This study systematically elucidated the microecological mechanisms underlying Atractylodes macrocephala geoherbalism via integrated transplantation experiments across China's four major producing regions. Data showed that soil from Pan'an significantly enhanced the accumulation of bioactive compounds in A. macrocephala sourced from Bozhou. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that geographic transplantation significantly restructured the rhizosphere microbial community and markedly increased its α-diversity. Functional metabolic analysis indicated that transplantation to Pan'an regulated various pathways and enhanced secondary metabolism in the rhizosphere microbiome. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed 11 upregulated keystone genera that potentially promoted secondary metabolism in A. macrocephala, and were positively correlated with root growth and bioactive compound accumulation. These results demonstrate that direct soil nutrient supply, microbiome-mediated C/N metabolism remodeling, and resource reallocation collectively drive A. macrocephala geo-authenticity. It will lay the groundwork for the use of microbiome biofertilizers and the cross-regional eco-cultivation of geo-authentic herbs.

Polygonatum cyrtonema is a primary botanical source of the traditional Chinese medicine Polygonati Rhizoma, which is enriched with bioactive homoisoflavonoids. Despite their therapeutic significance, comprehensive structural annotation of these compounds is often hindered by matrix interference complexity and the limitations of conventional non-targeted data processing. In this study, a targeted analytical strategy was developed by integrating polygonal mass defect filtering (p-MDF) with feature-based molecular networking (FBMN) to efficiently profile homoisoflavonoids in P. cyrtonema. UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap/MS analysis was performed on ethyl acetate extracts of the rhizomes. Leveraging a curated in-house database of known homoisoflavonoids from Polygonatum species, p-MDF models were established for both positive and negative ionization modes to selectively prioritize candidate precursor ions. Comparative analysis between the global and p-MDF-refined FBMNs demonstrated that the integrated approach significantly enhanced the clustering of structurally analogous homoisoflavonoids. This facilitated a systematic annotation process based on retention time alignment with nine authentic standards, elucidation of fragmentation pathways, and cross-referencing with literature data. Consequently, 46 homoisoflavonoids were identified or tentatively characterized, including 4 '-monohydroxy-, 2 ',4 '- dihydroxy-, 2 '-hydroxy-4 '-methoxy-, 3 ',4 '-dihydroxy-, and 2 ',3 ',4 '-trihydroxy-substituted subclasses. The diagnostic MS/MS fragmentation patterns for each subclass were systematically summarized. This integrated p-MDF-FBMN framework effectively circumvents data complexity and enhances annotation specificity, offering a robust methodology for the chemical profiling of specific natural product classes while supporting the quality control and pharmacological evaluation of P. cyrtonema.

Aroma evolution during the traditional Nine Steaming and Nine Drying (NSND) process is essential to establish quality control and authentication of Polygonatum rhizome (PR) species, yet the underlying chemical mechanisms underlying changes remain poorly characterized. Using a flash GC-E-nose, we profiled volatile transitions of four PR species across ten NSND stages and tentatively identified 71 compounds. Distinct aroma trajectories were observed: early-stage loss of green aldehydes and alcohols reflected suppression of lipid-oxidation pathways, whereas later-stage increases in roasted, aromatic, and sulfur-derived notes were consistent with progressive Maillard reactions, sugar fragmentation, and Strecker degradation. Species-specific differences, including ester, ketone, and phenolic formation, further suggested variations in precursor pools and thermal reactivity. Multivariate analyses (ANOVA, PCA, HCA) clearly discriminated species and steaming stages, revealing consistent chemical transformation patterns. These mechanistic insights provide foundational volatile profiling knowledge that will support future development of aroma-based tools for PR quality evaluation and authentication.

