Search Results (4,024)

Olive leaves represent a metabolically active tissue that plays an important role in plant responses to biotic stress. The present study comprised two independent experiments investigating biochemical responses of olive leaves to bacterial and fungal challenge under controlled conditions. Changes in primary metabolites (sugars, organic acids and free amino acids), phenolic compounds and lipid peroxidation were analyzed using chromatographic and spectrophotometric methods. In the bacterial experiment, pronounced differences were observed in primary metabolism. Tryptophan concentrations ranged from approximately 50 mg kg⁻¹ DW to more than 360 mg kg⁻¹ DW in ‘Istarska bjelica’, while sucrose concentrations reached up to 87 g kg⁻¹ DW, demonstrating cultivar-dependent differences in carbohydrate metabolism. Phenolic profiling showed that secoiridoids were the dominant phenolic class, with oleuropein concentrations exceeding 27 g kg⁻¹ DW across bacterial treatments. In the fungal experiment, amino acids showed greater variability than sugars and phenolic compounds, whereas MDA concentrations ranged from approximately 190 to 300 nmol g⁻¹ DW but did not differ significantly among pathogen treatments. Overall, the two experiments showed distinct patterns of metabolite variation associated with bacterial and fungal challenge. These findings contribute to a better understanding of cultivar-dependent metabolic responses and provide a basis for future studies of olive–microbe interactions. Full article

Plantations dominated by different tree species can differ in soil nutrient cycling and microbial community assembly, but corresponding bacterial and fungal patterns have not been characterized for mature plantation stands and a natural secondary forest in the Longmen Mountains of southwestern China. This study compared a natural secondary forest (SF) with four plantations, Magnolia officinalis (MO), Juglans regia (JR), Larix gmelinii (LG), and Cryptomeria japonica (CJ), in the Longmen Mountains of southwestern China, and investigated soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, bacterial and fungal community composition, co-occurrence networks, and predicted functional profiles in the 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil layers. The results showed that stand type was associated with total nitrogen (TN; p = 0.012), dissolved organic carbon (DOC; p < 0.001), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON; p < 0.001), and urease activity (p = 0.018), whereas pH differed between soil layers (p = 0.024) but not among stand types (p = 0.270). Relative to SF topsoil, DOC was 29.2% higher in JR and 36.1% higher in LG, while DON was 42.0% higher in JR and 51.4% higher in LG. TN and DON also showed stand type × soil layer interactions. None of the bacterial or fungal Chao1, Shannon, or Simpson indices showed significant stand type, soil layer, or interaction effects. In contrast, PERMANOVA indicated that bacterial and fungal community composition differed among the sampled stand types (p < 0.05), and fungal community composition also differed between the two soil layers (p < 0.05), whereas bacterial community composition did not. Paired partial dbRDA indicated that the integrated soil environmental gradients represented by the first three PCA axes were associated with bacterial community composition (R² = 0.083, p = 0.012), whereas the corresponding association was not significant for fungi (R² = 0.080, p = 0.371). Within the retained co-occurrence network analysis, MO had the most complex bacterial network, and JR had the most complex fungal network. PICRUSt2-predicted profiles were dominated by metabolism (38.6%–39.3%), but no bacterial KEGG Level 1 category or FUNGuild trophic-mode category showed a stand type, soil layer, or interaction effect after correction for multiple testing. These findings indicate that differences among the sampled stands were expressed more clearly in active carbon and nitrogen pools and microbial community composition than in alpha diversity or broad predicted functional profiles. Full article

Spontaneously fermented camel milk from Xinjiang is valued for its nutrition but faces quality inconsistency due to complex microbial ecosystems. This study investigated how regional microbial communities correlate with volatile flavor profiles. Nine samples from three distinct areas—Dabancheng, Hami, and Keping—were analyzed using bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS region amplicon sequencing combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOF MS). Bacterial communities were dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, while Ascomycota and Basidiomycota prevailed among fungi. Dominant genera varied by region: Lactobacillus and Dekkera in Dabancheng; Lactobacillus and Dipodascus in Hami; Lactococcus and Cutaneotrichosporon in Keping. Flavor profiles also diverged, with Dabancheng being rich in esters, alcohols, and ketones; Hami featuring hydrocarbons and alcohols; and Keping containing elevated hydrocarbons, alcohols, and esters. Key statistical associations were identified: Lactobacillus, Rahnella, and Acetobacter were positively associated with propene and 3-decyn-2-ol (VIP > 1.0, |r| > 0.8), while Pseudomonas, Lactococcus, and Klebsiella showed negative correlations with vinyl n-caproate. These findings reveal statistical associations between geographic origin, specific microbial taxa, and flavor attributes, providing a scientific foundation that may inform future efforts toward developing targeted starter cultures pending microbial isolation and functional validation. Full article

