Nanoparticle elicitation: A promising strategy to modulate the production of bioactive compounds in hairy roots.

Hairy root culture is one of the promising biotechnological tools to obtain the stable and sustainable production of specialized metabolites from plants under controlled environment conditions. Various strategies have been adopted to enhance the accumulation of bioactive compounds in hairy roots yet their utilization at the commercial scale is restricted to only a few products. Recently, nanotechnology has been emerged as an active technique that has revolutionized the many sectors in an advantageous way. Elicitation using nanoparticles has been recognized as an effective strategy for enhancing the bioactive compounds of interest in plants. Nanoparticles elicit the activity of defense-related compounds through activation of the specific transcription factors involved in specialized metabolites production. This review discusses the recent progress in using nanoparticles to enhance specialized metabolite biosynthesis using hairy root culture system and the significant achievements in this area of research. Biotic and abiotic elicitors to improve the production of bioactive compounds in hairy roots, different types of nanoparticles as eliciting agents, their properties as dependent on shape, most widely used nanoparticles in plant hairy root systems are described in detail. Further challenges involved in application of nanoparticles, their toxicity in plant cells and risks associated to human health are also envisaged. No doubt, nanoparticle elicitation is a remarkable approach to obtain phytochemicals from hairy roots to be utilized in various sectors including food, medicines, cosmetics or agriculture but it is quite essential to understand the inter-relationships between the nanoparticles and the plant systems in terms of specifics such as type, dosage and time of exposure as well as other important parameters.

The use of African medicinal plants in cancer management.

Cancer is the third leading cause of premature death in sub-Saharan Africa. Cervical cancer has the highest number of incidences in sub-Saharan Africa due to high HIV prevalence (70% of global cases) in African countries which is linked to increasing the risk of developing cervical cancer, and the continuous high risk of being infected with Human papillomavirus In 2020, the risk of dying from cancer amongst women was higher in Eastern Africa (11%) than it was in Northern America (7.4%). Plants continue to provide unlimited pharmacological bioactive compounds that are used to manage various illnesses, including cancer. By reviewing the literature, we provide an inventory of African plants with reported anticancer activity and evidence supporting their use in cancer management. In this review, we report 23 plants that have been used for cancer management in Africa, where the anticancer extracts are usually prepared from barks, fruits, leaves, roots, and stems of these plants. Extensive information is reported about the bioactive compounds present in these plants as well as their potential activities against various forms of cancer. However, information on the anticancer properties of other African medicinal plants is insufficient. Therefore, there is a need to isolate and evaluate the anticancer potential of bioactive compounds from other African medicinal plants. Further studies on these plants will allow the elucidation of their anticancer mechanisms of action and allow the identification of phytochemicals that are responsible for their anticancer properties. Overall, this review provides consolidated and extensive information not only on diverse medicinal plants of Africa but on the different types of cancer that these plants are used to manage and the diverse mechanisms and pathways that are involved during cancer alleviation.

Recent Progress on Vaccines Produced in Transgenic Plants.

The development of vaccines from plants has been going on for over two decades now. Vaccine production in plants requires time and a lot of effort. Despite global efforts in plant-made vaccine development, there are still challenges that hinder the realization of the final objective of manufacturing approved and safe products. Despite delays in the commercialization of plant-made vaccines, there are some human vaccines that are in clinical trials. The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and its resultant disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have reminded the global scientific community of the importance of vaccines. Plant-made vaccines could not be more important in tackling such unexpected pandemics as COVID-19. In this review, we explore current progress in the development of vaccines manufactured in transgenic plants for different human diseases over the past 5 years. However, we first explore the different host species and plant expression systems during recombinant protein production, including their shortcomings and benefits. Lastly, we address the optimization of existing plant-dependent vaccine production protocols that are aimed at improving the recovery and purification of these recombinant proteins.

Virtual healthcare services and digital health technologies deployed during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in South Africa: a systematic review.

Aims: To identify virtual healthcare services and digital health technologies deployed in South Africa during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the challenges associated with their use. Methods: To determine the status of digital health utilization during COVID-19 in South Africa, the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses model was used to perform a systematic and in-depth critical analysis of previously published studies in well-known and trusted online electronic databases using specific search keywords words that are relevant to this study. We selected published peer-reviewed articles available from the onset of COVID-19 to July 2021. Results: Total of 24 articles were included into this study. This study revealed that South Africa adopted digital technologies such as SMS-based solutions, mobile health applications, telemedicine and telehealth, WhatsApp-based systems, artificial intelligence and chatbots and robotics to provide healthcare services during COVID-19 pandemic. These innovative technologies have been used for various purposes including screening infectious and non-infectious diseases, disease surveillance and monitoring, medication and treatment compliance, creating awareness and communication. The study also revealed that teleconsultation and e-prescription, telelaboratory and telepharmacy, teleeducation and teletraining, teledermatology, teleradiology, telecardiology, teleophthalmology, teleneurology, telerehabilitation, teleoncology and telepsychiatry are among virtual healthcare services delivered through digital health technologies during COVID-19 in South Africa. However, these smart digital health technologies face several impediments such as infrastructural and technological barriers, organization and financial barriers, policy and regulatory barriers as well as cultural barriers. Conclusion: Although COVID-19 has invigorated the use of digital health technologies, there are still some shortcomings. The outbreak of pandemics like COVID-19 in the future is not inevitable. Therefore, we recommend increasing community networks in rural areas to bridge the digital divide and the modification of mHealth policy to advocate for the effective use of innovative technologies in healthcare and the development of sustainable strategies for resources mobilization through private-public partnerships as well as joining available international initiatives advocating for smart digital health.