This study aimed to enrich flavonoids from Dendrobium catenatum Wall ex Lindl flowers using macroporous resins and investigate their bioactivity. The optimal enrichment process with HP2MGL resin was established with a total flavonoid concentration of 0.50 mg/mL, a sample flow rate of 1 BV/h, and a sample volume of 25.5 BV. Desorption was performed using 80% ethanol at a flow rate of 3 BV/h and an eluent volume of 5 BV. The purified extract showed a 7.3-fold increase in purity compared to the crude extract. A total of 33 major compounds in the purified flavonoids were identified and quantified, including flavonols and flavonoid C-glycosides, with hyperoside being the most abundant. In vivo tests demonstrated that the enriched extract extended the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans, enhanced locomotion, and increased superoxide dismutase activity while significantly reducing oxidative stress markers such as lipofuscin, reactive oxygen species, and malondialdehyde. The findings provide a practical method for large-scale extraction of flavonoids from D. catenatum flowers and suggest that Dendrobium catenatum flower extract (DCFE-E) exhibits strong antiaging properties, indicating potential applications in functional foods and cosmetics. This research contributes to the scientific understanding of D. catenatum resource utilization and enhances the value of its products.

The dried roots of Angelica dahurica (Fisch. ex Hoffm.) Benth.et Hook.f. var. formosana (Boiss.) Shan et Yuan, a traditional medicinal herb known as hangbaizhi, is significant in food and pharmaceutical applications. However, genetic diversity challenges standardized production. This study characterized the secondary metabolite profiles, particularly coumarins, in a newly bred variety of hangbaizhi (NAD) and compared them with traditional cultivars (TAD). Using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry integrated with computational strategies, including polygonal mass defect filtering, expanded virtual formula library screening, feature-based molecular networking, and network annotation propagation, we annotated 95 coumarins (43 simple coumarins, 45 furanocoumarins, and seven dihydrofuranocoumarins) across confidence levels. Multivariate analyses (principal component analysis, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis, and volcano plot) revealed significant metabolic divergence between NAD and TAD. NAD exhibited enriched furanocoumarins and reduced dihydrofuranocoumarins compared to TAD. The newly bred variety demonstrated superior phenotypic homogeneity and distinct coumarin signatures, providing a scientific foundation for quality control and functional food applications. This study also establishes a methodological framework for secondary metabolite profiling in plant breeding programs.

Huangjing polysaccharides (HJP) have been shown to have many functions, however little was known about HJP on starch properties. This study investigated the effects of HJP from raw Huangjing (RHJP), high pressure steamed Huangjing (HPSHJP) and nine steamed and nine solarized Huangjing (NNHJP) on the properties of sweet potato starch (SPS). Results showed that HJP reduced setback viscosity (SB) of SPS. HJP decreased hardness, cohesiveness and chewiness, but increased the springiness of SPS gels. RHJP decreased tan delta of the starch gel but HPSHJP and NNHJP were less effective at higher frequencies. HJP increased the solubility but decreased the swelling power of SPS. Starch gel with HJPs showed a denser structure as observed by scanning electron microscopy. HJP decreased the relative crystallinity (RC) of the starch gel where HPSHJP was more effective than RHJP and NNHJP. HJP increased the degree of order (DO) while decreased the degree of double helix (DD) of SPS gels where RHJP was more effective than HPSHJP. Furthermore, HJP decreased the gelatinization enthalpy (Delta H) values of SPS with HPSHJP and NNHJP more effective. In conclusion, HJP could potentially improve the properties of SPS based foods but the changes of HJP after food processing require further investigation.