Soil multifunctionality (SMF) is a core indicator of plantation soil ecological function, and microbial diversity plays a vital role in sustaining it. However, cross-site rhizosphere and bulk SMF disparities and their microbial driving mechanisms remain unclear in Eucommia ulmoides plantations. Here, we collected rhizosphere and bulk soils from three typical sites (Mengzhou, MZ; Liangyuan, LY; and Yuanyang, YY). Soil chemical properties, extracellular enzymes, microbial alpha diversity, community composition and cross-kingdom network topology were measured. Correlation heatmaps, random forest, Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Partial least path modeling (PLS-PM) were adopted to quantify SMF predictors and regulatory pathways. Rhizosphere soils possessed significantly higher alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) than bulk soils at all sites. LY rhizosphere showed the greatest soil organic carbon (SOC), total potassium (TK), available nutrients and enzyme activities, while YY had higher total nitrogen (TN) and AP, yet the lowest enzyme levels. Rhizosphere bacterial and fungal alpha diversity was consistently higher across locations. SMF varied distinctly by site and compartment: LY had substantially higher SMF than MZ and YY in both rhizosphere and bulk soils, with rhizosphere SMF being consistently greater than bulk values across all sites. The PLS-PM (GOF = 0.70) indicated that soil chemical properties regulated SMF via dual pathways: they directly promoted microbial co-occurrence networks and indirectly modified network structure by altering fungal diversity, while suppressing bacterial diversity. Total effect analysis identified soil chemical properties and microbial co-occurrence networks as the core drivers of SMF variation. This work clarifies that rhizosphere effects and soil chemical properties jointly drive SMF by regulating microbial diversity and co-occurrence networks, offering theoretical guidance for sustainable soil management in E. ulmoides plantations. Full article

As key drivers of soil biogeochemical cycles, soil microbial communities play essential roles in maintaining soil fertility, nutrient cycling, and plant growth. In this study, high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS genes was used to investigate the diversity, the composition, and the driving factors of bacterial and fungal communities in bulk soils across four soil groups collected from different vegetation covers (forest soil (FS), soybean field (PGS), and two Atractylodes japonica cultivation soils (ALO and ALR)) under identical climatic conditions. The results showed that the bacterial α-diversity remained stable across all the vegetation types, whereas the fungal α-diversity and richness were more sensitive to the vegetation type, with the PGS generally exhibiting lower Shannon and Chao1 indices. The β-diversity analysis revealed significant differences in the microbial community structure among the vegetation types, with a stronger effect on fungi (R² = 0.737, p = 0.001) than on bacteria (R² = 0.493, p = 0.001). At the phylum and genus levels, the fungal communities displayed more pronounced shifts than the bacterial communities, which remained relatively stable. A redundancy analysis indicated that the soil chemical properties significantly shaped the microbial community structure (p = 0.002). The microbial communities in the A. japonica soils (ALO and ALR) were primarily driven by pH, available phosphorus, and available potassium, while the FS and PGS communities were more strongly influenced by soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and nitrogen forms (NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N). The Spearman correlation and functional prediction analyses further confirmed that the key soil factors differentially regulated the abundance and ecological functions of the dominant microbial taxa. These findings demonstrate the vegetation-specific assembly of soil microbial communities and highlight the distinct edaphic drivers associated with A. japonica cultivation, providing a scientific basis for soil health management and the sustainable cultivation of this medicinal plant. Full article

