International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The value of medicinal plants mainly comes from the secondary or primary metabolites they produce. Analyzing the mechanism of the interaction between the accumulation of metabolites and environmental conditions for growth using molecular biology technology is an important research direction for solving the problem of medicinal plant cultivation. On the basis of genomics research, we are able to clone genes related to enzymes involved in secondary metabolic pathways, analyze the synthesis pathways of plant metabolites, and combine metabolic engineering technology to increase compound production. At the same time, molecular technology is used to analyze the pharmacological mechanisms of these compounds, which is of great significance for enhancing the medicinal value of medicinal plants and promoting their application in the pharmaceutical industry.

This Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

Genes related to biosynthesis;
Metabolic pathways;
Regulation of secondary metabolites;
Pharmacological mechanism of compounds.

Prof. Dr. Aoxue Luo
Dr. Yijun Fan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

medicinal plants
biosynthesis
biological activity
regulation
pharmacological mechanism

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

24 pages, 4134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Light Conditions, Trichoderma Fungi and Food Polymers on Growth and Profile of Biologically Active Compounds in Thymus vulgaris and Thymus serpyllum

by Kamila Kulbat-Warycha, Justyna Nawrocka, Liliana Kozłowska and Dorota Żyżelewicz

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(9), 4846; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25094846 - 29 Apr 2024

Viewed by 459

Abstract

The research investigates the influence of different lighting conditions and soil treatments, in particular the application of food polymers separately and in combination with spores of Trichoderma consortium, on the growth and development of herbs—Thymus vulgaris and Thymus serpyllum. The metabolic analysis focuses on detecting changes in the levels of biologically active compounds such as chlorophyll a and b, anthocyanins, carotenoids, phenolic compounds (including flavonoids), terpenoids, and volatile organic compounds with potential health-promoting properties. By investigating these factors, the study aims to provide insights into how environmental conditions affect the growth and chemical composition of selected plants and to shed light on potential strategies for optimising the cultivation of these herbs for the improved quality and production of bioactive compounds. Under the influence of additional lighting, the growth of T. vulgaris and T. serpyllum seedlings was greatly accelerated, resulting in an increase in shoot biomass and length, and in the case of T. vulgaris, an increase in carotenoid and anthocyanin contents. Regarding secondary metabolites, the most pronounced changes were observed in total antioxidant capacity and flavonoid content, which increased significantly under the influence of additional lighting. The simultaneous or separate application of Trichoderma and food polymers resulted in an increase in flavonoid content in the leaves of both Thymus species. The increase in terpenoid content under supplemental light appears to be related to the presence of Trichoderma spores as well as food polymers added to the soil. However, the nature of these changes depends on the thyme species. Volatile compounds were analysed using an electronic nose (E-nose). Eight volatile compounds (VOCs) were tentatively identified in the vapours of T. vulgaris and T. serpyllum: α-pinene, myrcene, α-terpinene, γ-terpinene; 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol), thymol, carvacrol, and eugenol. Tendencies to increase the percentage of thymol and γ-terpinene under supplemental lighting were observed. The results also demonstrate a positive effect of food polymers and, to a lesser extent, Trichoderma fungi on the synthesis of VOCs with health-promoting properties. The effect of Trichoderma and food polymers on individual VOCs was positive in some cases for thymol and γ-terpinene. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulation and Application of Bioactive Metabolites in Plants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Regulation and Application of Bioactive Metabolites in Plants

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI