Phytochemical Properties and Biological Activities of Gynura Species
Summary
Species of the genus Gynura, notably G. procumbens and G. divaricata, are rich sources of bioactive secondary metabolites including flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids and sterols. Comprehensive phytochemical investigations have identified caffeoylquinic acids, β-amyrin, lupeol and other triterpenoids, alongside unique proteins and polysaccharides. These compounds underlie a spectrum of biological activities: modulation of insulin signalling and glucose uptake in diabetic models; potent antioxidant effects through free‐radical scavenging; anti-inflammatory actions via cytokine suppression; vasorelaxation mediated by calcium channel blockade, potassium channel opening and prostacyclin release; wound‐healing acceleration; antimicrobial efficacy against bacterial pathogens; and cytotoxicity selective for cancer cell lines. Recent integrative studies have combined metabolite profiling with network pharmacology, molecular docking and in vitro/in vivo assays to unravel multi-target mechanisms. Such work supports the genus’s global significance as a source of novel therapeutics and functional food ingredients, while callus and tissue culture techniques offer sustainable routes to valuable phytochemicals.
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Phytochemical Properties and Biological Activities of Gynura Species publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in phytochemical properties and biological activities of gynura species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Network pharmacology: Integrative approach mapping interactions between compounds and disease targets to elucidate multi-target therapeutic mechanisms.
Molecular docking: Computational method predicting binding affinities between small molecules and protein targets to guide experimental validation.
Callus culture: Undifferentiated plant tissue mass grown in vitro to produce secondary metabolites under controlled conditions.
DPPH free radical scavenging assay: Spectrophotometric test measuring antioxidant capacity based on neutralisation of the DPPH radical.
References
- Exploring the mechanism by which aqueous Gynura divaricata inhibits diabetic foot based on network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental verification. Molecular Medicine (2023).
- Phytochemical and Biological Investigation of an Indigenous Plant of Bangladesh, Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr.: Drug Discovery from Nature. Molecules (2023).
- Assessment of antibacterial activity and cytotoxic effects of in vitro and in vivo plant parts of a medicinal plant Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr.. Heliyon (2023).
- Gynura procumbens: An Overview of the Biological Activities. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2016).
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