Biochar has been used to improve soils and promote sustainable agricultural development. The effects of applying different doses of biochar on soil aggregate structure and stability, aggregate-associated microbial communities, aggregate carbon fractions, and underlying mechanisms in planted forest soil ecosystems remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of biochar amendment (7 years) on carbon stabilization in plantation soils. The effects of biochar application (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2%, 4%, and 6%) on water-stable aggregate distribution, stability indices such as mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), and fractal dimension (D), aggregate-associated microbial communities (fungal and bacterial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs)), and carbon fractions such as soil organic carbon (SOC), easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), recalcitrant organic carbon (ROC) and black carbon (BC) were investigated based on a seven-year in situ field experiment in a Eucalyptus plantation in northern Guangxi. The results showed that after 7 years, biochar application significantly increased the proportion of macroaggregates (≥0.25 mm). The MWD and GMD increased significantly with increasing biochar application rates, whereas D decreased significantly, indicating enhanced soil structural stability. Biochar significantly increased the abundance of fungi and bacteria across all aggregate size classes and changed the microbial community structure towards conditions that promoted increased carbon stabilization. Additionally, biochar application significantly increased both recalcitrant (ROC and BC) and labile carbon (EOC, POC, DOC, and MBC) in all aggregate fractions, with the largest increments in macroaggregates. Based on correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM), we speculated that biochar might enhance the physical protection and chemical sequestration of organic carbon by optimizing the physical structure of the aggregates and synergizing with the microbial carbon pump. The 7-year application of biochar significantly enhanced the SOC content in plantation soils, primarily by increasing recalcitrant organic carbon, demonstrating that biochar application constitutes a viable approach to augmenting persistent soil carbon stabilization in plantation ecosystems. The 4% and 6% treatments produced the largest responses for most of the measured indicators, underscoring the importance of biochar application. Full article

The rhizosphere microbiome is critical for plant health, yet how soil type and intensive management jointly govern its assembly remain unclear. Here, we hypothesized that soil type acts as a primary environmental filter, while intensive cultivation (plant growth plus fertilization) imposes additional selective pressures that differentially shape bacterial versus fungal communities. Using flue-cured tobacco (K326) grown in clay loam and sandy loam soils under field conditions, we examined the rhizosphere microbiome at the topping stage. Intensive cultivation significantly altered rhizosphere physicochemical properties. Key nutrients, including organic matter (OM), dissolved total nitrogen (DTN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK), were markedly enriched. Rhizosphere soil pH exhibited a bidirectional shift relative to the corresponding bulk soil, converging to a narrow range (7.4–7.8) in both soil types. Root activity and fertilization imposed contrasting selective pressures on the two microbial kingdoms: bacterial diversity declined slightly, indicating strong deterministic selection, whereas fungal diversity increased, reflecting adaptation to root-generated niches. Differential abundance analysis identified 38 bacterial OTUs as a core rhizosphere-adapted microbiome shared across both soil types, demonstrating robust fitness in the nutrient-enriched rhizosphere environment under intensive management. No shared core fungal OTUs were detected, underscoring strong soil legacy effects and higher habitat specificity in fungi. Notably, the core bacterial microbiome was dominated by K-strategists (slow-growing, resource-efficient taxa) that exhibited opportunistic traits capable of rapidly exploiting nutrient pulses in the rhizosphere. Together, these findings reveal that soil type acts as a critical filter modulating plant–microbe interactions under intensive agriculture, while bacteria and fungi employ divergent ecological strategies in response to selection pressures. This work provides both theoretical and practical insights for optimizing tobacco cultivation and sustaining soil microecological health. Full article

Soil microbial biogeography on nearshore islands remains less well understood than that on remote archipelagos, particularly when bacterial and fungal diversity, community composition, and co-occurrence associations are evaluated together. We characterized bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS communities in 36 topsoil samples collected from five nearshore islands in the northern South China Sea and examined their associations with plant diversity, soil physicochemical properties, and climatic and geographic conditions. Bacterial Shannon diversity, ACE richness, and Simpson diversity differed significantly among islands, as did fungal ACE richness, whereas fungal Shannon and Simpson diversity showed no significant differences. Bray–Curtis-based analyses revealed island-associated differentiation in bacterial community composition and fungal community composition, although multivariate dispersion also differed among islands. Sample-level subnetworks derived from an integrated co-occurrence network showed that the number of bacteria–bacteria edges differed significantly among islands, whereas the numbers of bacteria–fungi and fungi–fungi edges did not. Exploratory Spearman correlation analyses and variation partitioning indicated that microbial properties were more broadly associated with soil physicochemical properties and climatic–geographic conditions than with plant diversity. By evaluating both microbial kingdoms within the same field campaign, this study identifies partly distinct bacterial and fungal biogeographic and co-occurrence patterns and provides a baseline for future microbial biodiversity monitoring on nearshore islands. Full article

