Current Biotechnology - Online First

Lamiaceae plants are a rich source of natural antioxidants, widely applied in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and functional foods due to their therapeutic potential against oxidative stress-related disorders. As natural product innovation accelerates, understanding patent trends can provide strategic insights into technological advances, key stakeholders, and emerging applications.

A systematic patent landscape analysis was performed using the Espacenet database. The search strategy was based on the intersection of Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) codes related to therapeutic applications (e.g., A61P39/06 for oxidative stress, A61P17/18 for dermatological use), medicinal preparations (A61K36), and botanical classifications (A01H6/50 for Lamiaceae). All patent documents up to 2024 were included, with no language restrictions. Patent families, publication trends, jurisdictions, assignees, CPC classifications, and technological applications were analyzed to map the innovation landscape.

Between 2001 and 2021, there was a steady rise in patent activity related to antioxidants from Lamiaceae species. China led in both the volume and diversity of innovations, followed by the United States and Europe. Technological applications are predominantly concerned with cosmetics, dermatological treatments, pharmaceuticals, and functional food products. Leading assignees included multinational and regional companies, indicating strong commercial interest in these bioactive compounds.

The patent trends reveal increasing global interest in sustainable, plant-derived antioxidant solutions. The strong presence of industry players highlights the translational potential of Lamiaceae-derived compounds in high-value sectors such as anti-aging, anti-inflammatory therapeutics, and wellness. Jurisdictional variations reflect strategic patenting behavior and regional innovation capacities.

This study highlights the growing strategic importance of Lamiaceae-derived antioxidants in innovation ecosystems. The patent landscape identifies key technologies, markets, and actors driving development in natural antioxidant applications. These findings support future interdisciplinary research and industry partnerships aimed at advancing sustainable, bioactive product innovation.

The biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is a rapidly developing field that integrates biological systems with nanotechnology to produce nanoparticles with unique properties. This study aimed to biosynthesize gold nanoparticles using Asparagus Racemosus root extract (popularly known as Shatavari root aqueous extract) (AR-AuNPs), to characterize the AuNPs spectrally, and to explore their potential applications.

AuNPs were synthesized using Shatavari extract, leveraging its polyphenolic content for the reduction of gold ions. The formation of nanoparticles was confirmed using UV-Vis spectroscopy, with a surface plasmon resonance peak at 550 nm. Further characterization was performed using electron microscopy to assess size and morphology, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) to analyse the crystalline structure, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify functional groups, and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) to determine particle size and zeta potential.

The bio-synthesized gold nanoparticles are spectrally characterized; the size of the gold nanoparticles is below 50 nm, and they reveal very good biomedical applications. The biosynthesized AR-AuNPs exhibited strong antioxidant activity, with the nitric oxide (NO) scavenging method proving superior to the DPPH and H2O2 assays. While the antimicrobial activity of AR-AuNPs was limited against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, they showed effective DNA binding activity.

The synthesized gold nanoparticles exhibited a characteristic UV-Vis absorption peak at 550 nm, confirming their successful formation. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) analysis revealed an average particle size of 44.7 nm, and the zeta potential was measured at -14.3 mV, indicating moderate stability. The polyphenols present in the aqueous extract of Shatavari plant roots likely played a role in both the reduction and stabilization of the AuNPs. When tested on A549 cell lines, the AR-AuNPs demonstrated significant antiproliferative activity, with an IC50 value of 68.99 µM, compared to Cisplatin. However, they lacked anticancer activity against MCF-7 cell lines. The biosynthesized AR-AuNPs exhibited strong antioxidant activity, moderate antimicrobial activity, and effective DNA binding activity.

Biosynthesizing AuNPs using Shatavari extract is a green, sustainable method that produces nanoparticles with desirable properties for various applications. The synthesized AuNPs exhibit promising capabilities in the fields of medicine and environmental science, positioning them as valuable tools for future research. Further studies are needed to explore their potential in real-world applications.

Plant secondary metabolites include chemical compounds like flavonoids and phenolic acids. The use of these ingredients in traditional medicine to prevent or treat diabetes and cancer is becoming more prevalent because of their capacity to function as antioxidant agents. The objective of the research was to estimate the quantities of total phenols and flavonoids, together with the antioxidant capacity of various Dactylorhiza hatagirea extracts.

Total flavonoid and phenolic contents were determined by aluminum chloride and Folin-Ciocalteu techniques, respectively. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphuric acid (ABTS) approaches were used for assessing the scavenging of free radicals. Employing standard methods, the preliminary phytochemical activity of the extract was assessed, and its reducing power was tested in the presence of potassium hexacyanoferrate.

A maximum concentration of 58.88 ± 0.32 of gallic acid was identified per gram of methanolic extract as phenolic content. Quercetin, at 85.51 ± 0.40 mg/gram, had the most flavonoid content. The strongest reducing power output measured was 1.968 ± 0.01 g. In comparison, the IC50 values for DPPH and ABTS assays were 162.79 ± 0.24 and 39.75 ± 0.20 µg/ml, respectively. Thus, this plant differs from others in that it has potent antioxidant capabilities.

The methanolic crude extract of D. hatagirea and the estimated contents of phenols and flavonoids exhibited potent antioxidant action, particularly against DPPH and ABTS assays. Due to its relatively high phenolic and flavonoid contents, this plant is an exciting option for treating diseases. Therefore, secondary metabolites can be found and employed as low-resistance, multi-target antioxidant drugs for treating a variety of cancers, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders, as well as other chronic diseases that are resistant to existing antibiotics. Our plant will be patented for its pharmacological applications.