Search Results (30)

Background/Objectives: Polygonati rhizoma (PR) is a common traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for 2000 years in China, serving as both food and medicine. It is known for various health benefits, including antidiabetic effects, regulation of gut microbiota, and enhancement of immunity. The most popular PR varieties are Polygonatum kingianum Coll. et Hemsl. (PK), Polygonatum sibiricum Red. (PS), Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua (PC), and Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce (PO). We aimed to determine the differences among these four PR species. Methods: Using an untargeted mass spectrometer we conducted a metabolomic analysis. Results: We detected 2360, 2336, 2381, and 2355 unique polysaccharide, steroid, alkaloid, nucleoside, and peptide metabolites, among which 10, 36, 5, and 26 were specific to PK, PS, PC, and PO, respectively. Differentially expressed polysaccharide, steroid, and alkaloid metabolites were identified in the four species. A total of 61, 56, 61, and 57 carbohydrates were identified in the PK, PS, PC, and PO, respectively; 33, 32, 29, and 30 steroids were identified in the PK, PS, PC, and PO, respectively; and 10, 12, 12, and 11 alkaloids were identified in PK, PS, PC, and PO, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings provide novel insights into the overall metabolome of the four PR species, improve understanding of their functions and effectiveness, and provide a theoretical basis for qualitative evaluation and comprehensive PR applications. Full article

Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua, a plant with a long history of consumption in China, serves both medicinal and edible purposes, and it exhibits numerous pharmacological effects, including promoting kidney health and enhancing immune function. However, the effect and molecular mechanism of Polygonatum cyrtonema polysaccharides (PCPs) on hyperuricemia have not yet been reported. The hyperuricemic mice model was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of potassium oxonate (PO, 300 mg/kg), combined with the intragastric administration of hypoxanthine (HX, 300 mg/kg). Biochemical assays in mice revealed that PCPs markedly lowered high serum uric acid levels, suppressed xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity, and reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Western blot analysis demonstrated that PCPs downregulated urate transporter 1 (URAT1), while H&E staining showed that PCPs effectively restored renal histological integrity. Here, we isolated and identified the PCPs, which consist mainly of rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, and arabinose, with a molar mass ratio of 0.5:2.15:0.47:16.58:3.66:1.09. Furthermore, the galactose residue that docked with both XOD and URAT1 molecules forms more hydrogen bonds and exhibits a lower binding energy, which enables the improved regulation of both targets. We have demonstrated for the first time the improving effect of PCPs on hyperuricemia, and revealed their regulatory mechanisms by modulating xanthine oxidase, inflammatory factors, and uric acid transporters. This study not only provides new insights into the anti-hyperuricemic activity of PCPs in mice, but also lays a foundation for its potential application in the functional foods of anti-hyperuricemia. Full article

Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua (P. cyrtonema) is a medicinal plant with high pharmaceutical value. Due to morphological and physiological dormancy mechanisms in P. cyrtonema seeds, natural germination rates remain exceptionally low. This biological constraint necessitates the development of protocols to shorten germination timelines and improve germination efficiency, which are critical requirements for advancing P. cyrtonema breeding programs. In this study, exogenous gibberellin A4 + A7 (GA₄₊₇) was applied to break dormancy in P. cyrtonema seeds. Transcriptomic, hormone metabolomic, and physiological analyses were then employed to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Germination tests revealed that 50 mg·L⁻¹ GA₄₊₇ was the optimal concentration to break dormancy in P. cyrtonema seeds. Transcriptome analysis indicated that exogenous GA₄₊₇ induced the expression of genes involved in GA and ABA biosynthesis and signaling. A total of 19 differential hormone metabolites were identified through hormone metabolomics, with significantly increased levels of active GA₁ and GA₄, but decreased levels of ABA content. These findings were consistent with the up-regulation of transcript levels of GA biosynthesis-related genes and the down-regulation of ABA biosynthesis-related genes, which resulted in an increase in active GA/ABA ratio. At the same time, it was found that exogenous GA₄₊₇ treatment induced sucrose and starch metabolism and pectin catabolic pathways. We measured the relevant physiological indicators and found that the content of soluble sugar and α-amylase activity increased, but the pectin content decreased. These findings establish a theoretical foundation for applying GA₄₊₇ in the standardized production of P. cyrtonema, particularly for accelerating breeding cycles in medicinal germplasm development. Full article