Stipagrostis plumosa is a desert grass that remains relatively underexplored with respect to its phytochemical composition and biological activities, particularly against pathogens of veterinary relevance. This study aimed to characterize the phytochemical profile of S. plumosa and evaluate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of its extracts and solvent fractions. Aerial parts of S. plumosa were collected during the flowering season from Al-Quwai’iyah, Saudi Arabia, and subjected to methanolic extraction followed by solvent fractionation. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal strains, and cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and A549 cells were evaluated. GC–MS was used to characterize the ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions. The crude methanolic extract contained 72.1 mg GAE/g extract of total phenolics and 13.6 mg QE/g extract of total flavonoids. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 72.48 µg/mL) and the most pronounced antimicrobial activity, whereas the chloroform fraction showed the highest cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and A549 cells, with IC₅₀ values of 173.52 and 194.17 µg/mL, respectively. GC–MS profiling revealed diverse phenolic derivatives, fatty acids and their esters, oxygenated compounds, and phytosterol-related constituents. Stigmasta-3,5-dien-7-one (14.70%) and vanillic acid (7.18%) predominated in the ethyl acetate fraction, while hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (5.28%) was among the major constituents of the chloroform fraction. Overall, the fraction-dependent biological activities and diverse phytochemical profiles highlight S. plumosa as a promising source of natural bioactive compounds with potential relevance to veterinary health and the development of alternative antimicrobial strategies. Full article

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is a major agricultural byproduct whose complex lignocellulosic matrix hinders direct reuse and poses environmental risks when stockpiled. This study evaluated whether pretreatment with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could enhance SMS as a soil amendment for blueberry cultivation. Two PGPR-treated SMS formulations, along with raw SMS and a blank control, were applied to blueberry seedlings in a 10-month greenhouse experiment. Plant height, rhizosphere soil nutrients, enzyme activities, lignocellulose fractions, and the microbial communities were monitored over three growth phases and four sampling points. PGPR-treated SMS significantly increased blueberry height gain during the fast-growing phase (June–September) and sustained elevated levels of organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium throughout the experiment. Activities of cellulase, xylanase, laccase, peroxidase, protease, and lipase were markedly enhanced, accompanied by reduced lignin and cellulose contents and persistently high glucose availability. The amendments reshaped bacterial and fungal communities, enriching Bacillota, Acidobacteriota, Acidibacter, and Hyphomicrobium, and increasing alpha diversity, with clear structural separation from controls in principal coordinate analysis. Correlation and principal component analyses linked improved plant growth to nutrient availability, enzyme stimulation, and specific microbial taxa. These findings indicate that PGPR-treated SMS acts as a multifunctional amendment that promotes lignocellulose degradation, sustains soil fertility, and restructures the rhizosphere microbiome, offering a sustainable recycling strategy for horticultural production. Full article

