Ian E. Cock1,2 1Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, AUSTRALIA. 2School of Natural Sciences, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, AUSTRALIA. DOI: 10.5530/pc.2025.2.8
Dear Readers and Authors,
I am pleased to bring you Volume 15, Issue 2 of Pharmacognosy Communications. In this issue, we present a review of the developments in horticultural methods and processing of Vanilla planifolia Andrews pods (vanilla beans). In this review, the authors discuss phytochemistry and the pathways for vanillin production, as well as methods to identify and quantify the major components of the beans. In so doing, the authors highlight the need to develop improved analytical methods that can simultaneously monitor levels of the volatile flavour components, as well as their corresponding glycosylated forms, thereby evaluating the quality of the vanilla. We also present a research study that reports that Larrea tridentata (DC.) Coville (commonly known as chaparral) leaf extracts inhibit the growth of Proteus mirabilis and Proteus vulgaris (bacterial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis), Klebsiella pneummoniae (a trigger of ankylosing spondylitis), Streptococcus pyogenes (a trigger of rheumatic fever), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a trigger of multiple sclerosis in genetically susceptible people). Additionally, another study examined the effects of high antioxidant Australian native plant preparations (Solanum chippendalei, Citrus glauca, and Ficus racemosa and Melaleuca alternifolia) on the malodour forming bacteria Corneybacterium jeikeium, Propionobacter acnes, Brevibacter linens and Staphylococcus epidermidis and reported noteworthy activity of the extracts, indicating their potential as deodorant components/additives.