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Gempo N, Yeshi K, Crayn D, Wangchuk P. Climate-Affected Australian Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Plants: Metabolomic Profiles, Isolated Phytochemicals, and Bioactivities. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1024. [PMID: 38611553 PMCID: PMC11013060 DOI: 10.3390/plants13071024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The Australian Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (WTWHA) in northeast Queensland is home to approximately 18 percent of the nation's total vascular plant species. Over the past century, human activity and industrial development have caused global climate changes, posing a severe and irreversible danger to the entire land-based ecosystem, and the WTWHA is no exception. The current average annual temperature of WTWHA in northeast Queensland is 24 °C. However, in the coming years (by 2030), the average annual temperature increase is estimated to be between 0.5 and 1.4 °C compared to the climate observed between 1986 and 2005. Looking further ahead to 2070, the anticipated temperature rise is projected to be between 1.0 and 3.2 °C, with the exact range depending on future emissions. We identified 84 plant species, endemic to tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) within the WTWHA, which are already experiencing climate change threats. Some of these plants are used in herbal medicines. This study comprehensively reviewed the metabolomics studies conducted on these 84 plant species until now toward understanding their physiological and metabolomics responses to global climate change. This review also discusses the following: (i) recent developments in plant metabolomics studies that can be applied to study and better understand the interactions of wet tropics plants with climatic stress, (ii) medicinal plants and isolated phytochemicals with structural diversity, and (iii) reported biological activities of crude extracts and isolated compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngawang Gempo
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, Nguma-bada Campus, McGregor Rd., Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia; (N.G.); (P.W.)
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Services (CPHMVS), James Cook University, Nguma-bada Campus, McGregor Rd., Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
| | - Karma Yeshi
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, Nguma-bada Campus, McGregor Rd., Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia; (N.G.); (P.W.)
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Services (CPHMVS), James Cook University, Nguma-bada Campus, McGregor Rd., Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
| | - Darren Crayn
- Australian Tropical Herbarium (ATH), James Cook University, Nguma-bada Campus, McGregor Rd., Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia;
| | - Phurpa Wangchuk
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, Nguma-bada Campus, McGregor Rd., Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia; (N.G.); (P.W.)
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Services (CPHMVS), James Cook University, Nguma-bada Campus, McGregor Rd., Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
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Sedio BE, Spasojevic MJ, Myers JA, Wright SJ, Person MD, Chandrasekaran H, Dwenger JH, Prechi ML, López CA, Allen DN, Anderson-Teixeira KJ, Baltzer JL, Bourg NA, Castillo BT, Day NJ, Dewald-Wang E, Dick CW, James TY, Kueneman JG, LaManna J, Lutz JA, McGregor IR, McMahon SM, Parker GG, Parker JD, Vandermeer JH. Chemical Similarity of Co-occurring Trees Decreases With Precipitation and Temperature in North American Forests. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.679638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant diversity varies immensely over large-scale gradients in temperature, precipitation, and seasonality at global and regional scales. This relationship may be driven in part by climatic variation in the relative importance of abiotic and biotic interactions to the diversity and composition of plant communities. In particular, biotic interactions may become stronger and more host specific with increasing precipitation and temperature, resulting in greater plant species richness in wetter and warmer environments. This hypothesis predicts that the many defensive compounds found in plants’ metabolomes should increase in richness and decrease in interspecific similarity with precipitation, temperature, and plant diversity. To test this prediction, we compared patterns of chemical and morphological trait diversity of 140 woody plant species among seven temperate forests in North America representing 16.2°C variation in mean annual temperature (MAT), 2,115 mm variation in mean annual precipitation (MAP), and from 10 to 68 co-occurring species. We used untargeted metabolomics methods based on data generated with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to identify, classify, and compare 13,480 unique foliar metabolites and to quantify the metabolomic similarity of species in each community with respect to the whole metabolome and each of five broad classes of metabolites. In addition, we compiled morphological trait data from existing databases and field surveys for three commonly measured traits (specific leaf area [SLA], wood density, and seed mass) for comparison with foliar metabolomes. We found that chemical defense strategies and growth and allocation strategies reflected by these traits largely represented orthogonal axes of variation. In addition, functional dispersion of SLA increased with MAP, whereas functional richness of wood density and seed mass increased with MAT. In contrast, chemical similarity of co-occurring species decreased with both MAT and MAP, and metabolite richness increased with MAT. Variation in metabolite richness among communities was positively correlated with species richness, but variation in mean chemical similarity was not. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that plant metabolomes play a more important role in community assembly in wetter and warmer climates, even at temperate latitudes, and suggest that metabolomic traits can provide unique insight to studies of trait-based community assembly.
