Epigenetic Landscape and Regulation of Secondary Metabolite Accumulation Implicated in Anticancer and Nutraceuticals.
7 affiliations
- 1Independent Researcher, Dallas, TX 75201, USA.
- 2Center for Plant Molecular Biology, Department of Genetics, Osmania University, Hyderabad 500007, India.
- 3MVSR Engineering College, Nadergul, Hyderabad 501510, India.
- 4Acute Care Physical Therapist, St. Luke's Health, 1717 US-59 Loop North, Livingston, TX 77351, USA.
- 5International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad 502324, India.
- 6International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila 1301, Philippines.
- 7Department of Agriculture, Dr. RVR NRI Institute of Technology (Deemed to be University), Pothavarappadu, Vijayawada Rural 521212, India.
Abstract
Plants are important sources for obtaining diverse secondary metabolites which have pharmaceutical importance. Out of multiple factors that modulate their accumulation in vitro and in vivo, epigenetic factors play critical roles, adding an extra layer of regulation. This review focuses on (a) dynamic changes that occur in DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and the role of small RNAs in transcriptional and post-transcriptional modulation that alter secondary metabolism in plants under abiotic stress and (b) the role of epigenetics in secondary metabolite accumulation in the plant cell cultures. Such epigenetic factors are manipulated by applying inhibitors of DNA methylation like 5-azacytidine or histone deacetylation such as trichostatin A in intact plants as well as in cultured plant cells and hairy roots for enhanced production. This article synthesizes current findings on epigenetic engineering for improved synthesis of anticancer compounds and nutraceuticals and lists out limitations and challenges that the pharmaceutical industry is facing for their large scale production and commercialization. Main conclusion: Through epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and non-coding RNAs, plants dynamically fine-tune specific gene expressions to adjust to environmental stresses and mediate secondary metabolite accumulation as a chemical combat mechanism.
Related
- Intramyocellular lipid droplet–mitochondria uncoupling drives muscle atrophy via metabolite-directed epigenetic reprogramming: a review
- Field Density Variation and Metabolite Profiling Reveal Transcriptome Mechanisms Driving Salt-Responsive Root Flavone Accumulation in Scutellaria baicalensis
- Reprogramming the gut–brain axis in neurodegeneration: comparative microbiome, metabolite, immunometabolic, polyphenol, probiotic, and epigenetic mechanisms in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
- Pharmacoepigenetics: from epigenetic regulation to personalized therapeutics
- Chromatin remodeling in bone organoids: from epigenetic regulation to disease modeling and therapeutic translation.
BibTeX
@article{kosaraju2026epigenetic,
title = {{Epigenetic Landscape and Regulation of Secondary Metabolite Accumulation Implicated in Anticancer and Nutraceuticals.}},
author = {Deekshitha Kosaraju and Viswanadha Naik Jarapala and Aparna Yeddala and Charumathi Polavarapu and Vasavi Singareddy and Sudhakar Reddy Palakolanu and Nese Sreenivasulu and Polavarapu Bilhan Kavi Kishor},
journal = {Epigenomes},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/epigenomes10040066},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924725},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Epigenetic Landscape and Regulation of Secondary Metabolite Accumulation Implicated in Anticancer and Nutraceuticals.
AU - Deekshitha Kosaraju
AU - Viswanadha Naik Jarapala
AU - Aparna Yeddala
AU - Charumathi Polavarapu
AU - Vasavi Singareddy
AU - Sudhakar Reddy Palakolanu
AU - Nese Sreenivasulu
AU - Polavarapu Bilhan Kavi Kishor
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
JO - Epigenomes
DO - 10.3390/epigenomes10040066
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924725
AB - Plants are important sources for obtaining diverse secondary metabolites which have pharmaceutical importance. Out of multiple factors that modulate their accumulation in vitro and in vivo, epigenetic factors play critical roles, adding an extra layer of regulation. This review focuses on (a) dynamic changes that occur in DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and the role of small RNAs in transcriptional and post-transcriptional modulation that alter secondary metabolism in plants under abiotic stress and (b) the role of epigenetics in secondary metabolite accumulation in the plant cell cultures. Such epigenetic factors are manipulated by applying inhibitors of DNA methylation like 5-azacytidine or histone deacetylation such as trichostatin A in intact plants as well as in cultured plant cells and hairy roots for enhanced production. This article synthesizes current findings on epigenetic engineering for improved synthesis of anticancer compounds and nutraceuticals and lists out limitations and challenges that the pharmaceutical industry is facing for their large scale production and commercialization. Main conclusion: Through epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and non-coding RNAs, plants dynamically fine-tune specific gene expressions to adjust to environmental stresses and mediate secondary metabolite accumulation as a chemical combat mechanism.
SN - 2075-4655
ER -