Cotinus coggygria Scop. (smoketree) is a phytotherapeutically valuable shrub growing in specific areas in many Eurasian countries. Exploring the intrinsic and extrinsic (abiotic) factors that modulate its secondary metabolism has fundamental and applicative importance. Three smoketree plants from the same population were studied for a period of 4.5 months. Their extracts were characterized using LC–MS/MS, HPLC–UV–VIS–DAD and colorimetric assays to determine the chemical composition and antioxidant potential. Multivariate analysis was applied to correlate the metabolomic data with registered habitat variables and phenological stages. The identified and quantified compounds belonged to the flavonoids (myricetin-3-O-galactoside, myricitrin) and hydrolysable tannins groups (pentagalloyl glucose, methyl gallate, methyl digallate I). Phenolic compounds and tannins were synthesized abundantly in the flowering and fruit stages, whereas flavonoids and triterpenes accumulated during senescence. The antioxidant activities varied between detection methods, samplings and individuals and were only punctually correlated with the compound contents in certain phenological stages. Based on the HCAbp analysis, the samples clustered under four groups, according to their metabolic profile. The CCA analysis revealed that during the reproductive stages (flower, fruit or seed), the secondary metabolism of the plants’ leaves is sensitive to the action of abiotic factors, while in senescence, the metabolic content is according to the phenological phase. This study provides a first attempt at understanding the interplay between the habitat and the metabolome of smoketree.

Cotinus coggygria Scop. (smoketree) and Fragaria × ananassa Duch. (strawberry) are two industrially important species due to their composition in bioactive compounds. In this study, we investigated the effects of acute low-dose gamma irradiation (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 Gy) on two red callus cultures established in smoketree and strawberry. The biomass production, dry weight, content of phenols, flavonoids, monomeric anthocyanins’, index of anthocyanins polymerization and antioxidant activity were evaluated. For the smoketree callus, a negative correlation between irradiation doses and callus biomass accumulation was observed. For the strawberry callus, irradiation did not significantly affect the accumulation of the biomass. An increased dry weight was observed in irradiated smoketree callus, while for treated strawberry callus, a decrease was recorded. Irradiation with 30 Gy was stimulative for polyphenols’ accumulation in both cultures; however, the increase was significant only in the strawberry callus. The flavonoids increased in the 30 Gy strawberry variants, while it significantly decreased in smoketree callus irradiated with 35 and 40 Gy. In irradiated strawberry callus, except for the 25 Gy variant (1.65 ± 0.4 mg C-3-GE/g DW), all treatments caused an increase in anthocyanins’ accumulation. In smoketree, except for the 15 Gy variant (2.14 ± 0.66 mg C-3-GE/g DW), the irradiation determined an increase in anthocyanins synthesis, with the highest value being seen in the 20 Gy variant (2.8 ± 0.94 mg C-3-GE/g DW). According to UPLC-HRMS investigations, an unidentified compound increased by 99% at the 30 Gy dose in strawberry callus, while in smoketree, maslinic acid increased by 51% after irradiation with 40 Gy. The results of this study showed, for the first time, the differential response of two performant callus cultures to low-dose gamma irradiation, a biotechnological method that can be used to stimulate the synthesis of important flavonoids and triterpenes.

Ferns are vascular plants with significant ornamental value, and in recent years, they have also been considered for the potential application in different economic sectors like nutrition, medicine and cosmetics. This study aimed to obtain in vitro fern gametophytes and sporophytes and evaluate their potential as secondary metabolites sources. For this study four fern species were used: Polypodium vulgare L. (PV), Asplenium trichomanes L. (AT), Athyrium filix-femina L. Roth (AF), and Osmunda regalis L. (OR). The polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins and terpenoids content and antioxidant activity were estimated by different colorimetric methods. For metabolite identification and their antioxidant activity, HP-TLC separations were used. Also, quantitative HPLC–DAD analysis was performed to estimate the content of certain metabolites. The results showed that in vitro generation of gametophytes registered higher growth rates in OR, PV, and AF, while the regeneration of sporophytes was better for PV, AT, and AF. The OR gametophyte produced the highest quantities in all analyzed metabolite classes and also had the highest antioxidant values. We report for the first time the presence of metabolites such as catechin, caffeic acid, gallic acid, ferulic acid, cinnamic acid, or rutin in OR. In this study, we demonstrated the possibility of producing potent antioxidant metabolites by in vitro cultures in ferns.

The Leontopodium R.Br. ex Cass. taxa have been extensively phytochemically researched for their beneficial properties by the pharmaceuticals industry. These species have been used as remedies since ancient times, and their usage in traditional medicine has been a source of inspiration for current research. As a result, a comprehensive review study concerning the bioactivities of secondary metabolites belonging to Leontopodium species would be of great interest. Our research shows that the majority of studies addressed the anti-inflammatory activity, and the most studied compound was leoligin, a lignan with cardioprotective properties. The diverse range of bioactivities were intricately linked to the abundance of secondary metabolites, which conferred effective antimicrobial activity, antioxidant properties, the anti-neurodegenerative potential due to improvements in cholinergic transmission, the anti-tumour effects on various cancer cell lines, particularly breast and lung cancer, and the hypoglycaemic and hepatoprotective properties. All these important bioactivities also recommend Leontopodium taxa as a valuable source for the discovery of new drugs.