Phytotherapy is a cost-effective alternative that continues to evolve. This has sparked significant research interest in naturally occurring compounds found in edible plants that possess antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Corchorus tridens L. is a wild edible plant widely recognised for its edible leaves, which are used for vegetable and animal feed. The plant is widely distributed across the African continent and is utilised in numerous countries for treating fever, pain, inflammation, and sexually transmitted diseases. Extracts from various parts of this plant exhibit antimicrobial, antioxidant, and pesticidal properties. This plant is a rich source of amino acids, vitamins, essential fatty acids, proteins, and minerals, as well as secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, quinines, steroids, terpenoids, phenols, and tannins. Additional studies are still needed to determine other biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory activity, involvement in the treatment of measles, prevention of anaemia, and pain-relieving properties. The current review aims to provide information on the characteristics, distribution, nutritional content, bioactive compounds, traditional uses, and biological activities of the edible plant species C. tridens L. to stimulate further research interest to address the existing literature gaps concerning this plant.

One strategy for improving responses and adaptation systems of plants to stress is to target molecules involved in signaling and transduction of the stimuli effected by stresses. One such molecule is adenylyl cyclase (AC) an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP) to the second messenger, 3,5-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). cAMP, in turn, transduces signals in response to the various biotic and abiotic stress factors. Surprisingly, as far as five decades ago, attempts to isolate ACs and/or detect cAMP from the research model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, were inconclusive or a matter of serious debates due to the absence of appropriate techniques or advanced technologies. This chapter, therefore, herein takes the reader on a journey from the 1970s to the present day, unraveling the challenges encountered, developments made, and successes realized in efforts and attempts to identify and characterize ACs in A. thaliana. The chapter covers from the early age of unsuccessful attempts to the more recent and successful advanced technologies such as the motif search approach, omics analysis and homologous cloning. Perspectives on the direction that future knowledge-building around this important group of plant proteins are also shared.