Tap the sap - investigation of latex-bearing plants in the search of potential anticancer biopharmaceuticals

Untargeted Metabolomics and Targeted Phytohormone Profiling of Sweet Aloes (Euphorbia neriifolia) from Guyana: An Assessment of Asthma Therapy Potential in Leaf Extracts and Latex

Background/Objectives:Euphorbia neriifolia is a succulent plant from the therapeutically rich family of Euphorbia comprising 2000 species globally. E. neriifolia is used in Indigenous Guyanese asthma therapy. Methods: To investigate E. neriifolia's therapeutic potential, traditionally heated leaf, simple leaf, and latex extracts were evaluated for phytohormones and therapeutic compounds. Full scan, data-dependent acquisition, and parallel reaction monitoring modes via liquid chromatography Orbitrap mass spectrometry were used for screening. Results: Pathway analysis of putative features from all extracts revealed a bias towards the phenylpropanoid, terpenoid, and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways. A total of 850 compounds were annotated using various bioinformatics tools, ranging from confidence levels 1 to 3. Lipids and lipid-like molecules (34.35%), benzenoids (10.24%), organic acids and derivatives (12%), organoheterocyclic compounds (12%), and phenylpropanoids and polyketides (10.35%) dominated the contribution of compounds among the 13 superclasses. Semi-targeted screening revealed 14 out of 16 literature-relevant therapeutic metabolites detected, with greater upregulation in traditional heated extracts. Targeted screening of 39 phytohormones resulted in 25 being detected and quantified. Simple leaf extract displayed 4.4 and 45 times greater phytohormone levels than traditional heated leaf and latex extracts, respectively. Simple leaf extracts had the greatest nucleotide and riboside cytokinin and acidic phytohormone levels. In contrast, traditional heated extracts exhibited the highest free base and glucoside cytokinin levels and uniquely contained methylthiolated and aromatic cytokinins while lacking acidic phytohormones. Latex samples had trace gibberellic acid levels, the lowest free base, riboside, and nucleotide levels, with absences of aromatic, glucoside, or methylthiolated cytokinin forms. Conclusions: In addition to metabolites with possible therapeutic value for asthma treatment, we present the first look at cytokinin phytohormones in the species and Euphorbia genus alongside metabolite screening to present a comprehensive assessment of heated leaf extract used in Indigenous Guyanese asthma therapy.

Unveiling ferroptosis: a new frontier in skin disease research

Ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death distinct from apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy, is increasingly recognized for its role in skin disease pathology. Characterized by iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation, ferroptosis has been implicated in the progression of various skin conditions, including psoriasis, photosensitive dermatitis, and melanoma. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the molecular mechanisms underlying ferroptosis and compares its cellular effects with other forms of cell death in the context of skin health and disease. We systematically examine the role of ferroptosis in five specific skin diseases, including ichthyosis, psoriasis, polymorphous light eruption (PMLE), vitiligo, and melanoma, detailing its influence on disease pathogenesis and progression. Moreover, we explore the current clinical landscape of ferroptosis-targeted therapies, discussing their potential in managing and treating skin diseases. Our aim is to shed light on the therapeutic potential of modulating ferroptosis in skin disease research and practice.

Ferroptosis: a novel mechanism of cell death in ophthalmic conditions

Ferroptosis, a new type of programmed cell death proposed in recent years, is characterized mainly by reactive oxygen species and iron-mediated lipid peroxidation and differs from programmed cell death, such as apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. Ferroptosis is associated with a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Recent studies have shown that ferroptosis can aggravate or reduce the occurrence and development of diseases by targeting metabolic pathways and signaling pathways in tumors, ischemic organ damage, and other degenerative diseases related to lipid peroxidation. Increasing evidence suggests that ferroptosis is closely linked to the onset and progression of various ophthalmic conditions, including corneal injury, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, and retinoblastoma. Our review of the current research on ferroptosis in ophthalmic diseases reveals significant advancements in our understanding of the pathogenesis, aetiology, and treatment of these conditions.

The Greater Celandine: Identification and Characterization of an Antimicrobial Peptide from Chelidonium majus

Chelidonium majus, known as Greater Celandine, is a latex-bearing plant that has been leveraged for its anticancer and antimicrobial properties. Herein, C. majus aerial tissue is mined for the presence of antimicrobial peptides. A highly abundant cysteine-rich peptide with a length of 25 amino acids, deemed CM-AMP1, is characterized through multiple mass spectrometric approaches. Electron-activated dissociation is leveraged to differentiate between isoleucine and leucine residues and complement conventional collision-induced dissociation to gain full sequence coverage of the full-length peptide. CM-AMP1 shares little sequence similarity with any proteins in publicly available databases, highlighting the novelty of its cysteine landscape and core motif. The presence of three disulfide bonds in the native peptide confers proteolytic stability, and antimicrobial activity is greatly decreased upon the alkylation of the cysteine residues. Synthetic variants of CM-AMP1 are used to confirm the activity of the full-length sequence and the core motif. To assess the biological impact, E. coli was grown in a sublethal concentration of CM-AMP1 and quantitative proteomics was used to identify proteins produced by the bacteria under stress, ultimately suggesting a membrane lytic antimicrobial mechanism of action. This study integrates multiple analytical methods for molecular and biological characterization of a unique antimicrobial peptide identified from C. majus.