Light, as an important environmental signal for plant growth and development, has been reported to be involved in the metabolism of phenylpropane. However, the light-induced phenylpropane biosynthesis mechanism in Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat., especially flavonoid and chlorogenic acid (CGA) metabolism, is not clear. In this study, we found the flower phenotype of chrysanthemum 'HangBaiJu' became lighter after bagging. Besides, the content of main active ingredients, such as Luteolin-7-O-glucoside (Lu-7-O-G), Diosmetin-7-O-glucoside (Di-7-O-G), Apigenin-7-O-glucoside, Apigenin and CGA, was significantly decreased. Comparative transcriptome analysis (pairwise comparison, WGCNA, and k-means clustering) revealed that the expression of structural genes, such as CmPAL, CmCHS1/2, CmF3’H, CmFNS and CmHQT, was notably declined under dark conditions. Meanwhile, ‘bridge proteins’ CmMYB3/6/16 and signal transduction factors CmBBX20/22.2/22.3 were identified as key regulatory factors in the light-mediated synthesis of flavonoids and CGA in chrysanthemum. Among that, CmBBX20 could promote the accumulation of flavonoids and CGA by directly binding to the G-box core sequences of downstream target genes based on transient overexpression and Y1H assays. Overall, the preliminary molecular mechanism of BBXs and MYBs coordinately regulating the accumulation of flavonoids and CGA in chrysanthemum under different light inductions has been clarified, which provided a theoretical basis for the molecular breeding and quality improvement of chrysanthemum.

Chronic inflammation contributes to various chronic diseases in humans. Currently used anti-inflammatory drugs have several limitations and are not suitable for long-term use. Anti-inflammatory foods or extracts can prevent inflammation-related diseases, offering a promising approach for the management of these pathologies. In vitro anti-inflammatory experiments have the advantages of short experimental period and low cost for screening anti-inflammatory foods or drugs. They measure pro-inflammatory enzyme activity such as lipoxygenase (LOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX), and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukins (IL). This article reviews in vitro assays used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect, examining the effects of different inflammatory factors and the employed methods, and analyzing their principles, advantages, and disadvantages. Thus, it aims to provide guidelines for screening natural foods with anti-inflammatory potential.

Radix Scrophulariae is a commonly used Chinese herb derived from the dried root of Scrophularia ningpoesis Hemsl. (S. ningpoensis). It is difficult to accurately estimate the dosage of Chinese medicinal materials used in the prescription because of the chemical variation caused by various factors. To analyze the non-environmental factors affecting the chemical variation of Radix Scrophulariae, we planted nine different cultivated varieties of S. ningpoensis in the same plantation. Based on sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP), simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, we found that the materials from the cultivated varieties could be divided into two groups, the Zhejiang group, and the southwest China group. The genetic distance based on molecular data between the two groups was above 0.3882, and the Euclidean distance based on chemical data between the two groups was above 5.312. The correlation analysis between the genetic distance matrix based on SRAP and the Euclidean distance matrix based on 18 HPLC peaks of the whole underground part revealed that the genetic differentiation and chemical variation were positively related, r = 0.7196 (p < 0.05). The genetic background, different part of the roots and the different development of the roots are the three non-environmental factors causing the chemical variation. The coefficient of variation (C.V) of chemical composition of Radix Scrophulariae with different genetic background reached to 93.62 %, the C.V of the chemical composition of Radix Scrophulariae derived from the same variety reached to 64.21 %, the C.V of the chemical composition of Radix Scrophulariae derived from the middle part of the roots of S. ningpoensis from the same variety reached to 45.55 %. The C.V of chemical composition of Radix Scrophulairae produced in the same plantation could be controlled to 38.43 % by using the same variety of roots with the approximate mass derived from the middle part of the roots under 20 g. Our findings provided insights to decrease the chemical variation of Chinese medicinal materials by controlling non-environmental factors.

Rice cake is a common traditional food in China. In this study, the effect of Polygonatum cyrtonema (PC) on the qualities and characteristics of rice cake was investigated. The incorporation of PC powder in rice cakes endowed a light-yellow color and increased the water content and water absorption of products. Rheological analysis showed that the rice cake containing PC exhibited weak-gel properties. Additionally, PC (40%) inhibited the rice cake aging and lowered the hardness of rice cakes to 13.86 N after 4 h storage. In vitro starch digestion analysis showed that PC (40%) reduced the digestibility of rice cakes by decreasing the starch hydrolysis rate from 88.70 to 58.95%, displaying a low estimated glycemic index (eGI) of 52.14. The findings mentioned above indicated that the inclusion of PC powder in rice cakes enhanced their characteristics and attributes, which also provided an approach for the development of PC products.

