Drought stress severely compromises the physiological integrity and secondary metabolism of medicinal plants. This study integrated physiological, biochemical, and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analyses to investigate the effects of exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on drought-stressed Ilex rotunda seedlings. Drought reduced relative water content by 29% and chlorophyll by >50%, while elevating H2O2 (76%) and malondialdehyde (120%). MeJA application mitigated these impairments, reducing oxidative markers by 25% and enhancing non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity, as shown by a 74% increase in DPPH radical scavenging activity and a 141% rise in total phenolic content. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and pathway mapping confirmed a significant reprogramming of the phenolic metabolome, particularly within phenylpropanoid and benzoate biosynthesis pathways. Drought + MeJA-treated plants exhibited a distinct and enriched profile compared to both well-watered control and drought-stressed groups. This reprogramming specifically elevated key hydroxycinnamates, including verbascoside and neochlorogenic acid (increased by 50% and 52%, respectively), while suppressing alternative phenolic branches. These findings demonstrate that MeJA orchestrates a shift from enzymatic scavenging to a potent metabolite-based antioxidant system, positioning it as an effective elicitor for enhancing drought resilience and enriching the high-value phytochemicals in I. rotunda.

Flavonoids in plant extracts exhibit significant biological activities but are limited by their low bioavailability. This research aimed to improve the functional properties by synthesizing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nano- particles using flavonoids derived from T. hemsleyanum. 208 flavonoids were identified using ultrahighperformance-mass/mass spectrometry and used for nanoparticle preparation. The nanoparticles exhibited 24 % and 55 % higher equilibrium dissolution rates in simulated intestinal and gastric fluids than free flavonoids. With spherical morphologies, 100 nm size and- 26.7 mV zeta potential, these nanoparticles showed remarkable improvements in biological activities, including 1.5-fold enhancement in antioxidant capacity, HeLa cell inhibition, and antimicrobial efficacy, and a 5-fold increase in anti-inflammatory effects compared to unencapsulated flavonoids. This research has established a methodological system that could effectively enhance the utilization rate of flavonoids in plant extracts, offering promising potential for application in functional foods.

This study presents the complete chloroplast genome of Cinnamomum daphnoides (154,121 bp, GC 39.2%), a newly recorded species in China, revealing a typical quadripartite structure: a large single-copy region (93,688 bp, GC 37.9%), a small single-copy region (18,929 bp, GC 33.9%), and two inverted repeats (20,752 bp each, GC 44.3%). The genome harbors 126 genes (82 protein-coding, 36 tRNA, 8 rRNA). Phylogenetic analysis groups C. daphnoides with C. tamala, differing from prior studies. These findings clarify its systematic position within Cinnamomum and support its potential for coastal greening applications.

(1) Background: Methyl jasmonate-treated D. morbifera adventitious root extract (MeJA-DMARE), enriched with phenolics, has enhanced bioactivities. However, phenolics possess low stability and bioavailability. Substantial evidence indicates that plant extract–phospholipid complex assemblies, known as phytosomes, represent an innovative drug delivery system. (2) Methods: The phytosome complex was created by combining MeJA-DMARE with Soy-L-α-phosphatidylcholine (PC) using three different ratios through two distinct methods (co-solvency method: A1, A2, and A3; thin-layer film method: B1, B2, and B3). (3) Results: Initial evaluation based on UV-Vis, entrapment efficiency (EE%), and loading content (LC%) indicated that B2 exhibited the highest EE% (79.98 ± 1.45) and LC% (69.17 ± 0.14). The phytosome displayed a spherical morphology with a particle size of 210 nm, a notably low polydispersity index of 0.16, and a superior zeta potential value at −25.19 mV. The synthesized phytosome exhibited superior anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting NO and ROS production (reduced to 8.9% and 55.1% at 250 μg/mL) in RAW cells and adjusting the expression of related inflammatory cytokines; they also slowed lung tumor cell migration (only 2.3% of A549 cells migrated after treatment with phytosomes at 250 μg/mL), promoting ROS generation in A549 cell lines (123.7% compared to control) and stimulating apoptosis of lung cancer-related genes. (4) Conclusions: In conclusion, the MeJA-DMARE phytosome offers stable, economically efficient, and environmentally friendly nanoparticles with superior inflammation and lung tumor inhibition properties. Thus, the MeJA-DMARE phytosome holds promise as an applicable and favorable creation for drug delivery and lung cancer treatment.

