Recently, researcher Qiu Shengxiang and his team at the Plant Science Research Center of the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have discovered the mechanism of action of the active ingredient in mung beans against Nocardia. The related research findings have been published in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology".
The research team investigated the mechanism of action of the active ingredient Luteolin A (LGA) from the leaves of the Pigeon Pea plant against Nocardia infection. Nocardiosis is a rare infectious disease with increasing incidence and poor prognosis. Traditional Chinese medicine uses Pigeon Pea leaves to treat wounds, malaria, coughs, and abdominal pain. Recent studies by the Qiu Shengxiang team have focused on researching and developing natural anti-infective components in Pigeon Pea leaves, revealing that they are rich in flavonoids and active compounds with antiviral and antifungal effects.
The study isolated the natural luteolin compound LGA from Pigeon Pea leaves and investigated its potential as an antibiotic against Nocardia infection. Through various techniques such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics analyses, as well as quantitative analysis of cytokinesis and cryo-scanning electron microscopy, the researchers demonstrated that LGA significantly inhibits Nocardia infection by interfering with glycerophospholipid metabolism and cytokinesis biosynthesis.
Pigeon Pea, also known as tree bean or Congo pea, belongs to the Fabaceae family and is the fifth largest leguminous crop globally. It is the only edible woody legume plant and is commonly found in tropical Asia, Oceania, Africa, particularly in Madagascar, and regions of southwestern and southeastern China. Pigeon Pea is a versatile plant used for food, feed, honey production, rearing lac insects, and has significant medicinal value as a dual-purpose plant.
For more information, refer to the related paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2024.118199
