South African Journal of Botany最新文献

{"title":"Investigation of in vitro anticancer and antioxidant activities of various extracts of Bayramiç Beyazı nectarine, and molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and protein-protein interaction network","authors":"Özlem Maraba ,&nbsp;Mehmet Ay ,&nbsp;Ferah Comert Onder","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.021","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.021","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nectarine (<em>Prunus persica</em> var. nucipersica), due to its high phenolic content and antioxidant properties, holds significance for human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the <em>in vitro</em> anticancer and antioxidant effects of the extracts obtained from the fruit and kernel of \"Bayramiç Beyazı\" nectarine, a geographically indicated fruit grown in Bayramiç district of Çanakkale. The anticancer effects of the methanol and aqueous ethanol extracts were evaluated on breast and colon cancer cell lines. Apoptotic fragmentation and mitochondrial membrane potential of fruit and kernel extracts were examined under fluorescence microscopy. Antioxidant activity and phenolic content were determined using DPPH, ABTS, and Folin-Ciocalteu (F-C) methods, respectively. Kernel extract has the highest antioxidant activity (DPPH IC₅₀= 0.15 ± 0.001 mg/mL). The fruit methanol, aqueous ethanol, and kernel aqueous ethanol extracts significantly reduced the fluorescent intensity of the cells. A combination study was conducted between the extracts and doxorubicin. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies of some of the identified components were performed using the Glide/SP and Desmond against a drug target PRK1. The highest binding affinity with quercetin for targeting PRK1 was calculated as -8.789 kcal/mol. The average RMSD values were calculated between 3.43 ± 0.31 and 2.22 ± 0.30 Å throughout 500 ns MD simulations. A protein-protein interaction network analysis was performed for PRK1 using a systems biology approach to identify the highest scoring predicted proteins such as RHOA, MAP2K3, and MEFV. The investigation of the <em>in vitro</em> anticancer effects of “Bayramiç Beyazı” extracts and combined <em>in silico</em> analyses were carried out for the first time, and the outcomes of this study have promising potential for future studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"190 ","pages":"Pages 190-206"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Network pharmacology and animal experiments reveal the mechanism of action of hydroxysafflower yellow a against liver fibrosis","authors":"Qing Liu ,&nbsp;Rui Wang ,&nbsp;Zhenbo Li ,&nbsp;Yihan Liu ,&nbsp;Lei Wu ,&nbsp;Jing Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate the molecular mechanism of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) against liver fibrosis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques, and to verify its effect through animal experiments.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>HSYA-related and liver fibrosis targets were retrieved from databases; intersection targets were identified and analyzed for PPI network, GO and KEGG enrichment; molecular docking and animal experiments were performed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Network pharmacology analysis indicates that proto-oncogene (SRC), interleukin-6 (IL6), mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are key core targets(degree values all &gt; 60). GO functional enrichment analysis involved biological processes such as regulation of inflammatory response and regulation of cell apoptosis; KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that HSYA may exert its effect through signaling pathways including PI3K/Akt, MAPK and RAS. In animal experiments, HE and Masson staining showed that compared with the model group, the area of liver tissue fibrosis proliferation in the HSYA administration group was reduced by 42.3% (P &lt; 0.01), the collagen deposition was decreased by 38.6% (P &lt; 0.01), and the number of inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced by 51.2% (P &lt; 0.01); Western blot results showed that the expression levels of PI3K and Akt proteins in the liver tissue of the administration group were down-regulated by 35.7% and 32.1% compared with the model group, respectively (all P &lt; 0.01).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>HSYA may exert anti-liver fibrosis effects by regulating key targets such as SRC, IL6, MAPK3 and EGFR, mediating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and inhibiting liver tissue inflammatory response and collagen deposition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"190 ","pages":"Pages 179-189"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the potential mechanism of IME-9 ayurvedic formulation in the treatment of diabetes mellitus based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation","authors":"Shubhangi Sutar ,&nbsp;Rachana Bhimanwar ,&nbsp;Aniket Aute ,&nbsp;Babaso Udugade","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The current study evaluates the antidiabetic potential of IME-9, a polyherbal formulation, using combination of network pharmacology, molecular docking, dynamics (MD) simulations and in vitro <em>α</em>-amylase inhibition assays. Even though IME-9 has been traditionally used to treat diabetes mellitus (DM), the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been elucidated previously. The phytochemical screening of IME-9 showed that there are 164 identified compounds in the IME-9 formulation using the IMPPAT database. Based on the isolated phytochemicals, we underwent further studies, selecting 82 bioactive molecules based on the SwissADME analysis criteria. Upon target predictions and subsequently mapping the targets to disease-gene where the genes related to DM had a direct association, we identified 26 common targets. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) and enrichment analysis indicate that IME-9 has the potential to act on multiple signaling pathways. The molecular docking studies highlighted strong binding affinities for Beta-sitosterol–ERBB2 (−11.7 kcal/mol) and Gymnemasaponin V–SCD (−11.4 kcal/mol) compared to Pioglitazone (−9.8 kcal/mol) reference standard drug. The MD simulations suggested stable ligand–protein interactions suggestive of potential biological importance. In addition to the network pharmacology approach, validation of the potential antidiabetic activity was established with in vitro α-amylase inhibition study indicating 73.8% inhibition for IME-9 at 1000 µg/mL. In summary, this investigation demonstrates that IME-9 profiles have a promising multi-targeted action in the management of diabetes through the modulation of key gene and pathways related to glucose and lipid metabolism processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"190 ","pages":"Pages 165-178"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of fertilizer levels on rhizosphere microbial diversity and functional genes in maize intercropping","authors":"Kodidhala Vaishnavi ,&nbsp;Kumari Punam Sinha ,&nbsp;Hemanthkumar Manne ,&nbsp;Subir Dutta ,&nbsp;Ayon Roy ,&nbsp;Prateek M Bhattacharya ,&nbsp;Apurba K Chowdhury ,&nbsp;Abbu Zaid","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maize intercropping systems are ecologically sustainable agricultural practices that optimizes land use efficiency and soil microbial communities. In current study shortgun metagenomic sequencing strategy was applied to investigate the taxonomic composition, microbial diversity and functional potential of rhizosphere bacterial communities in sole maize (Pioneer 3526) and maize-cabbage (Green express) intercropping systems under varying fertilizer doses (0 %, 20 %, 40 %, 60 % recommended dosage of fertilizer (RDF)) as band placement. Among the tested combinations, the maize cabbage (MCB) under 60 % RDF (60MCB) showed highest bacterial richness and functional gene abundance compared to sole maize and 20MCB.Taxonomic profiling revealed dominance of Actinomycetes, Proteobacteria and other beneficial phyla with genera such as <em>Streptomyces, Pseudomonas</em> and <em>Bradyrhizobium</em> prevalent in fertilized treatments. Functional annotation revealed the enrichment of genes involved in nitrogen metabolism, carbon degradation, sulfur transformation and iron cycling particularly high in 60MCB treatment. Alpha diversity including Shannon, Simpson and Chao1, consistently highlightened improved microbial diversity under intercropping (60 % MCB) with moderate fertilization. Overall, 60 % MCB and sole maize supported higher functional gene diversity compared to sole maize and 20 % MCB. These findings highlight the synergistic effect of intercropping and 60 % recommended dosage fertilization in fostering a diverse and metabolically versatile rhizosphere microbial community, with implications for sustainable agriculture and improved soil health management by increasing microbial communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"190 ","pages":"Pages 156-164"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the therapeutic potential of secondary metabolites from edible and non-edible Crotalaria species in combating nosocomial infections and lifestyle disorders","authors":"Ramya M. Subramani ,&nbsp;Steffi Priya Jayaseelan ,&nbsp;Avinaash A Saravanan,&nbsp;Arvind Sivasubramanian","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nosocomial infections and lifestyle-related disorders are major global health issues, prompting the search for new and effective therapeutic agents. The genus <em>Crotalaria (</em>family: Fabaceae) includes both edible and inedible species known for producing diverse secondary metabolites with promising pharmacological properties. This review examines the therapeutic potential of compounds derived from <em>Crotalaria</em>—particularly phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids highlighting their broad spectrum of biological activities. Multiple studies have shown the antibacterial effectiveness of these metabolites against multidrug-resistant pathogens, suggesting their potential in combating hospital-acquired infections. Additionally, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of <em>Crotalaria</em> compounds have therapeutic value in managing lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and nosocomial infections. Preclinical research indicates that some metabolites exert hypoglycemic effects by modulating oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways. These attributes support their development as plant-based therapies or as leads for synthetic drug creation. An extensive review of literature was conducted using databases such as PubMed, google scholar and ScienceDirect to assess their pharmacological relevance. While existing data support their potential, further research is needed to isolate, characterize, and validate bioactive constituents for clinical application. The rich phytochemistry of <em>Crotalaria</em> makes it a valuable, yet underexplored genus for drug discovery and development targeting complex human diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"190 ","pages":"Pages 133-143"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physiological and biochemical adjustments in soybean induced by biostimulants application under water deficit stress","authors":"Andres Felipe Gaona Acevedo ,&nbsp;Juliana Nascimento Rodrigues","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water deficit stress (WDS) is a major abiotic factor limiting soybean yield by affecting key physiological and biochemical processes. The application of plant biostimulants has emerged as a promising strategy to mitigate the deleterious effects of water deficit. This study aimed to evaluate the physiological and biochemical responses of soybean plants subjected to water deficit and treated with different biostimulants applied to seeds. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions using a randomized block design with subdivided plots. Two water regimes were imposed: field capacity (−10 kPa) and drought stress (−25 kPa), and eight seed-applied biostimulant treatments were evaluated. Water deficit negatively affected photosynthetic activity, relative water content, leaf water potential, and chlorophyll concentration, while increasing electrolyte leakage and proline accumulation. In contrast, the application of specific biostimulants, particularly those based on <em>Rhizophagus irregularis, Lactobacillus</em> spp., and seaweed extracts, significantly mitigated stress effects, enhancing membrane stability, osmotic adjustment, and enzymatic antioxidant activity (SOD and CAT). Moreover, improvements in nitrogen metabolism were observed, including higher nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activity under water deficit. These results highlight the potential of seed-applied biostimulants as a sustainable strategy to enhance soybean yield and resilience under water deficit stress. Future applications of this approach may contribute to the development of more drought-tolerant cultivars and to improving the stability of soybean yield systems under changing climatic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"190 ","pages":"Pages 144-155"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of selenium in biomass accumulation, stress tolerance and metabolite production in the callus cultures of Oldenlandia umbellata L. under different light regimes","authors":"L.V. Aswanilal ,&nbsp;Antony Tom ,&nbsp;E.A. Siril","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study focuses on the effect of a Selenium (Se) salt, sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃; 0, 2.5, 5, or 7 µM) with 2.5 µM Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on callus growth and anthraquinone (AQ) production in <em>Oldenlandia umbellata</em>, under light (50 µmolm⁻²s⁻¹ 16 h/8 h dark) and dark (24 h) conditions. The highest fresh weight was obtained in 5 µM sodium selenite-treated dark and light-raised callus. Dry weight followed a similar pattern. Total AQ production was higher in 5 µM treated callus, incubated in light. AQ production from dark incubated, sodium selenite treated callus was lower than the control, showing the influence of incubation conditions and the altered role of Se under light regimes. HPLC quantification of alizarin type AQ recorded the highest content in 7 and 5 µM treated light-raised callus. Alizarin content in dark-raised control was higher than treatment. Proline content was higher in controls from both culture conditions, whereas Se treated, light or dark incubated callus showed lower levels, indicating the stress-protective role of Se. Antioxidant enzyme levels of dark incubated treated callus were two-fold higher, indicating the antioxidant profile enhancing role of Se. Se promoted callus growth, enhanced antioxidant profile to cope against stress, and under favourable conditions increased AQ production. The callus cultures are the source of valuable compounds, and an increase in their biomass can increase metabolite production. The study was successful in exploring the potential of sodium selenite as a growth promoter in callus cultures, which can be extended to cell cultures of other important plant species for metabolite production. In addition, sodium selenite can be used to enhance AQ production in suspension, hairy root, adventitious root cultures and bioreactor based culture systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"190 ","pages":"Pages 124-132"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The genus Smilax L.: A comprehensive review of traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and toxicity","authors":"Geetika Sukhramani ,&nbsp;Ritesh Kumar Choudhary","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Among medicinal plants, the genus <em>Smilax</em> (family Smilacaceae) is widely distributed across all continents except Antarctica, with its rhizomes being the primary source of commercial and therapeutic value. <em>Smilax</em> has been traditionally used for centuries to treat a range of ailments, including diabetes, gout, rheumatism, skin disorders, and syphilis. This review provides an updated, comprehensive, and categorized overview of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and toxicological profiles of <em>Smilax</em> species. To date, at least 1058 compounds have been identified from <em>Smilax</em> species, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, steroidal saponins, polysaccharides, and stilbenoids. These isolated constituents exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, including anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, immunomodulatory, and hepatoprotective effects. Traditional knowledge, increasingly supported by pharmacological evidence, highlights the substantial therapeutic