A comprehensive phytochemical investigation of the flower buds and leaves/twigs of Heptacodium miconioides, a cultivated ornamental plant native to China and categorized as 'vulnerable', has led to the isolation of 45 structurally diverse compounds, which comprise 18 phenylpropanoids (1-4, 7-20), 11 pentacyclic triterpenoids (5, 6, 21-29), eight secoiridoid glycosides (30-37), three quinic acid derivatives (38-40), and a few miscellaneous components (41-45). Among them, (+)-alpha-intermedianol (1), (+)-holophyllol A (2), and (-)-pseudolarkaemin A (3) represent previously unreported enantiomeric lignans, while (+)-7 '(R)-hydroxymatairesinol (4) is an undescribed naturally occurring lignan. Heptacoacids A (5) and B (6) are undescribed 24-nor-urs-28-oic acid derivatives. Their chemical structures were determined by 2D-NMR, supplemented by evidence from specific rotations and circular dichroism spectra. Given the uncertainty surrounding the systematic position of Heptacodium, integrative taxonomy (ITA), a method utilized to define contentious species, is applied. Chemotaxonomy, a vital aspect of ITA, becomes significant. By employing hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and syntenic pattern analysis methods, a taxonomic examination based on the major specialized natural products from the flower buds of H. miconioides and two other Caprifoliaceae plants (i.e., Lonicera japonica and Abelia x grandiflora) could offer enhanced understanding of the systematic placement of Heptacodium. Additionally, compounds 39 and 40 displayed remarkable inhibitory activities against ATP-citrate lyase (ACL), with IC50 values of 0.11 and 1.10 mu M, respectively. In summary, the discovery of medical properties and refining systematic classification can establish a sturdy groundwork for conservation efforts aimed at mitigating species diversity loss while addressing human diseases.

INTRODUCTION:Scrophulariae Radix (SR) has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. However, the processing methods and production areas of Scrophularia ningpoensis have undergone notable historic changes. Thus, their effects on the bioactive constituents of SR still need to be studied further.OBJECTIVES:This study aimed to establish an objective and comprehensive method to identify the correlation of bioactive constituents of SR with variety, place of origin and processing method for evaluating their qualities.METHODOLOGY:An accurate and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method for the simultaneous determination of 11 marker components (aucubin, harpagide, 6-O-methyl-catalpol, harpagoside, verbascoside, isoverbascoside, angoroside C, cinnamic acid, l-tyrosine, l-phenylalanine, and l-tryptophan) was established to evaluate the quality of SR for the first time. In addition, the effects of different production areas and processed methods on the target compounds were studied by analysing 66 batches of SR samples with chemometrics methods, including similarity evaluation of chromatographic fingerprints of TCM, principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA).RESULTS:Compared with "sweating", short-term "steaming" and "slice-drying" could largely preserve the bioactive constituents of SR. When using the model established through PLS-DA, five components were identified as the most significant variables for discrimination. Furthermore, the score plots of PCA and the similarity evaluation revealed that variety had a more notable influence on the quality of SR than the place of origin.CONCLUSION:An objective approach of HPLC fingerprint coupled with chemometrics analysis and quantitative assessment could be applied to discriminate different processed SR and evaluate the qualities of SR rapidly.