The rising global food demand requires boosting agricultural productivity without compromising environmental sustainability, especially in the face of intensive agrochemical use and soil degradation. Based on this, strain TRQ67 was isolated from wheat rhizosphere soil in the Yaqui Valley, Mexico, and characterized morphologically, biochemically, and genomically. Strain TRQ67 possesses a genome of 4.04 Mbp across 37 contigs with a G + C content of 46.3%, comprising 4127 coding DNA sequences (CDSs), and was identified as Bacillus velezensis through Overall Genome Relatedness Indices (OGRIs), including Average Nucleotide Identity (OrthoANI = 99.12%) and Genome-to-Genome Distance Calculator (Formula 2: 92.6%). The genome revealed key functional genes associated with auxin biosynthesis (trpABCDEF and yhcX), iron acquisition (dhbABF), nutrient solubilization (gabD, acnAB and pyc), stress response (clpCEPX and pspA), antifungal metabolite synthesis (srfAABCD, fenABCD and bmyABC), chemotaxis and motility (cheABCD, motAB, flgBCDEF, swrC), bacterial fitness (acoABR, acuABC and budABC), exopolysaccharide production (epsDEFHI), sporulation (spo0ABEF) and bioremediation. Predicted gene functions were supported by in vitro phenotypic assays; strain TRQ67 was able to solubilize phosphate (Solubilization Index of 4.1 ± 0.46), biosynthesize siderophores (Production Index of 1.70 ± 0.16), and produce indoles (6.52 ± 0.63 µg mL⁻¹). Furthermore, this strain demonstrated antagonistic activity against phytopathogenic fungi Fusarium languescens and Bipolaris sorokiniana, resulting in reductions in fungal growth area of 87.33% and 89.28%, respectively. These antagonistic effects are consistent with the presence of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs) encoding lipopeptides (surfactin and fengycin), polyketides (difficidin, bacillaene and macrolactin H), dipeptides (bacilysin) and siderophores (bacillibactin), as identified through antiSMASH analysis. Finally, the strain significantly improved root (27.63%) and shoot (5.82%) biomass in wheat plants under controlled conditions. These results highlight Bacillus velezensis TRQ67 as a promising microbial inoculant with plant growth promotion capabilities and potential antifungal activity against phytopathogenic fungi, as evidenced by strong in vitro antagonistic activity, supporting its further evaluation for sustainable agricultural practices. Full article

Although many studies had been conducted on soil microbial communities in forest ecosystems before this one, how the diversity and network complexity of soil microbial communities evolved throughout the succession of karst forests remained unclear. We collected soil samples from three vegetation successional stages (grassland stage, shrub stage and arbor stage) in Maolan National Nature Reserve, Guizhou Province, China, and applied high-throughput sequencing technology to explore soil microbial diversity, community composition, co-occurrence network characteristics and their internal correlations. The results showed that the succession process significantly affected soil microbial diversity (p < 0.05). Bacterial diversity increased by 12.33% as succession proceeded, whereas fungal diversity declined by 37.50%. The dominant microbial communities exhibited obvious stage-specific characteristics. For bacteria, Bacillaceae served as a universally dominant taxon. Paenibacillaceae and Thermoactinomycetaceae were enriched in the grassland (CD) stage, and the relative abundance of Streptosporangiaceae reached its maximum in the arbor (QM) stage. For fungi, Trimorphomycetaceae and Hypocreaceae were ubiquitous dominant groups. Aspergillaceae possessed the highest relative abundance in the CD stage, while Clavicipitaceae peaked in relative abundance in the QM stage. The complexity of bacterial co-occurrence networks rose with succession, whereas fungal network complexity decreased. Both positive and negative linkages in bacterial networks increased over succession, while both types of connections in fungal networks declined. Soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and N/P ratio exerted the strongest influences on bacterial communities and bulk density; SOC and TN were the key drivers structuring fungal assemblages. Micromonosporaceae and Xanthobacteraceae showed significant positive correlations with TP and N/P ratio (p < 0.05), whereas Thermoactinomycetaceae and Oscillospiraceae presented significant negative correlations with these two indicators (p < 0.01). Clavicipitaceae had strong positive correlations with SOC and TN (p < 0.01), and Herpotrichiellaceae together with Aspergillaceae displayed significant negative correlations with SOC and TN (p < 0.05). This study clarified the regulatory effects of karst forest secondary succession on soil microbial communities and provided theoretical evidence for the ecological restoration of karst regions. Full article