potential of <em>Smilax</em> species. However, most current findings are derived from preliminary <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> studies. Future research should focus on clinically relevant, mechanistic, and integrative approaches to fully elucidate therapeutic potential and facilitate the development of evidence-based applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"190 ","pages":"Pages 77-110"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Edaphic and climatic drivers of herbaceous plant diversity in geologically distinct mountain floras of Griqualand West, South Africa","authors":"Nanette van Staden ,&nbsp;Helga van der Merwe ,&nbsp;Stefan Siebert","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.12.018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2025.12.018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate and edaphic (soil) properties are widely recognised as key environmental drivers of the evolution, adaptive specialisation, and development of edaphically distinct floras on atypical geological substrates. In South Africa, the mountain ranges of Griqualand West (GW), a recognised centre of plant endemism within the Kalahari Bushveld Bioregion of the Savanna Biome, harbour floras associated with such substrates. However, these mountains remain understudied, with limited understanding of the interactions among vegetation, soil, and climate. The aim of this study was to determine the primary environmental drivers of plant diversity across landscapes underlain by dolomite, banded ironstone and quartzite. We assessed 19 bioclimatic variables and 14 edaphic properties. We calculated four plant diversity indices across four mountain landscapes (Ghaap Plateau, Kuruman Hills, Asbestos Hills, and Langberg). Based on the productivity-diversity hypothesis, using rainfall and soil fertility as proxies for productivity, we hypothesised that quartzite sites (characterised by low rainfall and nutrient-poor soil) would exhibit the lowest diversity and richness, while dolomitic sites (with higher rainfall and fertile soil) would exhibit the highest. Mountain plant communities differed significantly in their bioclimatic conditions, edaphic properties and levels of diversity. Generalised linear models (GLMs) identified isothermality, minimum temperature of the coldest month, mean annual precipitation, precipitation of the warmest quarter, Al, Ca, Ca:Mg ratio, cation exchange capacity (CEC), Mg, soil pH, S and Ti as significant predictors of species diversity. Communities on ironstone were the most diverse, whereas those on dolomite were the most species-rich, but less diverse. Herbaceous diversity and species richness were lowest on nutrient-poor quartzite soil. These findings partially support our initial hypothesis and highlight the importance of substrate-specific edaphic filtering effects linked to parent geology. Given the increasing threats posed by land use and climate change to edaphically unique floras globally, we advocate for the incorporation of both climatic and edaphic variables into species distribution models (SDMs). Such integration will enhance predictive accuracy regarding the distribution of edaphic endemics under scenarios of environmental change. Furthermore, detailed soil sampling and analysis remain critical to improving our understanding of the edaphic determinants of plant diversity in edaphically complex landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"190 ","pages":"Pages 111-123"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Habitat-specific DNA methylation dynamics during development of Calamagrostis angustifolia in contrasting wetlands","authors":"Yu Zhang ,&nbsp;Haixiu Zhong ,&nbsp;Hongjie Cao ,&nbsp;Jiawen Liang ,&nbsp;Mingyi Xu ,&nbsp;Jifeng Wang ,&nbsp;Yihua Yang ,&nbsp;Hainan Leng","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.019","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2026.01.019","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>DNA methylation plays a crucial role in plant adaptation to environmental conditions. This study investigated the dynamic changes in DNA methylation patterns of <em>Calamagrostis angustifolia</em> populations from meadow and marsh wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain during key developmental stages. Using fluorescence methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (F-MSAP) analysis coupled with capillary electrophoresis, we examined genome-wide methylation profiles in leaves at jointing, heading, and maturity stages. Eight selective primer combinations detected 8355 MSAP loci, comprising 4225 and 4130 loci in meadow and marsh populations, respectively. Meadow populations exhibited higher total methylation levels (76.69%-82.41%) compared to marsh populations (79.10%-80.44%) across all developmental stages. Analysis of methylation pattern dynamics revealed habitat-specific responses: meadow populations showed a transition from predominant methylation events (50.86%) during jointing-to-heading to prevalent demethylation events (49.28%) during heading-to-maturity. In contrast, marsh populations maintained consistent demethylation patterns (46.15%-47.25%) throughout development. These distinct epigenetic signatures between wetland populations suggest that DNA methylation may serve as an important mechanism for <em>C. angustifolia</em> adaptation to different wetland environments. Our findings provide novel insights into the epigenetic basis of wetland plant adaptation and development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"190 ","pages":"Pages 68-76"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}