Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are the most prominent family of enzymes involved in NADPH- and O₂-dependent hydroxylation processes throughout all spheres of life. CYPs are crucial for the detoxification of xenobiotics in plants, insects, and other organisms. In addition to performing this function, CYPs serve as flexible catalysts and are essential for producing secondary metabolites, antioxidants, and phytohormones in higher plants. Numerous biotic and abiotic stresses frequently affect the growth and development of plants. They cause a dramatic decrease in crop yield and a deterioration in crop quality. Plants protect themselves against these stresses through different mechanisms, which are accomplished by the active participation of CYPs in several biosynthetic and detoxifying pathways. There are immense potentialities for using CYPs as a candidate for developing agricultural crop species resistant to biotic and abiotic stressors. This review provides an overview of the plant CYP families and their functions to plant secondary metabolite production and defense against different biotic and abiotic stresses.

Plant bioactive compounds have gained global significance in terms of both medicinal and economic ramifications due to being easily accessible and are believed to be effective with fewer side effects. Growing relevant clinical and scientific evidence has become an important criterion for accepting traditional health claims of medicinal plants and also supports the traditional uses of Corchorus as folk medicine. C. capsularis and C. olitorius have broad applications ranging from textile to biocomposite, and young leaves and shoots are used as healthy vegetables and have long been used as traditional remedies for fever, ascites, algesia, liver disorders, piles, and tumors in many cultures. This review systematically summarized and emphasized the nutritional attributes, mostly available bioactive compounds, and biological and potential pharmaceutical properties of C. capsularis and C. olitorius, disclosed to users and non-users. Results suggest that various phytochemicals such as cardiac glycosides, phenols, flavonoids, sterols, lipids, and fatty acids were found or analytically identified in different plant parts (leaf, stem, seed, and root), and many of them are responsible for pharmacological properties and their antitumor, anticancer, antioxidant, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, antiviral, antibacterial, anticonvulsant, antidiabetic and antiobesity, and cardiovascular properties help to prevent and cure many chronic diseases. In addition to their use in traditional food and medicine, their leaves have also been developed for skin care products, and some other possible uses are described. From this review, it is clear that the isolated compounds of both species have great potential to prevent and treat various diseases and be used as functional foods. In conclusion, this comprehensive review establishes a significant reference base for future research into various medical and functional food applications.

Salinity stress is a major environmental threat in agricultural systems. Kenaf is a promising crop for the future for cultivation in salinity-affected soils because of its high phytoremediation potential. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of salt stress using six different sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mM) on the plant growth, physiological characteristics, bioactive constituents, and antioxidant capacity of H. cannabinus. The results indicated that the NaCl stress induced significant reductions in plant height and in the dry and fresh weights of the leaf tissue. In addition, the K, Ca, Mg, and P concentrations in this tissue also decreased under NaCl stress treatment conditions. In contrast, the NaCl stress led to the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), superoxide anion (O₂^•−), malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, total soluble sugar, and total soluble protein. Under NaCl stress, the levels of antioxidants, including phenolics and flavonoids, also increased. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) results showed that the volatile compounds, including heptacosane, 1-octadecanesulphonyl chloride, and tetratetracontane, were induced under the NaCl stress treatment. Furthermore, the salt stress significantly improved the antioxidant capacity of the leaf extracts. These findings may provide insight into how H. cannabinus plants respond to salt stress and may help improve its medicinal value under salt stress.

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a valuable plant with a potential health benefit because of its extensive bioactive compounds. Leaf extracts of 33 kenaf genotypes were investigated for their polysaccharide, total phenolic, and flavonoid content. The antioxidant properties were evaluated by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) assays. Antimicrobial capacity was also assessed against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using a disc diffusion assay. The polysaccharide content varied from 6.45–16.12 mg glucose per g DW. Total phenolic and flavonoid content ranged from 6.03–21.15 mg GAE/g DW and 1.55–9.24 mg RE/g DW, respectively. Similarly, varied values in the range 20.55–79.99% of inhibition by DPPH, 56.28–88.30% of inhibition by ABTS and 1.26–5.08 mmol Fe²⁺/g DW by FRAP assays were obtained for antioxidants of the genotype extracts. Extracts from CS4 and CS2 genotypes had the highest antioxidant activities. Kenaf leaves exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Strong correlation was found between antioxidant activity with polysaccharide (DPPH, r = 0.893; ABTS, r = 0.819; FRAP, r = 0.864) and total phenolic content (DPPH, r = 0.850; ABTS, r = 0.959; FRAP, r = 0.953). The results suggested that the kenaf leaves could be used as a natural antioxidants and antimicrobial in food industries.

To address the demand for natural fibers, developing new varieties that are resistant to abiotic stress is necessary. The present study was designed to investigate the physiological and biochemical traits of three varieties of C. capularis (Y49, Y38, and Y1) and four varieties C. olitorius (T8, W57, M33, M18) under low temperature to identify the cold-tolerant varieties and elucidate the mechanisms involved in enhancing cold tolerance. Research findings revealed that the varieties Y49 and M33 exhibited the highest chlorophyll and carotenoid content. Biochemical profiles revealed that varieties Y49 and M33 were found to be able to withstand low-temperature stress by accumulating different enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APx), glutathione (GSH), and phenolics, which participated in reducing the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) caused by low temperature. Osmolytes compounds, such as total soluble sugar, significantly increased in Y49 and M33; and proline content decreased in all varieties except Y49 and M33 after low-temperature exposure. The rise in these osmolytes molecules can be a defense mechanism for the jute’s osmotic readjustment to reduce the oxidative damage induced by low temperature. Furthermore, PCA and hierarchical cluster analysis distinguished the seven varieties into three separate groups. Results confirmed that group I (Y49 and M33 varieties) were low-temperature tolerant, group II (M18, W57) were intermediate, whereas III groups (Y38, T8, and Y1) were low temperature susceptible. PCA also explained 88.36% of the variance of raw data and clearly distinguished three groups that are similar to the cluster heat map. The study thus confirmed the tolerance of selected varieties that might be an efficient adaptation strategy and utilized them for establishing breeding programs for cold tolerance.

For the dissection and identification of the molecular response mechanisms to salt stress in cannabis, an experiment was conducted surveying the diversity of physiological characteristics. RNA-seq profiling was carried out to identify differential expression genes and pathway which respond to salt stress in different cannabis materials. The result of physiological diversity analyses showed that it is more sensitive to proline contents in K94 than in W20; 6 h was needed to reach the maximum in K94, compared to 12 h in W20. For profiling 0–72 h after treatment, a total of 10,149 differentially expressed genes were identified, and 249 genes exhibited significantly diverse expression levels in K94, which were clustered in plant hormone signal transduction and the MAPK signaling pathway. A total of 371 genes showed significant diversity expression variations in W20, which were clustered in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction pathway. The pathway enrichment by genes which were identified in K94 and W20 showed a similar trend to those clustered in plant hormone signal transduction pathways and MAPK signaling. Otherwise, there were 85 genes which identified overlaps between the two materials, indicating that these may be underlying genes related to salt stress in cannabis. The 86.67% agreement of the RNA-seq and qRT-PCR indicated the accuracy and reliability of the RNA-seq technique. Additionally, the result of physiological diversity was consistent with the predicted RNA-seq-based findings. This research may offer new insights into the molecular networks mediating cannabis to respond to salt stress.