Recently, cellular senescence has been of great interest due to its pleiotropic nature and association with both physiological (e.g., aging) and pathological conditions. Excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can induce inflammation, which accelerates skin aging (also premature aging) and may cause several dermatoses. It has been postulated that plant-derived antioxidants, especially plant stem cells, may prevent cell damage by preserving stemness and reducing cellular senescence by ROS targeting. Therefore, this paper aims to review and summarize recent developments and innovative techniques associated with plant-derived stem cells in relation to skin senescence. This review also presents the possible pathways involved in this process. Particular attention was paid to the potential applications of plant stem cells as senostatics/senomorphics produced by modern plant biotechnology methods. Furthermore, the advantages, limitations, and future directions of this technology are also discussed. This knowledge allows the development of personalized strategies to create a healthy balance in skin care. Plant stem cells could be a more feasible and practical approach to combating the adverse effects of skin senescence processes.

Since the 1980s, there has been a significant emphasis in biotechnology on the utilisation of medicinal plants as a source of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, medicinal plants have been identified as a potential alternative source of essential compounds with a wide range of applications, including those involved in producing medications, nutraceuticals, food additives, cosmeceuticals, natural pigments, and preservatives. The plant micropropagation system is an ideal solution to the problems caused by conventional exploitation since it may simultaneously provide uniform biomass as a source of bioactive secondary metabolites and ex situ conservation of uncommon or endangered plant species (dual strategies of micropropagation). In honour of the Polish Botany Society’s Centenary anniversary in 2022, this article summarises the development of an in vitro propagation method for selected medicinal plants by Polish researchers and botanists.

Melanoma is a malignant neoplasm of melanocytes in the skin, and its occurrence is increasing annually. Plant-based products contain active compounds with low toxicity and are accessible alternatives for melanoma cancer treatment. The biotechnology approach for obtaining plant-based products provides continuity and allows the high-yield production of phytochemically uniform biomass. The callus biomass of Eryngium planum L. and Lychnis flos-cuculi L. was induced on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with growth regulators. A combination of 3.0 mg/L of 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba) and 0.3 mg/L of 1-phenyl-3-(1,2,3-thiadiazol-5-yl)urea—(thidiazuron) was used to obtain E. planum callus. Meanwhile, the callus of L. flos-cuculi was cultivated on MS medium with 2.0 mg/L of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Methanolic extracts (EpME and LFcME), including 40% MeOH fractions (Ep40MF and LFc40MF) and 80% MeOH fractions (Ep80MF and LFc80MF), of E. planum and L. flos-cuculi cell biomass were prepared. Their cytotoxicity activity was assessed in human fibroblast cells (MRC-5) and human melanoma cells (MeWo) by direct cell counting and 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Qualitative analyses using thin-layer chromatography and UPLC-HRMS/MS chromatograms showed the presence of phenolic acids and saponins within the extracts and fractions of both cell biomasses. LFc80MF and Ep80MF showed the strongest toxicity against the MeWo cell line, with IC₅₀ values of 47 ± 0.5 and 52 ± 4 μg/mL after 72 h of treatment. EpME and LFcME had IC₅₀ values of 103 ± 4 and 147 ± 4 µg/mL, respectively. On the other hand, Ep40MF and LFc40MF were less toxic against the MeWo cell line compared to the extracts and 80% MeOH fractions, with IC₅₀ values of 145 ± 10 and 172 ± 7 µg/mL. This study suggests that the obtained extracts and fractions of E. planum and L. flos-cuculi cell biomass potentially possess significant cytotoxic activity against MeWo cells, which work in a time and dose-dependent manner. Although the extracts and 80% MeOH fractions were more potent, the 40% MeOH was shown to be more selective against the MeWo than the control MRC-5 cells.

