Al-Andal Abeer, Ewas Mohamed, Donia Abd El Raheim M, Radwan Asmaa M, Suliman Mohamed N S, Nishawy Elsayed, El-Shabasy Ahmed, Khames Eman
Department of Biology, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Laboratory of Genomics and Genome Editing, Genetic and Cytology Unit, Plant Genetic Resources Department, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt.
Front Plant Sci. 2025 May 2;16:1555237. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1555237. eCollection 2025.
Datura, long considered an medicinal plant, represents a prospective source for discovering novel drugs for modern medicine. The Egyptian flora encompasses six Datura genotypes, including D. innoxia, D. ferox, D. metel and three forms of D. stramonium (stramonium, tatula and inermis). However, the taxonomic status of Datura genus remains controversial.
Our study aims to clarify the phylogenetic relationships among Egyptian Datura via contemporary molecular taxonomy techniques, including ISSR, SCoT, CDDP, as well as cytogenetics assessment, and chemical taxonomy, using total- and tropane-alkaloid and UV spectroscopic pattern.
Based on our results, the three forms of D. stramonium (stramonium, tatula and inermis) are closely related taxa, although there were some significant differences, suggesting the need to upgrade inermis to level of subspecies (Datura stramonium subsp. Inermis). The GC-MS results identified 31 tropane alkaloids. Out of which, seven were described in a qualitative manner in genus Datura, which enhances these genotypes' medical and economic value. Expression level of the genes PMT, TR1, TR2, H6H, HDH and AT4 influenced the tropane alkaloids accumulation within the genotypes examined.
To date, this is the first study to identify the evolutionary relationship of the genus Datura combining molecular and chemical taxonomy, and to quantify the TAs and the genes involved in their biosynthesis among Datura genotypes.
This study is significant since drug development strategies and enhanced therapeutic usage of Datura heavily depend on comprehensive knowledge of the species and subspecies' molecular and phytochemical variability.
曼陀罗长期以来一直被视为药用植物，是现代医学发现新药的潜在来源。埃及植物区系包含六种曼陀罗基因型，包括无刺曼陀罗、刺苹果、洋金花以及三种曼陀罗草（曼陀罗草、紫花曼陀罗和无刺曼陀罗）。然而，曼陀罗属的分类地位仍存在争议。
我们的研究旨在通过当代分子分类技术，包括ISSR、SCoT、CDDP，以及细胞遗传学评估和化学分类学，利用总生物碱和托烷生物碱以及紫外光谱模式，阐明埃及曼陀罗之间的系统发育关系。
根据我们的结果，曼陀罗草的三种类型（曼陀罗草、紫花曼陀罗和无刺曼陀罗）是密切相关的分类群，尽管存在一些显著差异，这表明有必要将无刺曼陀罗提升到亚种水平（曼陀罗草亚种无刺曼陀罗）。GC-MS结果鉴定出31种托烷生物碱。其中，有七种在曼陀罗属中被定性描述，这提高了这些基因型的医学和经济价值。基因PMT、TR1、TR2、H6H、HDH和AT4的表达水平影响了所检测基因型中托烷生物碱的积累。
迄今为止，这是第一项结合分子和化学分类学来确定曼陀罗属进化关系，并量化曼陀罗基因型中托烷生物碱及其生物合成相关基因的研究。
这项研究意义重大，因为曼陀罗的药物开发策略和增强治疗用途在很大程度上依赖于对该物种和亚种分子及植物化学变异性的全面了解。