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) employing carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) is an efficient method to extract bioactive compounds from agro-forest wastes. These compounds maintain and/or improve food nutrition, safety, freshness, taste, and health and are employed as natural functional food components. To highlight the potential of this technology, we focus on the following current advances: (I) parameters affecting solubility in SFE (pressure, temperature, SC-CO2 flow rate, extraction time, and co-solvents); (II) extraction spectra and yield obtained according to proportion and composition of co-solvents; (III) extract bioactivity for functional food production. Fatty acids, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenoids, and low-polarity phenolic acids and triterpenoids were extracted using SFE without a co-solvent. High-polarity phenolic acids and flavonoids, tannins, carotenoids, and alkaloids were only extracted with the help of co-solvents. Using a co-solvent significantly improved the triterpenoid, flavonoid, and phenolic acid yield with a medium polarity.

This work mainly investigated the interferences of NaCl treatment to major metabolite accumulation, individual flavonoid biosynthesis and photosynthetic activity in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum. The results showed that the accumulation of phenolic acids, steroids and polysaccharides in T. hemsleyanum was significantly enhanced after the treatment of 50 or 100 mM NaCl for 12 days, and after 150 mM NaCl treatment for 3 days, the total content of flavonoids reached the highest value of 219.5 mu g.g(-1-1) and was higher by 3.8 times in comparison with the control (CK). In addition, the salt stress would generally enhance the reaction selectivity of Path II (RPSII) to produce flavonol derivatives (Rut, IsoQ, Km3rut, Ast, Qu, Km) and reduce the reaction selectivity of Path I (RPSI) to produce flavone derivatives (IsoO, Or, Ap), and after the treatment of 150 mM NaCl for 3 days, the RPSII and the RPSI reached the highest level of 0.785 and the lowest level of 0.215, respectively. Moreover, salt stress demonstrated significant and diverse effects on photosynthetic characteristics of T. hemsleyanum. Compared with CK, the values of Pn, Cond, Tr, Fv/Fm, Y(II) and qP increased first and then declined with increasing NaCl concentration and stress time, and the highest level of Pn, Fv/Fm and Y(II)occurred after 50 mM NaCl treatment. These findings clearly showed that 50 mM NaCl treatment results in favorable changes in photosynthesis and secondary metabolites accumulation in T. hemsleyanum.

为有效利用栎属Quercus植物,以'针栎'Q.palustris'Pin Oak'、'猩红橡木'Q.coocinea'Scarlet Oak'、'太平洋光辉'Q.palustris'Pacific Brilliance'、'沼泽白橡木'Q.icolor'Swamp White Oak'、'北方红橡'Q.rubra'Red Oak'、'绿柱'Q.palustris'Green pillar'、柳叶栎Q.phellos和2种娜塔栎Q.nuttallii种质(红叶娜塔栎和绿叶娜塔栎)9种国外引进的栎属植物为研究对象,利用ISSR分子标记对其遗传多样性和亲缘关系进行分析和UPGMA聚类.结果表明,在所选26条引物中筛选出23条多态性ISSR引物;利用多态性ISSR引物对9种栎属植物进行PCR扩增,共获得298条多态性条带,其多态性条带比例达93.42％,表明这9种栎属植物的遗传多样性较为丰富;9种栎属植物之间的遗传相似系数为0.4859～0.7649.UPGMA聚类结果表明,9种栎属植物之间具有不同程度的相对亲缘关系,在遗传相似系数0.650处,9种栎属植物可聚为3类,其中3个沼生栎品种('绿柱'太平洋光辉'和'针栎')和2种娜塔栎种质(红叶娜塔栎和绿叶娜塔栎)被归为第一类,柳叶栎、'猩红橡木'以及'北方红橡'被归为第二类,而'沼泽白橡木'单独归为第三类,在第一类中,'绿柱'和'太平洋光辉'的亲缘关系最近,与其属于同一个种的分类特征一致,'沼泽白橡木'与其他8个种(品种)间的相对亲缘关系最远.以上研究结果可为栎属植物的培育和开发利用提供参考.

Environmental conditions contribute to plant growth and metabolism. This study aimed to determine a suitable environment and climate for large-scale artificial cultivation of an endangered plant, Tetrastigma hemsleyanum, by investigating the seasonal variations influencing the flavonoid biosynthetic selectivity and antioxidant activity of its major metabolites. Under conditions of precipitation (2.0~6.6 mm), temperature (17.5~24.1°C), humidity (67.3~80.2%), and sunshine duration (3.4~5.8 h) from April to May, the total flavonoid content in T. hemsleyanum reached higher levels between 281.3 and 392.8 μg/g. In the second half of April, the production selectivity (PS) of isoorientin (IsoO), orientin (Or), rutin (Rut), isoquercitin (IsoQ), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (Km3rut), astragalin (Ast), quercetin (Qu), apigenin (Ap), and kaempferol (Km) were 0.30, 0.06, 0.07, 0.07, 0.00, 0.04, 0.38, 0.05, and 0.03, respectively. Naringenin was dehydrogenated or hydroxylated to initiate two parallel reaction pathways for flavonoid biosynthesis in T. hemsleyanum: path I subsequently generated flavone derivatives including apigenin, luteolin, orientin, and isoorientin, and path II subsequently generated flavonol derivatives including Km, Qu, IsoQ, Rut, Ast, and Km3rut. The reaction selectivity of path II (RPSII) from January 1 to September 30 was considerably higher than that of path I (RPSI), except for March 16–31. In addition, either the content or antioxidant activity of three major metabolites in T. hemsleyanum followed the order of phenolic compounds > polysaccharides > sterols, and exhibited dynamic correlations with environmental factors. Naringenin favored hydroxylation and derived six flavonol compounds from January to September, and favored dehydrogenation and derived three flavone compounds from October to December. In most months of a year, Km preferentially favored hydroxylation rather than glucosylation.

为研究干旱胁迫下施加褪黑素对北美红栎幼树光合性能和抗氧化酶系统的影响,以当年生北美红栎幼树实生苗为试验材料,利用不同浓度的聚乙二醇(PEG-6000)溶液模拟干旱,研究干旱胁迫对北美红栎幼树光合性能及抗氧化酶活性的影响.结果表明:在PEG模拟的干旱胁迫下,北美红栎幼树的光合作用受到抑制并破坏了体内的氧化还原平衡,抗氧化物酶活性提高.在干旱胁迫开始前喷施100μM的褪黑素能够提高北美红栎幼树清除活性氧的能力,维持干旱胁迫条件下较高的净光合速率并能有效地缓解由于干旱胁迫对植物造成的损伤.试验结果为实践中栽培管理北美红栎幼树提供了参考.

This work investigated the seasonal variations in biosynthetic path selectivity of nine individual flavonoids, and content and antioxidant activity of three major metabolites in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum . The results revealed that under conditions of precipitation (2.0~6.6 mm), temperature (17.5~24.1°C), humidity (67.3~80.2%) and sunshine duration (3.4~5.8 h) in April and May, the total content of flavonoids reached higher levels between 282 and 394.5 μg/g; in the second half of April with the highest accumulation of flavonoids, the production selectivity (PS) of isoorientin, orientin, rutin, isoquercitin, kaempferol-3-0-rutinoside, astragalin, quercetin, apigenin and kaempferol were 0.30, 0.06, 0.07, 0.07, 0.00, 0.04, 0.38, 0.05 and 0.03, respectively; also according to the reaction network consisting of three main pathways for flavonoids syntheses in T. hemsleyanum , the selectivity of reaction Path II to synthesize quercetin, isoquercitin and rutin in April, May and June fluctuated between 0.52 and 0.66, much higher than that of reaction Path I or Path III.

