CHANDRA^1,2, SANTWANA PALAI³, EDINARDO FAGNER FERREIRA-MATIAS⁴, IVO CAVALCANTE PITA-NETO⁴, CíCERO LUCAS GOMES-RAMALHO⁴, EDLANE MARTINS DE ANDRADE⁴, RAY SILVA DE ALMEIDA⁵, MARCELLO IRITI^6,7,*, HENRIQUE DOUGLAS MELO-COUTINHO^5,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 677-695, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026081

Abstract Indian medicinal plants are referred to as the “nectar of life” owing to their phytochemicals and bioactive complexes that are beneficial in treating diseases. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health issue without any proper medication. The indigenous plants of India can be exploited to control the precise signs of SARS-CoV-2. The Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) has advised routine usage of medicinal plants for COVID-19. Medicinal plants like Zingiber officinalis, Azadirachta indica, Ocimum sanctum, Nigella sativa, Withania somnifera, Curcuma longa, Piper nigrum, Allium sativum, Tinospora cordifolia, etc. have immunity-boosting, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant… More >

LIMIN YU^1,2, ZHONGFENG ZHANG^2,*, LONGWU ZHOU²

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.12, pp. 2559-2573, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.022825

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi reside in the rhizosphere and form mutualistic associations with plant roots. They promote photosynthesis, improve stress resistance, and induce secondary metabolite biosynthesis in host medicinal plants. The AM fungi that are symbiotic with medicinal plants comprise a wide array of species and have abundant germplasm resources. Though research on the AM fungi in medicinal plants began relatively recently, it has nonetheless become an investigative hot spot. Several scholars have explored the diversity and the growth-promoting effects of mycorrhizal fungi in hundreds of medicinal plants. Current research on symbiotic AM fungi in medicinal plants has focused mainly… More >

Zongmin Mou^1,2,3, Fei Ye⁴, Fangchen Shen¹, Dake Zhao^1,2,3,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.10, pp. 2331-2348, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.021273

Abstract Aconitum vilmorinianum, a well-known traditional Chinese herb, is recently being threatened by overexploitation and environment disturbance. This study was conducted to provide propagation methods through in vitro germination and explant cultivation. Germination was stimulated up to 66.00% on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 2.0 mg L⁻¹ 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 0.1 mg L⁻¹ 1-napthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and 30 g L⁻¹ sucrose. Three bacteria (Pantoea agglomerans, Erwinia persicina, and Pseudomonas tolaasii) would be responsible for consistent contamination during germination. The latter two were effectively eradicated after disinfected. The influence of explant types and hormone combinations on direct and indirect organogenesis was evaluated… More >

Lohanathan Bharathi Priya^1,#, Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian^2,#, Balamurugan Shanmugaraj³, Shanmugam Subbiah⁴, Rouh-Mei Hu⁵, Chih-Yang Huang^6,7,8,9,*, Rathinasamy Baskaran^5,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.6, pp. 1129-1140, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.017707

Abstract For thousands of years, plant based herbal medicines have been utilized by millions of people all over the world. Plant materials or products are used in different folk/traditional medical systems, such as the Chinese, African and Indian medical systems, like Siddha, Ayurveda, Unani, and Homeopathy. Tinospora cordifolia (TC) is a medicinal plant belonging to the family Menispermaceae. It is a big deciduous, climbing shrub growing prevalently in the tropical part of Indian subcontinent regions such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Srilanka, and in Myanmar, and China. Guduchi, Giloy, Shindilkodi, and Amritha are all the common names for this… More >