Anthracnose significantly threatens the cultivation of Polygonatum cyrtonema, severely impacting its quality and yield. Between 2022 and 2023, 50 Colletotrichum isolates were obtained from diseased leaves collected in three P. cyrtonema production areas within the Two Lakes region of China (Hubei and Hunan provinces). Morphological and molecular analyses identified six Colletotrichum species as the causative agents of anthracnose: C. aenigma, C. siamense, C. gloeosporioides, C. spaethianum, C. fructicola, and C. karsti. Among these pathogens, C. fructicola and C. spaethianum were predominant (82%), while C. siamense and C. fructicola exhibited the highest aggressiveness. Physiological investigations revealed that the optimal temperature range for all six pathogens was 25–28 °C. C. spaethianum thrived under acidic conditions, whereas C. aenigma, C. siamense, and C. gloeosporioides preferred alkaline environments. In contrast, C. fructicola and C. karsti showed no significant response to pH variations. Fungicide screening demonstrated that pyraclostrobin, prochloraz, and carbendazim effectively inhibited the growth of Colletotrichum species. These findings elucidate the epidemiological factors, primary pathogens, and effective control agents for P. cyrtonema anthracnose in the Two Lakes region, providing a basis for developing targeted prevention and control strategies. Full article

Polygonati Rhizoma, widely used as a traditional functional food and herbal medicine, is well known for its health-promoting activities after the process of “nine cycles of steaming-drying”. Based on UPLC-MS/MS, 1369 secondary metabolites were identified in P. cyrtonema rhizomes, mainly alkaloids, amino acids and derivatives, flavonoids, organic acids, phenolic acids, and saccharides. The P. cyrtonema rhizomes were rich in xylose, arabinose, glucose, sorbose, mannose, galactose, rhamnose, inositol, fucose, sedoheptulose, phosphorylated monosaccharides, sugar acid, and sugar alcohols. Particularly, 23 types of modifications were detected for amino acids, while the most frequent modifications were acetylation, methylation (nono-, di-, and tri-), cyclo-, homo-, and hydroxylation. Based on the metabolic profile, samples from the third cycle (Tre-3) and the sixth cycle (Tre-6) were firstly clustered together due to similar metabolites and then grouped with samples from the ninth cycle (Tre-9). Differentially accumulated metabolites were mainly enriched in “Metabolic pathways”, “Biosynthesis of cofactors”, “Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites”, “Flavonoid biosynthesis”, “Purine metabolism”, “ABC transporters”, “Biosynthesis of amino acids”, and “Nucleotide metabolism” pathways. During repeated steaming–drying processes, 39 metabolites occurred, including alkaloids, amino acids and derivatives, flavonoids, lignans and coumarins, lipids, nucleotides and derivatives, organic acids, phenolic acids, and terpenoids. This research will provide a critical scientific basis for postharvest processing of P. cyrtonema rhizomes. Full article

A Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua (PCH) is a common medicinal and edible plant whose rhizomes are widely used for the treatment and prevention of various diseases. Previous studies have revealed a variety of chemical components such as polysaccharides, saponins, and flavonoids, which possess a variety of biological activities such as antimicrobial, lipid-regulating, anti-aging, hypoglycemic, and anti-inflammatory. However, to date, the structure and activity of its oligosaccharide components are still unclear. In this study, we developed a method combining ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS) and monosaccharide analysis for the identification of oligosaccharides in PCH. Finally, a total of 44 oligosaccharides, including 27 fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), 10 arabino-oligosaccharides (AOS), and 7 others, were identified based on the precise relative molecular mass and fragment ion information provided by high-resolution mass spectrometry, in combination with standard comparison, monosaccharide composition analysis, and the relevant literature reports. All of those oligosaccharides were reported for the first time. These findings laid the foundation for the subsequent study of its medicinal substances and provided a theoretical basis for the more comprehensive development and utilization of PCH as a medicinal and edible product. Full article

To clarify the pollination contributions of introduced honey bees and native wild bees, we compared their pollination efficiency on a perennial herb, Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua. The flower’s traits and bees’ body traits were measured to quantify the mechanical fit between the bee species and flower. Pollen removal and deposition per visit, visit frequency, and visit duration per flower were investigated. The results show that both native bumble bees (worker bees of Bombus trifasciatus Smith) and introduced honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are effective pollinators, but bumble bees play a more important role in pollination, due to their higher visit frequency and slightly higher pollen transfer efficiency. The bumble bees removed and deposited significantly more pollen grains per visit than the honey bees (both p < 0.001). The faster visiting speed and shorter visit duration of the bumble bees, combined with their larger body size and longer proboscises, may have contributed to their higher pollen transfer efficiency. The pollination success of P. cyrtonema depends on its pollinators. This study is the first to report on the pollination efficiency of floral visitors on P. cyrtonema. Our findings highlight the importance of conserving native bumble bee populations to ensure the reproductive success of P. cyrtonema. Future studies should focus on their management to minimize potential disruptions to native pollination contribution. Full article

Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua (PCH) belongs to the genus Polygonatum Mill of the Liliaceae family. As a traditional tonic herb, the rhizome of PCH has been widely used as a functional food and traditional Chinese medicine, mainly for the treatment of spleen and lung Qi deficiency, essence and blood deficiency, internal heat, and thirst. To further elucidate the unknown chemical composition of PCH, this study presents an analytical strategy using macroporous resin (D101) column chromatography combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS) for the characterization of PCH’s chemical composition. The PCH extracts were separated via D101 resin column chromatography in conjunction with reverse phase liquid chromatography (C18 column). They were then analyzed by Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry utilizing parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mode, diagnostic fragment ions (DFIs), and neutral loss (NL). A total of 153 compounds were identified through comparing the mass spectrometry data with standard references, the published literature, and public databases, including 40 alkaloids, 43 organic acids, 30 flavonoids, 17 saponins, and 23 other compounds; The result expands PCH’s chemical composition, enhancing our understanding of its therapeutic effects and quality assurance. At the same time, the strategy has the potential to show a wide range of applications in the chemical characterization of different samples. Full article

Polysaccharides are the major bioactive components of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua, and their biosynthesis and accumulation are influenced by many agronomic practices. In this study, we applied integrative metabolome and transcriptome analyses to investigate the accumulation of bioactive components in one-year-old (1Y) and six-year-old (6Y) rhizomes of P. cyrtonema Hua treated with a plucking flower. The compound content analysis suggested that six-year-old treated rhizomes (T6) accumulated the highest polysaccharide content compared to that of one-year-old treated rhizomes (T1), one-year-old untreated rhizomes (C1), and six-year-old untreated rhizomes (C6). Metabolomics analysis showed that 4-O-galactopyranosylxylose, 6-O-α-l-arabinopyranosyl-d-glucopyranose, d-arabinose and dl-xylose significantly accumulated in T6 rhizomes. Carbohydrate metabolic pathways, including “glycolysis/gluconeogenesis”, “pentose and glucoronate interconversions” and “amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism” were highly correlated with polysaccharide biosynthesis and accumulation. The transcriptome data indicated that UPG2, GPI, and GALE were positively upregulated in T6_vs_C6. In parallel, RHM and PEI were down-regulated in T6_vs_C6. Taken together, this study not only indicates that the candidate metabolites/metabolic pathways and genes affected by plucking flowers may influence the accumulation of polysaccharides in the rhizomes but also provides an easy and feasible agronomic practice to facilitate the accumulation of polysaccharides in the rhizomes of P. cyrtonema Hua. Full article

This study aims to reveal the interannual and seasonal variations in functional components in Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua. rhizomes and evaluate whether the variations significantly affect the quality of rhizomes as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. The interannual and seasonal variations in total flavonoid content and total saponin content were analyzed. The global dynamic variation in secondary metabolites in the rhizomes during a five-year growth period and in two traditional harvesting seasons were investigated based on metabolomics method. Results clearly showed that the functional components in P. cyrtonema rhizomes exhibited a significant increase in accumulation during the one- to four-year growth period and a significant decrease in accumulation during the four- to five-year growth period. The most active accumulation occurred during the three- to four-year growth period. Drastic variations in functional components occurred from spring to autumn. The significant interannual variation and drastic seasonal variation were strongly associated with the enrichment in some pathways related to the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and the metabolisms of amino acids. The interannual and seasonal variations in functional components significantly affected the quality of P. cyrtonema rhizomes. The four-year-old rhizomes had the most superior quality due to their higher content of functional components and much more newly formed components. The rhizomes harvested in spring or autumn had unequal quality because of their significant differences in composition and content of functional components. Specifically, the rhizomes from spring contained more flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenolic acids, while those from autumn comprised more steroids. In conclusion, this study reveals that the interannual and seasonal variations in functional components can significantly affect the quality of P. cyrtonema rhizomes as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. This study provides foundational insights and theoretical guidance for determining an optimal cultivation period to obtain medicinal rhizomes with superior quality. It also offers a strategy for harvesting medicinal rhizomes in two different seasons to achieve unequal quality. Full article

Polygonatum cyrtonema polysaccharides have a variety of pharmacological effects. The commonly used extraction methods include traditional hot water extraction, alkaline extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis method, ultrasonic-assisted extraction, etc., but there are problems such as low yield, high temperature, high cost, strict extraction conditions, and insufficient environmental protection. In this study, crude polysaccharide extraction from the Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua was performed using the freeze–thaw method. Response surface methodology (RSM), based on a three-level, three-variable Box–Behnken design (BBD), was employed to obtain the best possible combination of water-to-raw material ratio (A: 30–50), freezing time (B: 2–10 h), and thawing temperature (C: 40–60 °C) for maximum polysaccharide extraction. Using the multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA), the experimental data were fitted to a second-order polynomial equation and were used to generate the mathematical model of optimization experiments. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: a water-to-raw material ratio of 36.95:1, a freezing time of 4.8 h, and a thawing temperature of 55.99 °C. Under the optimal extraction conditions, the extraction rate of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua polysaccharide (PCP) was 65.76 ± 0.32%, which is well in close agreement with the value predicted by the model, 65.92%. In addition, PCP has significant antioxidant activity. This result shows that the freeze–thaw method can improve the extraction efficiency, maintain the structural integrity of polysaccharides, simplify the extraction process, promote the dispersion of polysaccharides, and is suitable for large-scale industrial production. Full article

Agroforestry management has immense potential in enhancing forest carbon sequestration and mitigating climate change. Yet the impact and response mechanism of compound fertilization rates on carbon sinks in agroforestry systems remain ambiguous. This study aims to elucidate the impact of different compound fertilizer rates on soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, vegetation and soil organic carbon (SOC) sinks, and to illustrate the differences in agroforestry systems’ carbon sinks through a one-year positioning test across 12 plots, applying different compound fertilizer application rates (0 (CK), 400 (A1), 800 (A2), and 1600 (A3) kg ha⁻¹). The study demonstrated that, after fertilization, the total GHG emissions of A1 decreased by 4.41%, whereas A2 and A3 increased their total GHG emissions by 17.13% and 72.23%, respectively. The vegetation carbon sequestration of A1, A2, and A3 increased by 18.04%, 26.75%, and 28.65%, respectively, and the soil organic carbon sequestration rose by 32.57%, 42.27% and 43.29%, respectively. To sum up, in contrast with CK, the ecosystem carbon sequestration climbed by 54.41%, 51.67%, and 0.90%, respectively. Our study suggests that rational fertilization can improve the carbon sink of the ecosystem and effectively ameliorate climate change. Full article

Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua (P. cyrtonema) rhizomes are rich in flavonoids and other secondary metabolites, exhibiting remarkable antioxidant, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory effects. Polygonatum flavonoid-biosynthesis-related genes have been characterized already. However, a comprehensive overview of Polygonatum flavonoid biosynthesis pathways is still absent. To articulate the accumulation of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, we examined transcriptome changes using Illumina HiSeq from five different tissues and the RNA-seq of 15 samples had over 105 Gb of a clean base, generating a total of 277,955 unigenes. The cDNA libraries of the fruits (F), leaves (L), roots (R), stems (S), and rhizomes (T) of three-year-old P. cyrtonema plants generated 57,591, 53,578, 60,321, 51,530, and 54,935 unigenes. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that 379 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were in the group of F _vs_ T, L _vs_ T, R _vs_ T, and S _vs_ T, and the transcripts of flavonoid-biosynthesis-related DEGs were principally enriched in rhizomes. In addition, combined with WGCNA and the FPKM of five tissues’ transcription, nine differentially expressed transcription factor families (MYB, WRKY, AP2/ERF, etc.) were characterized in the red module, the red module positively correlated with rhizome flavonoid accumulation. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) further indicated that BZIP1, C3H31, ERF114, and DREB21 are differentially expressed in rhizomes, accompanied in rhizome development in P. cyrtonema. Therefore, this study provides a foundation for further research into uncovering the accumulation of flavonoid biosynthesis in the rhizomes of P. cyrtonema. Full article

In this study, electronic sensory techniques were employed to comprehensively evaluate the organoleptic quality, chemical composition and content change rules for Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua (PCH) during the steaming process. The results were subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). These analyses revealed, from a sensory product perspective, overall differences in colour, odour and taste among the samples of PCH with different numbers of steaming cycles. Using the UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS technique, 64 chemical components, including polysaccharides, organic acids, saponins and amino acids were detected in PCH before and after steaming. The sensory traits were then correlated with the chemical composition. From the perspectives of sensory traits, chemical composition, and multi-component index content, it was preliminarily deduced that carrying out five cycles of steaming and sun-drying was optimal, providing evidence for the quality evaluation of PCH during the steaming process. Full article

Flavonoids, a class of phenolic compounds, are one of the main functional components and have a wide range of molecular structures and biological activities in Polygonatum. A few of them, including homoisoflavonoids, chalcones, isoflavones, and flavones, were identified in Polygonatum and displayed a wide range of powerful biological activities, such as anti-cancer, anti-viral, and blood sugar regulation. However, few studies have systematically been published on the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua. Therefore, in the present study, a combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis was performed on the leaf, stem, rhizome, and root tissues of P. cyrtonema to uncover the synthesis pathway of flavonoids and to identify key regulatory genes. Flavonoid-targeted metabolomics detected a total of 65 active substances from four different tissues, among which 49 substances were first study to identify in Polygonatum, and 38 substances were flavonoids. A total of 19 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) (five flavonols, three flavones, two dihydrochalcones, two flavanones, one flavanol, five phenylpropanoids, and one coumarin) were finally screened by KEGG enrichment analysis. Transcriptome analysis indicated that a total of 222 unigenes encoding 28 enzymes were annotated into three flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, which were “phenylpropanoid biosynthesis”, “flavonoid biosynthesis”, and “flavone and flavonol biosynthesis”. The combined analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome revealed that 37 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) encoding 11 enzymes (C4H, PAL, 4CL, CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, LAR, ANR, FNS, FLS) and 19 DAMs were more likely to be regulated in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. The expression of 11 DEGs was validated by qRT-PCR, resulting in good agreement with the RNA-Seq. Our studies provide a theoretical basis for further elucidating the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in Polygonatum. Full article