By designing and conducting a series of temperature-controllable experiments in greenhouse, this work emphatically investigated how the positive or negative allelochemical effects of a key metabolic compound 3,4dihydroxyacetophenone (DHAP) from the needles of Picea schrenkiana would vary with environmental temperature. It was found that the alleochemical effect of DHAP on the germination, seedling growth, root development, endogenous plant hormone content and antioxidant enzyme activity of P. schrenkiana demonstrated an orientation duality identified by the existence of a compensation concentration at a certain temperature, which set up a boundary between promotional and inhibitory effect. As temperature increased from 10/2 degrees C up to 12/4, 14/6, 16/8, and 18/10 degrees C in turn, the compensation point of DHAP concentration would correspondingly shift from 0.32mM down to 0.28, 0.24, 0.21 and 0.19mM, respectively. Overall, this work will deepen and enrich the understandings to the uncertainty of allelochemical effects on P. schrenkiana regeneration due to climate warming, and provide some helpful suggestions to develop a scientific management strategy for boreal forest.

从国内外对高山杜鹃种质资源调查、群落学特性、生长生理、繁殖等几方面作了简要介绍.目前多数种质资源调查集中在我国西南横断山区,西南地区是杜鹃花科植物重要的模式标本产地.通过引种驯化,一些广布种在低海拔地区生长良好,可在杂交试验中作为育种的优秀亲本.在无性繁殖方面,已有多种高山杜鹃建立并优化了快繁技术.引种地的高温干旱会极大地影响高山杜鹃的生长发育,一些研究认为,选育耐热性较好的品种和喷施外源激素可适当增加高山杜鹃的抗逆性.为配合市场需求,生产中对部分品种采用调节温度、喷施药物等方式进行花期调控并获得一定效果.高山杜鹃是常绿阔叶林群落组成中的优势种,但多样性指数较低,是一个简单、不稳定、抗干扰能力弱的群落,需人工干预该种群的顺利更新和长期稳定.

本文介绍了珍稀特有植物华顶杜鹃的生物学特性,并从种子采集与贮藏、圃地选择、整地、做床、播种、苗期管理、苗木移植等方面归纳总结了一套种子繁育技术,以期为华顶杜鹃的种群保护与群落恢复提供种苗保障和科学依据,也为其他高山杜鹃的种子繁育提供借鉴.

研究了华顶杜鹃Rhododendron huadingense花粉活力水平及不同贮藏方法对其活力的影响.结果表明,新鲜华顶杜鹃花粉的萌发率高达98.1％;室温存放的新鲜花粉在3 d内可保持较高的活力,3 d后其活力下降迅速;4℃贮藏7 d后的花粉萌发率仍保持在85.5％的较高水平,贮藏15 d时的萌发率仍高于50％,可作为华顶杜鹃花粉的短期(15 d内)保存方法;-20℃贮藏40 d后的花粉萌发率仍能达到87.4％,基本可满足实际需求;-80℃下贮藏60 d后萌发率依旧维持在95.2％,可用于华顶杜鹃花粉的长期保存.本研究结果说明花粉活力不是导致华顶杜鹃濒危的生物学原因.

