Search Results (695)

Plantago asiatica L. is an important medicinal and edible plant in China, whose wild resources have declined sharply due to overharvesting. Accurately assessing its potential suitable habitats and identifying the dominant environmental factors are of great scientific significance for germplasm conservation. In this study, we focused on Jiangxi Province and, based on 79 field occurrence records and 29 environmental variables, employed a MaxEnt model optimized using the kuenm package (version 1.1.9) (AUC = 0.806) to simulate the potential distribution of this species under current and three future Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios (SSP126, SSP370, and SSP585). The results indicated that static non-climatic factors at the regional scale—specifically, soil clay content (contribution rate: 56.7%)—were the dominant force determining the distribution of Plantago asiatica, with an influence far exceeding that of climatic and topographic factors. Under all future SSP scenarios, its distribution range exhibited notable spatiotemporal conservatism, and the centroid showed no long-distance migration. This study provides a scientific reference for optimizing the conservation framework of Plantago asiatica germplasm resources, identifying priority cultivation areas, and formulating regional adaptive management strategies. Full article

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), a horticultural crop with significant edible, medicinal, and ornamental values, has garnered increasing attention from breeders to markets, leading to continuous emergence of new varieties. Accurate phenotypic characterization and robust Distinctness, Uniformity, and Stability (DUS) testing are fundamental for plant variety protection and breeding innovation. Employing the Chinese DUS Test Guidelines for Hawthorn (LY/T 3208-2020) as an analytical framework, this study systematically evaluated 197 germplasm accessions from the Chinese National Field Genebank. Results demonstrated: (1) Coefficients of Coincidence (COC) for example varieties and test traits ranged between 0.980 and 1.000, fully meeting the testing requirements; (2) the 22 qualitative (QL) and pseudo-qualitative traits (PQ) were categorized into 2–5 classes with Shannon-Wiener indices of 0.032–1.174, indicating high polymorphism; (3) correlation analysis of 11 quantitative traits (QN) revealed coefficients from 0.006 to 0.922, with 23 trait pairs showing statistical significance, while principal component analysis identified fruit and leaf traits as primary drivers of phenotypic variation; (4) grading schemes were established by using Least Significant Difference (LSD) for eight normally or near-normally distributed traits (5–7 classes) and range-based grading approach for three non-normal traits (5 classes). Based on the above results, this study evaluated China’s current DUS testing guidelines for hawthorn. Subsequently, 197 hawthorn accessions were used to evaluate the QL, PQ, and QN traits, based on which corresponding optimization recommendations were proposed. Ultimately, an optimized testing framework for hawthorn DUS testing was established. The resulting analytical insights and phenotypic grading system will enrich the current descriptor framework and provide a foundational dataset for trait-DNA association and marker-assisted breeding. Notably, this optimization strategy serves as a methodological template for updating DUS guidelines in other taxa. Overall, these insights strengthen the protection, development, and breeding of new hawthorn varieties while advancing the standardization of DUS testing. Full article

Cicer grande (Popov) Korotkova is a rare, subendemic species within the flora of Uzbekistan, primarily inhabiting mountainous landscapes. As a wild progenitor of nutritionally significant cultivated crops, it holds considerable potential for enhancing food security and mitigating hunger through applications in sustainable agriculture and the conservation of plant genetic resources. This study employed species distribution modeling to examine the ecological niche, geographic distribution, and potential habitat suitability of C. grande across Uzbekistan. Data from herbarium specimens and field surveys were integrated with a comprehensive suite of environmental variables encompassing climatic, edaphic, topographic, hydrological, and anthropogenic factors. From an initial set of 45 predictor variables, highly correlated ones were removed using Pearson correlation analysis and variance inflation factor (VIF) assessment to reduce multicollinearity. Habitat suitability was subsequently modeled using the BIOCLIM algorithm. The results show that C. grande is predominantly found at elevations between 1000 and 2500 m, where it is strongly associated with shallow Lithosols and carbonate-rich Calcic Xerosols (FAO soil classification). Phytocoenotic assessments indicate that the species occurs mainly within plant communities dominated by perennial species. Among the environmental drivers analyzed, elevation, temperature-related variables, and slope aspect were identified as the most influential factors shaping its distribution. BIOCLIM projections reveal that highly suitable habitats are spatially limited and largely confined to the Nurata and Kuhitang mountain ranges. Overall, these findings demonstrate that C. grande occupies a narrow and specialized ecological niche, which likely accounts for its restricted distribution and subendemic status. This study provides a robust scientific foundation for developing conservation strategies and habitat management plans for this rare species in Central Asia. Full article

Species in Gentiana sect. Cruciata (Gentianaceae) are usually used as a bulk medicinal herb with multiple clinical therapeutic functions, yet wild populations have declined drastically due to overharvesting and environmental changes, prompting urgent conservation demands. This study collected occurrence records of eight sect. Cruciata species and integrated forty-two environmental variables. MaxEnt models were optimized using the “kuenm” R package v. 3.6.3 to predict their potential suitable areas under current and future climate scenarios (SSP126 and SSP585), followed by analyses of spatial pattern changes and centroid migration. Results showed that all optimized models achieved average AUC > 0.9, indicating high prediction accuracy. Elevation, annual precipitation, human footprint index, and temperature seasonality dominantly affected the species distribution, with distinct limiting factor combinations revealing interspecific niche differentiation. Based on the prediction, the eight gentian species exhibited three divergent climate response types: climate-sensitive G. macrophylla suffered severe, irreversible habitat loss with long-distance centroid migration; five stable-adaptive species (G. straminea, G. crassicaulis, G. tibetica, G. robusta, and G. siphonantha) maintained stable core ranges and partial expansion capacity; G. dahurica and G. officinalis followed a “contraction-then-recovery” trajectory. The eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, Hengduan Mountains, Qinling Mountains, and the Gansu–Qinghai–Sichuan border represented core conservation zones for the sect. Cruciata species. Highly adaptive G. crassicaulis, G. tibetica, and G. straminea were prioritized for conservation and artificial propagation. This study revealed the differentiated responses and adaptation potentials of medicinal plants of Gentiana sect. Cruciata to climate change, providing a scientific basis for precise germplasm conservation and rational cultivation layout for sustainable medicinal resource utilization. Full article

Allium victorialis L. is a significant plant traditionally used as both food and medicine in Northeast China. However, the structural and functional studies of its polysaccharide components remain limited. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of AVP-1-2 (DP 27), an inulin-type fructan isolated from A. victorialis, using an LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophage model. Its structural characterization was determined through methylation analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. AVP-1-2 is an inulin-type fructan composed of fructose and glucose. The backbone consists mainly of →1)-β-D-Fruf-(2→, with minor glucose residues and limited branching. The qPCR and ELISA results indicated that AVP-1-2 effectively suppressed the mRNA expression and protein secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) in a cellular model. Overall, this work provides new structural and functional insights into A. victorialis polysaccharides and offers a theoretical foundation for the comprehensive utilization of A. victorialis resources. Full article

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a metabolic disorder caused by excessive uric acid (UA) production and/or insufficient UA excretion. Brassica rapa L. (turnip) is a traditional medicinal and edible plant in northwestern China. In this study, the urate-lowering effects of B. rapa L. ethanol extract (BrEE) and associated underlying mechanisms were investigated using a hypoxanthine/potassium oxonate-induced HUA mouse model and UA-stimulated HK-2 cells. BrEE was prepared and characterized; quercetin-3-glucuronide was the most abundant compound in BrEE, with a relative abundance of 22.04%. BrEE significantly lowered serum UA levels and improved renal function in mice. Key UA-producing enzymes, xanthine oxidase (XOD) and adenosine deaminase (ADA), were suppressed and renal UA transporters were modulated to enhance excretion: URAT1 and GLUT9 were downregulated and ABCG2 was upregulated. These results indicated that BrEE’s protective effects were associated with its regulatory effects on UA transport-related protein expression. BrEE also alleviated oxidative stress, and reduced inflammation and renal pathology. Meanwhile, molecular docking predicted favorable binding between the major BrEE constituents and XOD or URAT1, providing preliminary support for their potential interactions with these targets. Thus, BrEE exerted multi-target urate-lowering and kidney-protective effects, providing preliminary evidence for the potential of B. rapa L. as a plant-derived resource for further investigation in the development of functional food ingredients to regulate urate metabolism. Full article

Rehmannia Radix is an important medicinal and edible plant resource in China. However, the production of paocai by fermenting Rehmannia Radix has rarely been reported. This study employed response surface methodology to optimize fermentation conditions, and investigated the changes in physicochemical properties, bioactive components, and metabolic profiles of paocai before and after fermentation. The optimal fermentation conditions were 5% salt, 9% sugar, and fermentation at 20 °C for 5 days. During the fermentation process, total acidity increased, pH decreased, and crispness and chewiness declined significantly, indicating a softer texture. Electronic tongue analysis demonstrated that fermentation decreased bitterness and astringency, while enhancing sourness, sweetness, and umami. Fermentation significantly increased total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity, with phenolic content increasing from 0.80 to 1.63 mg/g and flavonoid content increasing from 2.67 to 3.67 mg/g, while the contents of iridoid glycosides and phenylethanoid glycosides decreased significantly after fermentation. Untargeted metabolomics analysis identified 719 metabolites, of which 417 were differentially abundant metabolites, indicating that fermentation altered the metabolic profile of paocai. In conclusion, fermentation exerted a bidirectional regulatory effect: mitigating the bitterness and astringency of Rehmannia Radix paocai while improving its texture and flavor. This study not only developed the optimal fermentation process for Rehmannia Radix-based medicinal and edible products, but also provided the scientific basis for the sustainable processing and high-value utilization of Rehmannia Radix as a functional food. Full article

Rubus sachalinensis, a Mongolian medicinal plant, serves as a valuable raspberry breeding resource due to its high value and stress resistance. Global climate change and human logging have contributed to its gradual decline in population. In this study, we utilized MaxEnt modeling to forecast the potential distribution of suitable habitat for R. sachalinensis under changing climatic conditions, aiming to facilitate controlled cultivation to lessen dependence on wild populations and support conservation efforts. In this study, by integrating 573 global distribution records of R. sachalinensis with 22 environmental variables related to climate and terrain, we developed the MaxEnt model and selected 11 variables based on the correlation (correlation threshold r < 0.8) for analysis. Through the jackknife method, we found that the distribution of R. sachalinensis is primarily influenced by precipitation during the warmest quarter (bio18, 43%), mean temperature of the coldest quarter (bio11, 20.5%), temperature seasonality (bio4, 17.1%), and slope (12.2%). The habitat of R. sachalinensis reached its maximum extent during the Last Interglacial period, subsequently decreased, and then expanded to 4726.25 × 10³ km² during the Mid-Holocene period, and currently stands at 5293.45 × 10³ km² in northeastern China, eastern Mongolia, and southeastern Russia, with a smaller distribution in North America, particularly in western Canada. Future projections indicated a declining trend in SSP1_2.6 and SSP5_8.5, with the centroid expected to shift eastward. Consequently, due to environmental changes, the suitable habitat distribution of R. sachalinensis will shift eastward, leading to a reduction in habitat area, and human logging will further exacerbate the reduction in wild resources. The resources within the area that remain constant from the ancient climate period to the future suitable habitat should be strengthened for protection, as well as the resources in the shrinking areas. These findings provide potential distribution information and dynamic changes in R. sachalinensis, which will provide vital data for identifying important conservation areas and sustainable harvesting. Full article

Heat stress exerts detrimental effects on the survival, growth, and productivity of Gentiana rhodantha Franch. ex Hemsl., a medicinal herb endemic to Southwestern China. The application of exogenous protective substances has been widely recognized as an effective and economical strategy for alleviating heat damage in crops. However, most previous studies have focused on conventional agents such as phytohormones, osmolytes, or mineral nutrients, while the potential of emerging nanomaterials and microbial-derived compatible solutes remains largely unexplored. In the present study, we investigated the effects of foliar application of two promising exogenous candidates, (i) carbon quantum dots (CQD), a newly emerged carbon-based nanomaterial with unique photochemical and electron-transfer properties, and (ii) ectoine (ECT), a microbial-derived compatible solute renowned for its exceptional protein and membrane-stabilizing capacity under abiotic stress, applied individually or in combination (CQD + ECT) on the agronomic and physiological traits of two G. rhodantha genotypes (Kaili and Dafang) under normal temperature (NT, 25/20 °C) and high temperature (HT, 35/30 °C) conditions, with H₂O application as the control. The results showed that HT inhibited plant growth, reduced canopy traits, altered root architecture, and disrupted antioxidant enzyme activities and osmolyte accumulation, with pronounced genotypic differences. The KL genotype exhibited greater inherent heat tolerance than the DF genotype, as reflected by relatively less injury to canopy traits and root architecture, as well as more favorable physiological adjustments under HT. Exogenous application of CQD and ECT, particularly their combination, generally mitigated heat-induced injury. Under HT, the combined CQD + ECT treatment preserved canopy structure and root morphology, enhanced SPAD values and leaf nitrogen concentrations, and modulated antioxidant enzyme activities and osmolyte levels, with the most pronounced effects observed in the KL genotype. The combined application of CQD and ECT consistently exhibited superior protective effects across multiple parameters, suggesting that it represents a novel and promising strategy for alleviating heat injury in G. rhodantha cultivation. These findings provide new insights into the application of nanomaterial and compatible solute-based approaches for improving heat tolerance in medicinal plants. Full article

Vincetoxicum stauntonii is a valuable traditional Chinese medicinal herb widely used in clinical practice for managing various respiratory disorders in China. However, a severe wilt disease recently prevailed in major V. stauntonii cultivation regions in Hubei Province from May to August 2025, resulting in an overall disease incidence exceeding 30%, with the maximum plant mortality rate exceeding 90% in severely affected fields. To clarify the causal agent of this emerging wilt disease and develop effective management strategies, symptomatic V. stauntonii plants were sampled from three representative commercial plantations. Pathogen isolation and purification were performed, followed by pathogenicity validation in accordance with Koch’s postulates. The assays confirmed that five isolates could induce typical wilt symptoms on healthy V. stauntonii plants. Based on morphological characterization and multilocus phylogenetic analysis using the concatenated internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α), RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) sequences, these five isolates were identified as Fusarium acuminatum. Biological characteristic assays showed that the causal agent grew optimally at 25 °C and pH 9.0, with soluble starch and peptone as the most suitable carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. In vitro antifungal bioassays showed that ethylicin exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect against the pathogen, with a median effective concentration (EC₅₀) value of 3.367 mg/L. Furthermore, greenhouse pot experiments validated that ethylicin exhibited significant protective and curative efficacy against V. stauntonii wilt disease. Mechanistic analyses further revealed that ethylicin disrupted plasma membrane integrity and induced excessive accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in F. acuminatum. To our knowledge, this study is the first formal report of F. acuminatum-caused wilt disease on V. stauntonii. Collectively, these findings provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable management of the emerging wilt disease of V. stauntonii. Full article

Background/Objectives: The whole plant of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum is used medicinally, but the tuberous root is by far the most commonly used part, and the way in which its metabolites are partitioned among organs and among geographic origins underpins both the rational choice of the medicinal part and the evaluation of herb quality. Methods: Here, untargeted metabolomics based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry was used to compare roots, stems and leaves collected from nine regions of southern China (81 samples) with tuberous roots collected from 17 sites in seven provinces (51 samples). Annotations were graded according to the Metabolomics Standards Initiative (MSI), curated with explicit plausibility rules, and every conclusion was re-tested across five nested annotation subsets. Results: Organ identity was the dominant source of metabolic variation: the three organs were completely separable (random forest out-of-bag accuracy 100%), the organ effect was about four times larger than that of sampling region (PERMANOVA pseudo-F 16.7 versus 4.1), and this contrast was essentially unchanged from the complete set of 615 annotations down to the most stringent subset of 19 flavonoids and phenolic acids. The organ-level pattern was chemically coherent: amino acids and lipids were relatively enriched in the tuberous root, soluble sugars and phenolic acids in the stem, and flavonoids and alkaloids in the leaf, matching the contrasting roles of a storage, a transport and a photosynthetic organ. Geographic differences among tuberous roots were, by contrast, weak and largely local: although provinces could be separated with 88.9% out-of-bag accuracy, accuracy fell to 42.2% when an entire, previously unseen collection site was held out (chance level 20%), and to 52.9% for a coarse macro-geographic zone (chance level 25%), whereas holding out an entire sampling region left organ classification unaffected (100%). Conclusions: The present data therefore document a strong, generalisable and chemically interpretable organ division of labour, but do not support the use of this metabolome for origin authentication. Because most annotations remain at MSI Level 3, individual compounds are reported as putative throughout, and all conclusions rest on multivariate and class-level evidence. Full article

Background: Persicaria capitata is a perennial herb and one of the top ten authentic Miao medicinal plants in Guizhou province, China, with flavonoids serving as its primary bioactive components. Agricultural production practices have shown that nitrogen fertilizer application can reduce flavonoid accumulation in P. capitata, although the underlying molecular regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Methods: In this study, a pot experiment was performed to investigate the effects of different nitrogen treatments on the growth performance and yield of P. capitata. Moreover, the related changes in transcriptomic characteristics and metabolic profiles were also systematically analyzed. Results: Nitrogen fertilization significantly promoted stem elongation, branch number, and yield formation. The maximum stem length, branch number, and single-plant yield were recorded in the 0.3 g N/kg treatment group as reaching 80.74 cm, 37.30, and 123.64 g/plant, respectively. Transcriptomic screening yielded 10,880 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and the number of downregulated DEGs was consistently higher than upregulated DEGs across all comparison groups. Metabolomic analysis identified a total of 3356 differentially accumulated metabolites, including 168 differential flavonoid metabolites. With the increase in nitrogen application rate, most flavonoid compounds, such as chlorogenic acid, 5-hydroxyferulic acid, and 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, exhibited a significantly downregulated accumulation pattern. An integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed that the differential flavonoid metabolites and functional genes were predominantly enriched in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and flavone and flavonol metabolism pathways. The decreased expression of key structural genes, including PAL, 4CL, CHS, FLS, F3H, and F3′H, inhibited the biosynthesis and accumulation of core flavonoid components (e.g., chlorogenic acid, naringenin, and luteolin), thereby deteriorating the medicinal quality of P. capitata. Conclusions: Nitrogen supplementation increases the yield of P. capitata but inhibits flavonoid biosynthesis. Downregulated expression of key genes in flavonoid metabolism is responsible for the decreased flavonoid content. This study provides theoretical support for optimized nitrogen management to coordinate yield formation and quality improvement in planting practices for P. capitata. Full article