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Schneider GF, Salazar D, Hildreth SB, Helm RF, Whitehead SR. Comparative Metabolomics of Fruits and Leaves in a Hyperdiverse Lineage Suggests Fruits Are a Key Incubator of Phytochemical Diversification. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:693739. [PMID: 34527005 PMCID: PMC8435686 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.693739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between plants and leaf herbivores have long been implicated as the major driver of plant secondary metabolite diversity. However, other plant-animal interactions, such as those between fruits and frugivores, may also be involved in phytochemical diversification. Using 12 species of Piper, we conducted untargeted metabolomics and molecular networking with extracts of fruits and leaves. We evaluated organ-specific secondary metabolite composition and compared multiple dimensions of phytochemical diversity across organs, including richness, structural complexity, and variability across samples at multiple scales within and across species. Plant organ identity, species identity, and the interaction between the two all significantly influenced secondary metabolite composition. Leaves and fruit shared a majority of compounds, but fruits contained more unique compounds and had higher total estimated chemical richness. While the relative levels of chemical richness and structural complexity across organs varied substantially across species, fruit diversity exceeded leaf diversity in more species than the reverse. Furthermore, the variance in chemical composition across samples was higher for fruits than leaves. By documenting a broad pattern of high phytochemical diversity in fruits relative to leaves, this study lays groundwork for incorporating fruit into a comprehensive and integrative understanding of the ecological and evolutionary factors shaping secondary metabolite composition at the whole-plant level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald F. Schneider
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
- *Correspondence: Gerald F. Schneider,
| | - Diego Salazar
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Sherry B. Hildreth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Richard F. Helm
- Department of Biochemistry, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Susan R. Whitehead
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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Llauradó Maury G, Méndez Rodríguez D, Hendrix S, Escalona Arranz JC, Fung Boix Y, Pacheco AO, García Díaz J, Morris-Quevedo HJ, Ferrer Dubois A, Aleman EI, Beenaerts N, Méndez-Santos IE, Orberá Ratón T, Cos P, Cuypers A. Antioxidants in Plants: A Valorization Potential Emphasizing the Need for the Conservation of Plant Biodiversity in Cuba. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:E1048. [PMID: 33121046 PMCID: PMC7693031 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9111048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants are phytochemical hubs containing antioxidants, essential for normal plant functioning and adaptation to environmental cues and delivering beneficial properties for human health. Therefore, knowledge on the antioxidant potential of different plant species and their nutraceutical and pharmaceutical properties is of utmost importance. Exploring this scientific research field provides fundamental clues on (1) plant stress responses and their adaptive evolution to harsh environmental conditions and (2) (new) natural antioxidants with a functional versatility to prevent and treat human pathologies. These natural antioxidants can be valorized via plant-derived foods and products. Cuba contains an enormously rich plant biodiversity harboring a great antioxidant potential. Besides opening new avenues for the implementation of sustainable agroecological practices in crop production, it will also contribute to new strategies to preserve plant biodiversity and simultaneously improve nature management policies in Cuba. This review provides an overview on the beneficial properties of antioxidants for plant protection and human health and is directed to the valorization of these plant antioxidants, emphasizing the need for biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Llauradó Maury
- Centre of Studies for Industrial Biotechnology (CEBI), University of Oriente, Avenida Patricio Lumumba s/n, Reparto Jiménez, Santiago de Cuba CP 90500, Cuba; (G.L.M.); (H.J.M.-Q.); (T.O.R.)
| | - Daniel Méndez Rodríguez
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Camagüey, Carretera Circunvalación Norte, km 5 ½, Camagüey CP 70100, Cuba; (D.M.R.); (I.E.M.-S.)
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Campus Diepenbeek, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, BE-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium; (S.H.); (N.B.)
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sophie Hendrix
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Campus Diepenbeek, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, BE-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium; (S.H.); (N.B.)
| | - Julio César Escalona Arranz
- Pharmacy Department, University of Oriente, Avenida Patricio Lumumba s/n, Reparto Jiménez, Santiago de Cuba CP 90500, Cuba; (J.C.E.A.); (A.O.P.); (J.G.D.)
| | - Yilan Fung Boix
- National Center of Applied Electromagnetism, University of Oriente, Avenida Las Américas s/n, P.O. Box 4078, Santiago de Cuba CP 90400, Cuba; (Y.F.B.); (A.F.D.); (E.I.A.)
| | - Ania Ochoa Pacheco
- Pharmacy Department, University of Oriente, Avenida Patricio Lumumba s/n, Reparto Jiménez, Santiago de Cuba CP 90500, Cuba; (J.C.E.A.); (A.O.P.); (J.G.D.)
| | - Jesús García Díaz
- Pharmacy Department, University of Oriente, Avenida Patricio Lumumba s/n, Reparto Jiménez, Santiago de Cuba CP 90500, Cuba; (J.C.E.A.); (A.O.P.); (J.G.D.)
| | - Humberto J. Morris-Quevedo
- Centre of Studies for Industrial Biotechnology (CEBI), University of Oriente, Avenida Patricio Lumumba s/n, Reparto Jiménez, Santiago de Cuba CP 90500, Cuba; (G.L.M.); (H.J.M.-Q.); (T.O.R.)
| | - Albys Ferrer Dubois
- National Center of Applied Electromagnetism, University of Oriente, Avenida Las Américas s/n, P.O. Box 4078, Santiago de Cuba CP 90400, Cuba; (Y.F.B.); (A.F.D.); (E.I.A.)
| | - Elizabeth Isaac Aleman
- National Center of Applied Electromagnetism, University of Oriente, Avenida Las Américas s/n, P.O. Box 4078, Santiago de Cuba CP 90400, Cuba; (Y.F.B.); (A.F.D.); (E.I.A.)
| | - Natalie Beenaerts
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Campus Diepenbeek, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, BE-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium; (S.H.); (N.B.)
| | - Isidro E. Méndez-Santos
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Camagüey, Carretera Circunvalación Norte, km 5 ½, Camagüey CP 70100, Cuba; (D.M.R.); (I.E.M.-S.)
| | - Teresa Orberá Ratón
- Centre of Studies for Industrial Biotechnology (CEBI), University of Oriente, Avenida Patricio Lumumba s/n, Reparto Jiménez, Santiago de Cuba CP 90500, Cuba; (G.L.M.); (H.J.M.-Q.); (T.O.R.)
| | - Paul Cos
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ann Cuypers
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Campus Diepenbeek, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, BE-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium; (S.H.); (N.B.)
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