Endophytic bacteria associated with medicinal plants represent a potential source of microorganisms with useful enzymatic and antagonistic properties. In this study, 14 bacterial isolates were recovered from the leaves, roots, flowers, and petioles of Inula helenium and screened for morphological, biochemical, and hydrolytic characteristics. Isolate IH-B3, which showed the most pronounced starch- and casein-hydrolysis zones during preliminary screening, was selected for further characterization. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry assigned the isolate to Bacillus subtilis with an identification score of 2.26, and the strain was designated B. subtilis UzMU25. Its 1444 bp 16S rRNA gene sequence was deposited in GenBank under accession number PZ593820. The strain was catalase- and lecithinase-positive but gelatinase- and hemolysis-negative, and it grew at pH 6.5 and in the presence of horse bile under the qualitative assay conditions used. Hydrolysis-zone diameters ranged from 46 to 52 mm for amylase, 34 to 42 mm for protease, and 10 to 16 mm for lipase activity. In direct antagonism assays, UzMU25 inhibited all six bacterial and fungal test organisms, producing inhibition zones of 26–36 mm. Biofilm biomass varied with incubation time and reached its highest corrected OD₅₉₀ value at 12 h (0.780 ± 0.025). Antibiotic-disc testing showed a 10 mm inhibition zone for vancomycin, indicating reduced susceptibility under the applied conditions and requiring further investigation of its genetic basis and potential transferability. No mortality was observed during the preliminary acute oral study following administration of the tested preparation at doses up to 10,000 mg kg⁻¹, and no visible dermal or conjunctival irritation was detected. Overall, UzMU25 exhibited preliminary enzymatic, antagonistic, and biofilm-forming characteristics of biotechnological interest. However, whole-genome antimicrobial-resistance screening and more comprehensive phenotypic and toxicological evaluations are required before the strain can be recommended for probiotic or other practical applications. Full article

Chronic diseases and aging-related disorders are driven by interconnected mechanisms, including oxidative stress, low-grade inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, and glycation. Targeting these overlapping pathways remains a major challenge for conventional single-target therapeutics. In this context, endophytic fungi have emerged as a promising source of bioactive metabolites with multi-target pharmacological potential. This review provides a mechanistic overview of endophyte-derived metabolites, including alkaloids, terpenoids, polyketides, and phenolic compounds, with a focus on their ability to modulate key signaling pathways such as NF-κB, Nrf2, PI3K/Akt, AMPK, and the AGE–RAGE axis. Evidence from experimental studies suggests that these metabolites exhibit anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and metabolic regulatory effects through coordinated modulation of cellular signaling networks. Several endophyte-derived metabolites also possess antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal pathogens and may represent a promising source of novel anti-infective agents. Their ability to modulate host immune responses and microbial-associated signaling pathways further highlights their relevance for antimicrobial discovery and microbiome-based therapeutic strategies. Particular attention is given to pathway-level convergence in chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and inflammation-associated disorders, as well as their relevance to aging and health span. The pharmacological potential of these compounds is discussed alongside key limitations, including issues related to bioavailability, reproducibility, and translation into clinical applications. Overall, endophytic fungal metabolites represent a structurally diverse and mechanistically rich resource for the development of multi-target therapeutic strategies. Future integration of metabolomics, genome mining, and advanced disease models will be essential to bridge the gap between experimental findings and clinical application. Full article

Microbial fertilizers may improve phosphorus availability and pH in acidic soils, but field evidence linking these changes with medicinal plant biomass and specialised metabolite accumulation remains limited. Here, a one-season field experiment was conducted in acidic yellow soil in Guizhou Province, China, using four fertilization regimes for Lonicera macranthoides: an organic fertilizer plus compound fertilizer control (CK), a bacterial consortium (T1), a simplified bacterial combination (T2), and a fungal agent (T3). Soil chemical properties, soil aggregate composition, flower-bud biomass, and chlorogenic-acid-related compounds were measured. T1 and T3 increased soil available phosphorus and pH at the pre-flowering stage and increased the proportion of water-stable macroaggregates (>5 mm). Both treatments also increased fresh and dry biomass. T1 showed the highest numerical chlorogenic acid content, whereas T3 was more favourable for the accumulation of isochlorogenic acids A and C. Across plot-level observations, available phosphorus was positively correlated with fresh weight (r = 0.804) and dry weight (r = 0.781), and pH was positively correlated with chlorogenic acid (r = 0.687). Univariate regression and redundancy analysis further indicated that available phosphorus and pH were the soil factors most closely associated with biomass and chlorogenic acid accumulation. These findings provide preliminary field indications that microbial fertilizers may improve yield and medicinal quality in acidic-soil L. macranthoides production. However, the single-season, single-site nature of the experiment warrants cautious interpretation and further validation across broader conditions. The observed associations are consistent with, but do not prove, a mechanistic pathway involving microbe-mediated phosphorus transformation and acidity regulation. Full article