Can In Vitro Cell Cultures of <i>Eryngium planum</i>, <i>Lychnis flos-cuculi</i>, and <i>Kickxia elatine</i> Be an Alternative Source of Plant Biomass with Biological Antimicrobial and Anti-<i>Acanthamoeba</i> Activities?
The sustainable production of plant bioactive compounds is increasingly important as natural habitats decline. This study investigates whether in vitro cell cultures of <i>Eryngium planum</i>, <i>Lychnis flos-cuculi</i>, and <i>Kickxia elatine</i> can serve as alt...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8292 |
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| Summary: | The sustainable production of plant bioactive compounds is increasingly important as natural habitats decline. This study investigates whether in vitro cell cultures of <i>Eryngium planum</i>, <i>Lychnis flos-cuculi</i>, and <i>Kickxia elatine</i> can serve as alternative sources of biologically active biomass with antimicrobial and anti-<i>Acanthamoeba</i> properties. Callus cultures were established under optimized and controlled conditions, and metabolomic profiling was completed using UPLC-HRMS/MS. In silico analysis, using a molecular docking approach, was applied to understand the interaction between target compounds and <i>Acanthamoeba</i> profilin and identify possible targets for antimicrobial properties. Untargeted metabolomic analysis confirmed the presence of valuable compounds in the callus cultures of the studied species. Biological activity was assessed through anti-<i>Acanthamoeba</i> and antimicrobial assays. <i>Lychnis flos-cuculi</i> and <i>Kickxia elatine</i> callus extracts showed significant inhibitory effects on <i>Acanthamoeba</i> trophozoites, with 87.5% and 80.1% inhibition at 10 mg/mL, respectively. In contrast, <i>E. planum</i> extract stimulated amoebic growth. The anti-<i>Acanthamoeba</i> activity correlated with the presence of ferulic acid and <i>p</i>-coumaric acid in <i>L. flos-cuculi</i> extract, and acteoside in <i>K. elatine</i> extract. Antibacterial testing revealed moderate activity of <i>E. planum</i> and <i>K. elatine</i> extracts against <i>Staphylococcus</i> spp., while Gram-negative bacteria and fungi were largely resistant. These findings highlight the potential of in vitro cultures—particularly those from <i>L. flos-cuculi</i> and <i>K. elatine</i>—as promising, sustainable sources of anti-<i>Acanthamoeba</i> and antimicrobial agents, warranting further investigation into their pharmacologically active constituents. |
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| ISSN: | 2076-3417 |