Background: The genus Anchusa L. includes plants used in Uyghur medicine for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. However, in China, the botanical origin of HERBA ANCHUSAE (Niushecao, a Uyghur medicinal herb) is severely confused. Traditional identification methods and standard DNA barcodes do not work well for these close relatives. Chloroplast genomes are known to contain variable regions that can help distinguish species, yet no such study has been done for Anchusa. Therefore, We compared the complete chloroplast genomes of six Anchusa species and the main adulterants of Niushecao. Methods: We analyzed genome structure, repeat sequences, codon usage bias, and nucleotide diversity (Pi), as well as conducted comparative and phylogenetic analyses. Results: All genomes shared a typical ring-shaped quadripartite structure, ranged from 150,178 to 150,844 bp in size, and contained the same set of genes. Despite this overall conservation, we identified several highly variable spots, mostly located in non-coding intergenic spacer regions. Using two complementary approaches—sliding window analysis and mVISTA-based sequence visualization—we identified three overlapping regions (rbcL-psaI, petA-psbJ, and trnC-GCA-petN) as candidate DNA barcodes for species identification. Our phylogenetic tree showed that Anchusa strigosa Banks & Sol. is most closely related to the true medicinal species Anchusa azurea Mill. (Bootstrap support (BS) = 100%), while other look-alikes formed separate branches. Conclusions: These findings provide the first chloroplast genomic resources for this genus and offer potential molecular markers for authenticating Anchusa medicinal materials, laying a foundation for future development of molecular authentication methods. Full article

Mirabilis himalaica is a Tibetan medicinal plant whose tuberous root is its principal medicinal organ. To characterise molecular and metabolic differences associated with root enlargement, we integrated untargeted metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of enlarged and non-enlarged roots. We identified 1465 metabolites, including 336 differentially accumulated metabolites, and 4058 differentially expressed genes. Flavonoids and phenolic acids were predominantly less abundant in enlarged roots, whereas several alkaloids showed higher relative abundance. Three gibberellin-related metabolites were lower in enlarged roots, while 1-Aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid (ACC), L-tryptophan, tryptamine, and several cytokinin-related metabolites showed higher relative signals. Tryptophan metabolism was a shared enriched pathway in the integrated analysis. L-Tryptophan was positively correlated with Anthranilate synthase beta subunit 2 (ASB2) and negatively correlated with Tryptophan synthase alpha chain (TSA) and Probable indole-3-pyruvate monooxygenase (YUC) across the six samples; these exploratory correlations do not establish regulatory relationships. The observed patterns are consistent with coordinated changes in hormone-related metabolites, secondary metabolism, and gene expression during root enlargement. Because Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and lignin were not directly quantified, the study does not infer their concentrations or deposition. These findings provide a multi-omics resource for investigating tuberous-root development and for guiding future functional and targeted validation studies in this endangered medicinal species. Full article

Climate and land-use change are shifting the spatial distribution and habitat suitability of many plant species, particularly those with narrow ecological niches and limited ranges. Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C.Chen is a medicinally important and nationally protected plant species distributed in tropical and subtropical southern China. Predicting its habitat suitability under current and future climate scenarios is essential for understanding its responses to environmental change and guiding conservation and resource management. In this study, an optimized maximum entropy model was used to predict the current habitat suitability of D. cochinchinensis in China and to assess changes in habitat suitability under future climate scenarios in the 2090s. The model showed reliable predictive performance for estimating species distribution. Under current conditions, suitable habitats were concentrated in southern China, particularly southern Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and parts of Fujian, covering 23.93 × 10⁴ km² (8.31% of the study area). Mean temperature of the driest quarter (Bio9), temperature annual range (Bio7), and precipitation seasonality (Bio15) were the dominant predictors, highlighting the importance of thermal conditions in shaping species distribution, whereas lithology (Lith) and soil type (ST) were the major non-climatic contributors influencing habitat suitability. Under future scenarios, suitable habitats showed spatial redistribution rather than uniform expansion or contraction. The spatial comparison among future scenarios identified stable habitats in the central and southwestern parts of Hainan Island, south-central Yunnan, and western Guangxi, with habitat losses mainly occurring in coastal South China and limited expansion in southwestern regions. Habitat centroid shifts were scenario dependent, with an eastward shift under SSP1-2.6 and northwestward shifts under SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5, with migration distances ranging from 60.09 to 165.77 km. These results indicate that climate change may substantially reorganize the distribution pattern of D. cochinchinensis in southern China. Therefore, future conservation planning should prioritize current high-suitability areas, potential macroclimatically stable areas, and emerging suitable habitats to support long-term preservation and sustainable utilization of nationally protected medicinal species. Full article