This work initiates the original and updated literature review of the current state of research on the Saniculoideae subfamily, emphasizing the selected genera Saniculeae , namely Sanicula , Hacquetia , Astrantia, and Eryngium . Various parts of these plants, especially aerial parts and roots, have an immense range of medicinal uses in traditional medicine for a number of ailments. Phytochemical studies conducted on the Saniculeae species indicate that these plants synthesize metabolites belonging to diverse groups of compounds. These include triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins, volatile organic compounds, polyacetylenes, ecdysteroids, phytosterols, lignans, betaines, carotenoids, and anthraquinones. Some of the structures of these compounds are rare in the plant kingdom. The pharmacological potential of the Saniculeae species as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antiprotozoal, antitumor, antidiabetic, hypocholesterolemic, and neuroprotective agents has been explored in several studies. In addition, traditional medicinal uses have been discussed to provide a comprehensive picture of this subfamily. It is known that these plants have been used to treat dermatological diseases, respiratory issues, gastrointestinal problems, inflammations, wound healing, and cancers. As far as the author is aware, this is the first study conducted on this subfamily. Therefore, this review paper is the first to examine the little-known Saniculeae genera regarding their phytochemical and pharmacological characteristics. Studies showed that Saniculeae genera synthesize distinct secondary metabolites. Therefore, further research should be conducted on the exploration of these metabolites. The pharmacological investigation should also validate their potential efficacy in treating specific ailments and support their inclusion in modern healthcare practices.

The ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi L.) from the Caryophyllaceae family contains flavonoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, triterpenoid saponins, and ecdysteroids, making it potential for biological and medicinal application. Plant cell culture technologies could be beneficial for obtaining low-cost biomass sources with valuable phytochemicals sustainably. The current study reports the induction and proliferation of ragged robin cell culture and evaluation of various plant growth regulators (PGRs) impact on the secondary metabolites profile using UPLC-HRMS/MS. Callus was initiated from different explants on the Murashige and Skoog medium with various combinations and concentrations of PGRs. It was found that prolonged proliferation on MS medium enriched with a combination of 1.0 mg l^− 1 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.1 mg l^− 1 N6-furfuryl adenine (Kinetin) yields the maximum biomass with 504.05% growth index. The results of flow cytometric analysis suggested no genetic alteration between differentiated and dedifferentiated cultures. Furthermore, the UPLC-HRMS/MS result distinguished 101 significant signals that were manually identified as ecdysteroids (16 metabolites), flavonoids (11 metabolites), phenolic acids (10 metabolites), triterpene saponins and sapogenins (53 metabolites), and some primary metabolites. Our study demonstrates that the cell culture of L. flos-cuculi displays significant differences in its phytochemical makeup to plants cultivated in vitro. Moreover, the type of growth regulators used for callus cultures was identified to cause substantial shifts in the identified metabolites. Graphical Abstract

Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi L.) is a plant with notable medicinal potential, attributed to its wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological properties. Biotechnological methods were used for L. flos-cuculi to sustainably enhance the production of biomass and valuable secondary metabolites from a species with declining natural populations and promising pharmacological potential. The present study investigated the impact of biotechnological strategies—specifically, elicitation using Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) extract and precursor feeding with L-phenylalanine (L-Phe)—on biomass growth and the accumulation of phenolic compounds in shoot cultures. These treatments were applied to clonally propagated, agitated shoot cultures. Chromatographic analyses confirmed the presence of species secondary metabolites and demonstrated that both elicitation and precursor feeding contributed to increased levels of key phenolic acids and flavonoids. Fungal extract elicitation and L-Phe supplementation enhanced the biosynthesis of several target compounds, with the effectiveness influenced by the duration of treatment and the concentration applied. Among the bioactive molecules stimulated were syringic acid, ferulic acid, caftaric acid, vitexin, and apigenin. Notably, precursor feeding with L-Phe promoted the accumulation of phenolic acids in a concentration-dependent manner and positively influenced flavonoid content, particularly vitexin and rutoside. These results support the application of elicitors and metabolic precursors as effective tools in plant biotechnology for optimizing the production of valuable secondary metabolites in L. flos-cuculi shoot cultures.