The continuous obstacles of cropping cause severe economic loss, which seriously threaten agricultural sustainable development. In addition, managing excess waste, such as potato peel and mineral waste residues, is a vital burden for industry and agriculture. Therefore, we explored the feasibility of reductive soil disinfestation (RSD) with potato peel and amendment with iron mineral waste residues for the production of Fritillaria thunbergii, which is vulnerable to continuous obstacles. In this study, the influences of iron mineral, RSD with different organic maters, as well as the combined effects of iron mineral and RSD on Fritillaria rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and Fritillaria production were investigated. The results revealed that the RSD treatments with potato peel significantly reduced the soil salinity and increased the soil pH, microbial activity, organic matter, and the contents of K and Ca. RSD with potato peel also significantly thrived of the beneficial microbes (Bacillus, Azotobacter, Microvirga, and Chaetomium), and down-regulated potential plant pathogens. RSD with potato peel significantly promoted F. thunbergii yield and quality. Moreover, the combined effects of RSD and iron mineral amendment further enhanced soil health, improved microbial community composition, and increased the yield and peimisine content of F. thunbergii by 24.2

Polygonatum species have great potential in fighting chronic and hidden hunger. In this study, five Polygonatum species collected from different populations were cultivated in a common garden for 4 years. The species mainly differed in yield, saponin and polysaccharide contents, stem diameter, leaf width, inflorescence length, and floret inflorescence length. P. cyrtonema (PC) provides high-quality yield when planted in Zhejiang, with output as high as 7.5 tons per hectare and a promising breeding potential. Moreover, stem diameter can be used as an indicator of the harvest in the screening of varieties. In addition, the formation of plant genetic traits from different provenances is affected by the climatic factors of the origin. Furthermore, near-infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics for polysaccharide and saponin quantitation provides a rapid assessment of PC quality. Our findings provide a scientific basis for the development and sustainable utilization of PC as a high-yielding and high-quality forest crop.

Both the bulbs and flowers of Fritillaria thunbergii Miq. (BFT and FFT) are widely applied as expectorants and antitussives in traditional Chinese medicine, but few studies have been conducted to compare the chemical compositions of these plant parts. In this study, 50% methanol extracts of BFT and FFT were analyzed via UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS, and the feasibility of using non-targeted UHPLC-HRMS metabolomics and molecular networking to address the authentication of bulb and flower samples was evaluated. Principal component analysis (PCA), Orthogonal Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), and heat map analysis showed there were dissimilar metabolites in BFT and FFT. As a result, 252 and 107 peaks in positive ion mode and negative mode, respectively, were considered to represent significant difference variables between BFT and FFT. Then, MS/MS-based molecular networking of BFT and FFT was constructed to perform an in-depth characterization of the peaks using different variables. A total of 31 alkaloids with significant differences were annotated in this paper, including seven cis-D/E-vevanine without C20-OH and one trans-D/E-cevanine with C20-OH, thirteen trans-D/E-cevanine without C20-OH, five cevanine N-oxide, and five veratramine. Among the 31 alkaloids, eight alkaloids had higher FFT than BFT contents, while all the flavonoids identified in our work had greater FFT than BFT contents. The influence of different ingredients on the pharmacological activities of BFT and FFT should be investigated in future studies.

Radix Scrophulariae (RS) is a well-known and frequently used traditional Chinese medicine. Cultivated RS from Zhejiang province is considered to be superior in quality to that from other provinces in China. However, the contribution of geographical origins to differential metabolite production in RS is unclear. In this study, we used ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and molecular networking to examine differential metabolites in RS samples from different origins and explore their correlations with climatic factors and biochemical compounds in soil. nineteen compounds were identified as the important differential metabolites in RS from different origins, including two oligosaccharides, six cinnamoyl derivatives, four p-coumaroyl derivatives, three caffeoyl derivatives, two feruloyl derivatives, and three methoxycinnamoyl derivatives. However, harpagide and harpagoside, two chemical markers in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, were not among the differential metabolites. Moreover, 18 compounds having higher contents in RS from Zhejiang than in that from other provinces, emerged as candidate chemical markers of quality control. The contents of differential metabolites were negatively correlated with humidity and precipitation in October and positively correlated with evaporation and surface temperature. This study provides a foundation for further research on the quality control, pharmacological activity, and product development of RS from Zhejiang and a useful strategy for further optimizing the cultivation process of RS.