Two plant species invent the same chemically complex and medically interesting substance

The biosynthesis of the great variety of natural plant products has not yet been elucidated for many medically interesting substances. In a new study, an international team of researchers was able to show how ipecacuanha alkaloids, substances used in traditional medicine, are synthesized. They compared two distantly related plant species and were able to show that although both plant species use a comparable chemical approach, the enzymes they need for synthesis differ and a different starting material is used. Further investigations revealed that the biosynthetic pathways of these complex chemical compounds have developed independently in the two species. These results help to enable the synthesis of these and related substances on a larger scale for medical use.

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U of M study suggests even more reasons to eat your fiber

A variety of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains contain insoluble dietary fiber

Mushrooms magnify memory by boosting nerve growth

Researchers from The University of Queensland have discovered the active compound from an edible mushroom that boosts nerve growth and enhances memory.

Scientists sequence and annotate majority of Red Perilla’s genome, a step toward harnessing more of its medically valuable bioactive chemicals

Researchers in Japan have generated a high-quality genome assembly of Perilla frutescens, a plant most often found in Asia and commonly known in Japan as Aka-Shiso and in Great Britain and the U.S. as Beefsteak Plant for its dark magenta leaves. The high-quality genome assembly will allow scientists to harness the plant’s abundance of potentially useful bioactive chemicals, among which are perillaldehyde and rosmarinic acid. Some of P. frutescens’ bioactive chemicals are thought to have medicinal properties. Rosmarinic acid is already widely in use as a supplement, with claims including anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, antifungal, and antibacterial properties, to name a few. Perillaldehyde has shown similar potential for those uses, and there is some medical evidence to back those up, despite the market for phytochemical supplements still being mostly unregulated.