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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Planta Med 2024; 90(07/08): 627-630
DOI: 10.1055/a-2219-9724
Natural Product Chemistry and Analytical Studies
Reviews

Plant-Derived Peptides: (Neglected) Natural Products for Drug Discovery[ # ]

Christian W. Gruber 
Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
› Author AffiliationsResearch on nature-derived peptides in the laboratory of C. W. G. has been supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) through projects P32109 and P36762.
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Abstract

Peptides have emerged as key regulators in various physiological processes, including growth, development, stress, and defense responses within plants as well as ecological interactions of plants with microbes and animals. Understanding and harnessing plant peptides can lead to the development of innovative strategies for crop improvement, increasing agricultural productivity, and enhancing resilience to environmental challenges such as drought, pests, and diseases. Moreover, some plant peptides have shown promise in human health applications, with potential therapeutic benefits as ingredients in herbal medicines as well as novel drug leads. The exploration of plant peptides is essential for unraveling the mysteries of plant biology and advancing peptide drug discovery. This short personal commentary provides a very brief overview about the field of plant-derived peptides and a personal word of motivation to increase the number of scientists in pharmacognosy working with these fascinating biomolecules.

Key words

Peptide - peptidomics - drug discovery

# This work is dedicated to Professors Rudolf Bauer, Chlodwig Franz, Brigitte Kopp, and Hermann Stuppner for their invaluable contributions and commitment to Austrian Pharmacognosy.




Publication History

Received: 06 September 2023

Accepted after revision: 21 November 2023

Article published online:
06 June 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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