Global warming in conjunction with various biotic or abiotic interferences has been jeopardizing the ecosystem of boreal forests. By integrating field inspection with experimental simulation, this work comprehensively investigated the allelopathic effects of a key allelochemical 3,4-dihydroxyacetophenone (DHAP) in the exudates of P. schrenkiana needles on its seed and seedling growth, endogenous hormone metabolism and antioxidant enzyme activity, identified the existence of DHAP allelopathy duality at a certain temperature with an inflection concentration point (e.g. about 0.25 mM at dark/light temperature of 4/12 °C) as the boundary between promotional and inhibitory effect, and verified that the inflection point of DHAP concentration would inevitably shift to a lower level as temperature increased. Consequently, this paper gives a scientific explanation into the intrinsic mechanism of P. schrenkiana degradation due to allelopathy, but also presents a new approach to explore the relationship between forest evolution and global warming. Highlight A quantitative description on the duality of 3, 4-dihydroxyacetophenone (DHAP) as a promoter or an inhibitor to affect the seed germination, seedling growth and root development of P. schrenkiana , as well as the antioxidant enzyme activities and hormone contents. The new findings of DHAP inflection concentration as boundary to divide the promotional and inhibitory effect of allelopathy which would decrease as environment temperatures rise. An explanation into the intrinsic mechanism of P. schrenkiana degradation due to allelopathy, and a new approach to explore the relationship between forest evolution and global warming. Abbreviations : DHAP : 3, 4-dihydroxyacetophenone FDA : fluorescein diacetate PI : propidium iodide ZT : Zeatin GA3 : Gibberellin IAA : Indoleacetic acid ABA : Abscisic acid SOD : Speroxide dismutase POD : Peroxidase CAT : Catalase GR : Glutathione reductase

以四明山区华顶杜鹃(Rhododendron huadingense)种子为试材,对种子形态、千粒质量、含水量及吸水率进行了观察与测定,研究了不同变温条件、不同浸种时间对种子萌发、幼苗生长的影响,对所得数据作方差分析和LSD检验.结果表明:华顶杜鹃单果种子数为134.1±32.3粒;千粒质量为1.180 2 g;种子含水量为8.56％,吸水过程符合种子的吸水规律.浸种3、5、10、24、48 h对种子萌发和幼苗生长都有促进作用,随浸种时间越长,种子萌发始发天数越短,发芽势、发芽率越高,幼苗生长越快.变温15～25℃比15～20℃能明显缩短种子萌发始发天数,提高发芽势、发芽率,且显著提高幼根、幼芽和幼苗总长.

As an important ornamental and landscape plant, Ilex verticillata has received increasing attention in flower markets of China. To foster breeding of new I. verticillata cultivars, genetic relationships between I. verticillata cultivars were analyzed by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Four primers with polymorphism among I. verticillata cultivars were screened from 12 candidate ISSR primers. Results revealed a total of 63 bands with polymorphic bands accounting for 90.48% implying they could be used to identify relative relationships among different I. verticillata cultivars. The genetic similarity coefficient of the 12 I. verticillata cultivars varied from 0.54 to 0.87 indicating that the genetic relationships among I. verticillata were relatively close. Clustering of these genetic similarity coefficients showed that genetic relationships among cultivars were different with the relationship between I. verticillata 'Jim Dandy' and I. verticillata 'Cacapon' being the closest. This study will help lay an important theoretical and practical basis for genetic breeding of I. verticillata.

Land consolidation has become a main means of achieving the intensive use of land resources, which ensures the dynamic equilibrium and requisition-compensation balance of the total cultivated land in China. However, the intensive disturbance during the land consolidation may affect the soil quality. In order to investigate the effect of land consolidation on soil microbial diversity, we studied the changes of soil microbial community diversity after 1-year and 4-year land conso-lidation by using PLFA method. The results indicated that compared with no consolidation (Z0), for land consolidation after 1a (Z1a), the soil pH value increased by 14.6%, the soil organic carbon content decreased by 65.4%, the phospholipid fatty acids content and relative abundance of all the microflora decreased significantly (P<0.05) by 43.4%-63.7% and 25.2%-53.9%, respectively, and the ratio of fungi/bacteria (F/B) decreased significantly by 35.9% (P<0.05), while the ratio of Gram-positive bacteria/Gram-negative bacteria (G+/G-) increased significantly by 56.1%. These were significantly related to the increased pH value and the decrease of organic carbon content. The Shannon index and evenness index (E) of soil microbial diversity were significantly decreased, with significant differences observed among Z0 and Z1a, Z4a. After 4-year land consolidation, the indices characterizing soil microbial community diversity were improved compared with those after 1-year land consolidation. In summary, the land consolidation could significantly affect the composition of soil microbial communities, and decrease the stability of the soil ecosystem.