Application of Stem Cell Therapy During the Treatment of HIV/AIDS and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Treating diseases such as Muscular Dystrophy (MD) and HIV/AIDS pose several challenges to the rapidly evolving field of regenerative medicine. Previously, stem cell therapy has been said to affect the clinical courses of HIV/AIDS and MD, but, in practice, eradication or control of these diseases was not achievable. The introduction of gene editing into stem cell therapy has stimulated HIV/AIDS and MD cell therapy research studies substantially. Here, we review current methods of treating HIV/AIDS and MD using stem cell therapy. This review also details the use of different types of cells and methods in cell therapy and the modeling of new cell-based therapies to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We speculate that the effective use of stem cell therapy in conjunction with other treatment therapies , such as steroids and rehabilitation , could improve livelihood.

Anticancer Mechanisms of Bioactive Compounds from Solanaceae: An Update.

Plants continue to provide unlimited pharmacologically active compounds that can treat various illnesses, including cancer. The Solanaceae family, besides providing economically important food plants, such as potatoes and tomatoes, has been exploited extensively in folk medicine, as it provides an array of bioactive compounds. Many studies have demonstrated the anticancer potency of some of the compounds, but the corresponding molecular targets are not well defined. However, advances in molecular cell biology and in silico modelling have made it possible to dissect some of the underlying mechanisms. By reviewing the literature over the last five years, we provide an update on anticancer mechanisms associated with phytochemicals isolated from species in the Solanaceae plant family. These mechanisms are conveniently grouped into cell cycle arrest, transcription regulation, modulation of autophagy, inhibition of signalling pathways, suppression of metabolic enzymes, and membrane disruption. The majority of the bioactive compounds exert their antiproliferative effects by inhibiting diverse signalling pathways, as well as arresting the cell cycle. Furthermore, some of the phytochemicals are effective against more than one cancer type. Therefore, understanding these mechanisms provides paths for future formulation of novel anticancer drugs, as well as highlighting potential areas of research.

Antioxidant, Cytotoxicity and Cytoprotective Potential of Extracts of Grewia Flava and Grewia Bicolor Berries.

OBJECTIVES: Accumulation of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to oxidative stress. Increased production of ROS, such as superoxide anion, or a deficiency in their clearance by antioxidant defences, mediates cellular pathology. Grewia Spp fruits are a source of bioactive compounds and have notable antioxidant activity. Although the antioxidant capacity of Grewia Spp has been studied, there is very limited evidence that links the antioxidant activities of Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava to the inhibition of free radical formation associated with damage in biological systems. METHODS: This study evaluated the protective effects of Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava extracts against free radical-induced oxidative stress and the resulting cytotoxicity effect using HeLa cells. Antioxidant properties determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and total phenolic content (TPC) assays showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity in Grewia flava (ethanol extract) than Grewia flava (water extract) and Grewia bicolor (ethanol and water extracts). RESULTS: Using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5diphenyltetrazolium bromide or MTT assay, cytotoxicity results showed that extracts of Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava were less toxic to HeLa cells at tested concentrations compared to the untreated control. This confirmed the low toxicity of these edible fruits at the tested concentrations in HeLa cells. Furthermore, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cell loss was effectively reduced by pre-incubating HeLa cells with Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava extracts, with Grewia flava (ethanol extract) revealing better protection. CONCLUSION: The effect was speculated to be associated with the higher antioxidant activity of Grewia flava (ethanol extract). Additional studies will warrant confirmation of the mechanism of action of such effects.

Plant-made HIV vaccines and potential candidates.

Millions of people around the world suffer from heavy social and health burdens related to HIV/AIDS and its associated opportunistic infections. To reduce these burdens, preventive and therapeutic vaccines are required. Effective HIV vaccines have been under investigation for several decades using different animal models. Potential plant-made HIV vaccine candidates have also gained attention in the past few years. In addition to this, broadly neutralizing antibodies produced in plants which can target conserved viral epitopes and neutralize mutating HIV strains have been identified. Numerous epitopes of envelope glycoproteins and capsid proteins of HIV-1 are a part of HIV therapy. Here, we discuss some recent findings aiming to produce anti-HIV-1 recombinant proteins in engineered plants for AIDS prophylactics and therapeutic treatments.