Carica papaya L. (family: Caricaceae), also known as ‘papaya,’ is a tropical American fruit tree. Due to the bioactive components (carpaines, BITC, benzyl glucosinolates, latex, papain, zeaxanthin, choline, etc.) in its seeds, leaves, and fruits, it is revered for its excellent antioxidant, digestive, and nutraceutical benefits. Papayas are high in vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, folate, pantothenic acid, zeaxanthin, lycopene, lutein, magnesium, copper, calcium, and potassium. Being rich in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C, it lowers the cholesterol in the arteries; prevents arthritis; reduces aging, cancer, macular degradation, risk of cardiovascular diseases, and stress; increases platelet count; controls dengue fever; facilitates digestion, and lowers body weight. Papaya leaf extract, with many in vitro and case studies in combination therapies with modern medicine, especially for cancers and many other viral diseases, has been found to be an efficient cure. Humans have cultivated papaya cultivars for millions of years because of their significant commercial, medicinal, and agronomic value. Several reports have been published on the genetic modification of papaya for resistance to abiotic (herbicide, Al toxicity, etc.) and biotic stressors (PRSV, mites, Phytophthora, etc.), delaying ripening, and improving shelf life. However, most of these traits have not been introduced globally to all commercial papaya varieties. Unraveling the genetics of papaya has shed light on various domestication impacts, evolutionary patterns, and sex determination in fruit tree crops. It also serves as a potential step toward developing new cultivars to fight climate-oriented stress. Furthermore, extensive research on the stability of the ‘transgene’ across generations, and the ‘yield-penalty’ caused by the transgene, is required. Thus, meticulous crop improvement research on commercial papaya cultivars is necessary for long-term food and health security. This review article encompasses information on the traditional and modern medicinal uses, nutritional properties, phytochemistry, diseases and etiology, post-harvest measures, genomics, biotechnological strategies (for papaya improvement), and value-added products of papaya for food and health security.

Bergenia (Saxifragaceae) genus is native to central Asia and encompasses 32 known species. Among these, nine are of pharmacological relevance. In the Indian system of traditional medicine (Ayurveda), “Pashanabheda” (stone breaker) is an elite drug formulation obtained from the rhizomes of B. ligulata. Bergenia species also possess several other biological activities like diuretic, antidiabetic, antitussive, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anti-bradykinin, antiviral, antibacterial, antimalarial, hepatoprotective, antiulcer, anticancer, antioxidant, antiobesity, and adaptogenic. This review provides explicit information on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological significance of the genus Bergenia. The extant literature concerned was systematically collected from various databases, weblinks, blogs, books, and theses to select 174 references for detailed analysis. To date, 152 chemical constituents have been identified and characterized from the genus Bergenia that belong to the chemical classes of polyphenols, phenolic-glycosides, lactones, quinones, sterols, tannins, terpenes, and others. B. crassifolia alone possesses 104 bioactive compounds. Meticulous pharmacological and phytochemical studies on Bergenia species and its conservation could yield more reliable compounds and products of pharmacological significance for better healthcare.

Medicinal properties of papaya (Carica papaya Linn.) fruit and other parts are wellknown in the traditional system of medicine. Papaya plant originated in Central America and now grown in tropical areas of worldwide, most particularly in Africa and Asia. Studies validate that, papaya has several pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, antiulcer, antibacterial, woundhealing, anti-inflammatory and anti-sickling, just to name a few. The present review article provides the explicit and updated information on botanical aspects, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of C. papaya plant in order to explore their therapeutic potential. This review conducted a systematic search on C. papaya through electronic database search (Google Scholar, PubMed, SciFinder, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science) and a library search for articles published in peer-reviewed journals, until January of 2018. Constituents of papaya plant belongs to different chemical classes that include alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, steroids, tannin, vitamins, quinones, minerals and others. Experimental evidence confirmed that these classes of compounds cure the microbial infections, diabetes, inflammatory, cytotoxic and liver disorders. Conclusively, the present review aimed to summarize the information of ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities to prevent and treat the wide range of diseases and disorders. The future research draws the attention of the researcher for intensive investigations relating to phytochemicals, pharmacological activities and industrial applications.

The essential oil obtained from fresh leaves of Mentha arvensis (Lamiaceae), a perennial aromatic herb grown in Saudi Arabia, was screened for in vitro antibacterial activity and chemical composition. Hydro-distilled essential oil (yield 0.71%) was analysed for its chemical composition by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activity was tested in vitro on gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pyogenes) and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) using agar disc diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was also determined. The essential oil analysis displayed the presence of 21 constituents which represent 97.51% relative peak area of the whole chromatogram. The leading components of the oil were monoterpenes (92.52%) represented by 04 hydrocarbons (5.10%) and 11 oxygenated derivatives (87.42%) with menthol (56.35%), menthone (10.90%), methyl acetate (7.70%) and isomenthone (5.20%) as the major constituents. The pathogens were sensitive to the oil and showed highly effective antibacterial activity with the maximum inhibition zone against S. aureus (22.33 ± 1.15 mm). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the oil was higher against gram-positive bacteria than the gram-negative bacteria. The results indicate that the fresh leaves oil of M. arvensis has high potential as an antibacterial agent for both pharmaceutical and pesticide industries and can also be a promising candidate for flavor and fragrance applications.

Stickiness of vegetative tissues has evolved multiple times in different plant families but is rare and understudied in flowers. While stickiness in general is thought to function primarily as a defense against herbivores, it may compromise mutualistic interactions (such as those with pollinators) in reproductive tissues. Here, we test the hypothesis that stickiness on flower petals of the High-Andean plant, Bejaria resinosa (Ericaceae), functions as a defense against florivores. We address ecological consequences and discuss potential trade-offs associated with a repellant trait expressed in flowers that mediate mutualistic interactions. In surveys and manipulative experiments, we assess florivory and resulting fitness effects on plants with sticky and non-sticky flowers in different native populations of B. resinosa in Colombia. In addition, we analyze the volatile and non-volatile components in sticky and non-sticky flower morphs to understand the chemical information context within which stickiness is expressed. We demonstrate that fruit set is strongly affected by floral stickiness but also varies with population. While identifying floral stickiness as a major defensive function, our data also suggest that the context-dependency of chemical defense functionality likely arises from differential availability of primary pollinators and potential trade-offs between chemical defense with different modes of action.