In ethnopharmacological terms Central Asia is one of the least known regions globally. Two of Asia's major mountain ranges are hotspots for biodiversity, and currently the biocultural diversity of these regions is poorly understood. The strategic aim of this Research Topic’s is to contribute to closing this gap.
It is well known that the composition of soil, alongside variations in altitude and temperature is not only important in terms of species diversity but will also affect the chemical composition of plants. For example, the intensity of sun irradiation affects the generation of polyphenolic compounds, and the high availability of polyphenolic derivatives combined with their low toxicity and high specificity compared to other plant extract compounds permits its application at significant quantities for medical treatment as well as food supplements with pronounced antioxidant activity. Endemic species may harbour unique pharmacological and chemical profiles for example in terpenoids or alkaloids, which remain poorly understood. Therefore, it is important to compare the chemical composition, as well as biological activity, of extracts from different regions of the world.
Consequently, this Research Topic aims at understanding the chemical diversity of medicinal plants and fungi in this important region. Another objective is to reveal novel and optimised methods of extraction of biologically active compounds, and also separation of compounds by classes, in order to illustrate possible applications of extracts via preparation of formulations, components for hydride drugs synthesis, evaluation of activity in vivo and in vitro, and estimation of acute and chronic toxicity.
This multidisciplinary Research Topic should provide insight into the complexity medicinal plants and fungi found in this region. Manuscripts should focus on extracts from plants / fungi and their metabolites from the Central Asian region. Comparative chemical analysis and pharmacological studies comparing these taxa with related ones from a different region of the world are also encouraged. Original and review articles on the below topics are welcome.
We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:
- Medicinal taxa from the Central Asian region and their pharmacological – biological activity linked to the chemical diversity
- Extraction, isolation, identification, and characterization of flavonoids from plants and herbs using analytical chemistry methods.
- Characterization of various classes of metabolites isolated from these taxa, and comparative studies on their biological-pharmacological effects and potential therapeutic applications.
- In vitro and in vivo evaluation of biological activity of extracts and antioxidant activity.
- Contributions to understanding the biocultural diversity of medicinal plants in this region.
All the manuscripts submitted to the collection will need to fully comply with the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (you can freely download the full version
here).). We also expect that the MS follow the standards established in the
ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205.