Tlhapi Dorcas, Ramaite Isaiah, Anokwuru Chinedu, van Ree Teunis, Madala Ntakadzeni, Hoppe Heinrich
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa.
Department of Basic Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Babcock University, Nigeria.
Heliyon. 2024 Jan 13;10(2):e24068. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24068. eCollection 2024 Jan 30.
This study involves the investigation of various plant parts of (Vahl) Hepper and J.R.I. Wood across multiple consecutive seasons. It aims to delve into the phytochemistry of these different plant parts and establish connections between the findings and their biological activities. This comprehensive approach employs metabolomics techniques, with the ultimate goal of exploring the potential for drug development. Samples were collected in Fondwe, a village in Limpopo (South Africa), based on local reports of the efficacy of this plant used by traditional healers in the area. The antimalarial and antitrypanosomal activities of samples collected over the seasons were determined with the parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) and specific assays, respectively. Consequently, a total of 24 compounds were tentatively identified through ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS). Chemical profiles of the different plant parts of collected in different seasons produced contrasting metabolic profiles. Chemometric analysis of the UPLC-QTOF-MS data enabled us to determine the chemical variability of the crude stem bark, root and leaf extracts (n = 48) collected over four consecutive seasons by evaluating the metabolomics fingerprinting of the samples using an untargeted approach. Principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) indicated the existence of two key clusters that are linked to the root, stem bark, and leaves. The stem and root chemistry differed from that of the leaves. Seasonal variations were noted in each plant part, with autumn and winter samples closely grouped compared to spring and summer samples in the methanol leaf extracts. Biochemometric analysis could not relate specific compounds to the antimalarial and antitrypanosomal activities of the active extracts, underscoring the intricate interactions among the secondary metabolites. This study further confirms the optimal plant parts to collect in each season for the most effective antimalarial and antitrypanosomal activities.
本研究涉及对（瓦尔）赫珀和J.R.I.伍德的多个连续季节中的各种植物部位进行调查。其目的是深入研究这些不同植物部位的植物化学，并建立研究结果与其生物活性之间的联系。这种综合方法采用代谢组学技术，最终目标是探索药物开发的潜力。根据南非林波波省一个村庄丰德韦当地传统治疗师使用这种植物的疗效报告，在该地采集了样本。分别用寄生虫乳酸脱氢酶（pLDH）和特定检测方法测定了不同季节采集样本的抗疟和抗锥虫活性。因此，通过超高效液相色谱-四极杆飞行时间质谱联用（UPLC-QTOF-MS）初步鉴定出了总共24种化合物。不同季节采集的该植物不同植物部位的化学图谱产生了不同的代谢图谱。通过对UPLC-QTOF-MS数据进行化学计量学分析，我们能够通过非靶向方法评估样本的代谢组学指纹图谱，从而确定连续四个季节采集的粗茎皮、根和叶提取物（n = 48）的化学变异性。主成分分析（PCA）、层次聚类分析（HCA）和偏最小二乘判别分析（PLS-DA）表明存在与根、茎皮和叶相关的两个关键聚类。茎和根的化学组成与叶不同。每个植物部位都有季节变化，甲醇叶提取物中，秋季和冬季的样本相比春季和夏季的样本聚类更紧密。生物化学计量分析无法将特定化合物与活性提取物的抗疟和抗锥虫活性联系起来，这突出了次生代谢物之间复杂的相互作用。本研究进一步证实了每个季节采集最有效的抗疟和抗锥虫活性的最佳植物部位。
