Impatiens balsamina (Terada) Introduction

Ref

Plants (Basel). 2026 Jun 1;15(11):1716. doi: 10.3390/plants15111716

Antioxidant Activities and Lipid Accumulation-Inhibitory 

Effects of Seed and Callus Extracts of Impatiens balsamina L.

Ye-Eun Ha 1,†, Ga-Ram Yu 2,†, Hyuck Kim 3, Dong-Woo Lim 2,*, Jai-Eun Kim 4,*

Editors: Kalina Danova, Laura Pistelli, Ilaria Marchioniterada

INTRODUCTION 

Impatiens balsamina L. is an annual herb belonging to the family Balsaminaceae [1]

. Although it is native to South Asia, it is widely 

cultivated as an ornamental and medicinal plant across Asia and has been introduced to other regions. Ethnopharmacological studies have reported its traditional use in the treatment of rheumatism, pain, bruising, and nail inflammation, while the seeds have also been used to alleviate puerperal pain [2,3].

Phytochemical studies have shown that I. balsamina contains a variety of bioactive compounds, including phenolics, flavonoids, and naphthoquinones [4].

 Extracts from the aerial parts, particularly stems and leaves, have demonstrated significant antioxidant activity, which is largely attributed to these phenolic and flavonoid constituents [5,6]. 

However, despite these findings, studies specifically addressing the antioxidant potential of the seeds remain limited, and information regarding seed-derived callus is scarce.

Seeds function as storage organs that accumulate specialized metabolites involved in protection during dormancy and germination, thereby contributing to cellular redox balance. In particular, phenolics and flavonoids are recognized as major non-enzymatic antioxidants that protect biomolecules from oxidative damage [7,8,9].

In contrast, callus tissues consist of dedifferentiated and unorganized cells generated under in vitro lmculture conditions and often exhibit reduced accumulation of secondary metabolites due to the incomplete

 development of tissue-specific biosynthetic pathways [10,11]. Therefore, comparative analysis of seeds and seed-derived callus provides a useful model for examining tissue-dependent differences in phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity [12].

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), including superoxide anions, hydroxyl radicals, and hydrogen peroxide, are continuously generated during normal metabolism. Although ROS play essential roles in cellular signaling, their excessive accumulation disrupts redox homeostasis and induces oxidative stress, leading to damage to lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids [13,14,15].

 Oxidative stress is closely associated with the development and progression of various metabolic and degenerative diseases, highlighting the importance of identifying natural antioxidants capable of scavenging ROS [16].

In particular, oxidative stress plays a critical role in the development of lipid metabolic disorders, including hepatic steatosis, by promoting lipid accumulation and impairing lipid homeostasis [17]. FFA-induced lipid accumulation in hepatocytes, such as HepG2 cells, is widely used as an in vitro model to investigate oxidative stress-related lipid metabolism [18,19]. 

In this context, antioxidant compounds may contribute to the reduction in lipid accumulation by mitigating oxidative stress.

From a biotechnological perspective, plant callus cultures offer several advantages over whole-plant systems, 

including continuous production under controlled 

conditions independent of environmental and seasonal variations, and amenability to enhancement strategies such as elicitor treatment and bioreactor-based scale-up. Despite this potential, the antioxidant properties of seed-derived callus of I. balsamina and its relationship to the phytochemical composition of the corresponding seed extract remain largely unexplored, providing an additional motivation for the present study. In the present study, we comparatively evaluated the antioxidant activities of 70% ethanol extracts from the seeds (IB) and seed-derived callus (IBC) of I. balsamina to investigate tissue-dependent differences. Multiple in vitro assays were employed to assess radical scavenging activity, protection against oxidative DNA damage, and inhibition of lipid oxidation. In addition, the effects of IB and IBC on lipid accumulation were examined in FFA-treated HepG2 cells to explore the potential relationship between antioxidant activity and lipid regulation. Furthermore, a bioinformatics-based network analysis was employed to explore the key targets and associated pathways underlying these biological effects.