Figure - available from: Frontiers in Plant Science
This content is subject to copyright.
Specific information of different SDL sampling sites. (A–C are the information and pictures of the sampling sites. (D) is the soil of different sampling sites, of which (1) is gravel soil, from DWK; (2) sandy soil, from LW, YC, EKTQQ and ALSZQ; (3) loam soil, from HSP; (4) clayey soil, from TX, PY and YZ.).
Source publication
Stellaria dichotoma L. var. lanceolata Bge. (SDL) is the original plant of the traditional Chinese medicine Yinchaihu (Stellaria Radix). It is mainly distributed in the arid desert areas of northwest China, which is the genuine medicinal material and characteristic cultivated crop in Ningxia. This study aims to analyze the effects of different orig...
Citations
... lanceolata Bge. (S. lanceolata) is a psammophytic plant species that thrives in the arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China [1]. Due to its characteristics of being drought-tolerant, resilient to poor soil conditions, and possessing strong vitality, it plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of the desert steppe [2]. ...
... Additionally, studies have demonstrated its rich content of active components, such as cyclopeptides, flavonoids, alkaloids, and sterols [4]. Furthermore, since S. lanceolata is primarily distributed in regions adjacent to Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, and Shaanxi Province, it is considered to be a genuine (Daodi) medicinal materials of these zones [1,3]. ...
... Ma et al. [12] previously utilized TCMGIS system to predict the suitable growth range of wild S. lanceolata and inferred that more than 90% of the northern regions of China were suitable zones. However, based on available research [1], wild S. lanceolata is mainly distributed in the narrow zones of adjacent to desert grasslands of Ningxia-Inner Mongolia-Shaanxi province, and its distribution area is not expended. Furthermore, we found that although some introduction zones are capable of growing S. lanceolata, continuous occurrences of root rot and death after planting for more than 3 years, particularly severe when planted in non-sandy soils, which does not occur in the natural growth zones of wild S. lanceolata. ...
Background
Stellaria dichotoma L. var. lanceolata Bge. (S. lanceolata) is a psammophytic plant endemic to the northwest region of China and has now developed into a cultivated economic crop. It is the original plant species used in traditional Chinese medicine as Yinchaihu. Recently, the lack of scientifically guided production zoning has exacerbated the arbitrary introduction and expansion of S. lanceolata cultivation, resulting in significant changes to its habitat and quality.
Methods
This study utilizes distribution data of wild S. lanceolata along with data from 33 environmental factors to analyze the primary habitat factors influencing the species' distribution using the Maxent model, simulating both current and future suitable production zones. Additionally, amplicon sequencing was employed to investigate changes in rhizospheric soil microorganisms across different cultivation sites and years. Furthermore, metabolomics, near-infrared spectroscopy, and the quantification of active ingredient content were used to assess the effects of various suitable zones on S. lanceolata.
Results
The migration trends of S. lanceolata toward the central and eastern regions of Inner Mongolia revealed that elev, bio_4, bio_13, bio_11, and S_clay are the primary ecological and soil factors influencing suitability zoning, contributing a cumulative rate of 80.5%. The rhizosphere microbial environment shifted significantly from high to medium suitability habitats. As cultivation duration increased, the diversity of fungi and bacteria and the functional genera within the rhizosphere exhibited significant changes. Notably, there were substantial alterations in metabolic processes and substance accumulation during the transition from high to medium and low suitability zones, resulting in the identification of 281 and 370 differential metabolites, respectively. Additionally, the near-infrared spectral characteristics and active ingredient content of S. lanceolata in high suitability zones displayed distinct specificity. In particular, the contents of total flavonoids (2.772 mg·g⁻¹), dichotomines B (0.057 mg·g⁻¹), and quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside (0.312 mg·g⁻¹) were notably higher, with the overall quality score surpassing that of other suitable zones.
Conclusion
This study revealed the key climatic, soil, and rhizosphere microbial environmental factors influencing the quality formation of S. lanceolata and the selection of suitable production zones, offering guidance for sustainable development and production zone planning.
Graphical Abstract
... Detection of drying rate: the root fresh weight and weight after complete drying were measured by the weighing method, and then the drying rate was calculated according to the following formula: drying rate = dry weight/fresh weight × 100%. The content determination of methanol extract, and total flavonoids and total sterols contents was based on the previously reported methods [47]. ...
... Metabolomics analysis adopted the previous method we reported [47]. The medicinal powder was ground in liquid nitrogen, and 200 mg was weighed in a 2 mL centrifuge tube, added to 70% methanol solution for extraction, then vacuum dried and stored at −80 • C for later use. ...
... Mass spectrometry analysis was performed using a triple TOF 6600 mass spectrometer with an electrospray ionization source (ESI) with positive and negative ion (pos and neg)-mode detection. The metabolites were identified by searching the local self-built standards database established by Shanghai Applied Protein Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China, and the information of retention time, molecular weight (error < 25 ppm), secondary fragmentation spectrum, and collision spectrum of metabolites were matched [47]. ...
The original plant of Chinese medicine Stellariae Radix (Yin Chai Hu) is Stellaria dichotoma L. var. lanceolata Bge (abbreviated as SDL). SDL is a perennial herbaceous plant and a characteristic crop in Ningxia. Growth years are vital factors that affect the quality of perennial medicinal materials. This study aims to investigate the impact of growth years on SDL and screen for the optimal harvest age by comparing the medicinal material characteristics of SDL with different growth years. Additionally, metabolomics analysis using UHPLC-Q-TOF MS was employed to investigate the impact of growth years on the accumulation of metabolites in SDL. The results show that the characteristics of medicinal materials and the drying rate of SDL gradually increase with the increase in growth years. The fastest development period of SDL occurred during the first 3 years, after which the development slowed down. Medicinal materials characteristics of 3-year-old SDL exhibited mature qualities with a high drying rate, methanol extract content, and the highest content of total sterols and total flavonoids. A total of 1586 metabolites were identified, which were classified into 13 major classes with more than 50 sub-classes. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated significant differences in the diversity of metabolites of SDL in different growth years, with greater differences observed in metabolites as the growth years increased. Moreover, different highly expressed metabolites in SDL at different growth years were observed: 1–2 years old was beneficial to the accumulation of more lipids, while 3–5 years old was conducive to accumulating more alkaloids, benzenoids, etc. Furthermore, 12 metabolites accumulating with growth years and 20 metabolites decreasing with growth years were screened, and 17 significantly different metabolites were noted in 3-year-old SDL. In conclusion, growth years not only influenced medicinal material characteristics, drying rate, content of methanol extract, and total sterol and flavonoid contents, but also had a considerable effect on SDL metabolites and metabolic pathways. SDL planted for 3 years presented the optimum harvest time. The screened significantly different metabolites with biological activity, such as rutin, cucurbitacin e, isorhamnetin-3-o-glucoside, etc., can be utilized as potential quality markers of SDL. This research provides references for studying the growth and development of SDL medicinal materials, the accumulation of metabolites, and the selection of optimal harvest time.
... Total flavonoid content: According to the methods in the literature [44], 2.00 g of medicinal powder sample was accurately weighed into a centrifuge tube, and 25 mL of 95% ethanol was added for ultrasonic extraction for 30 min. The supernatant was separated, and the residue was added with 25 mL of 95% ethanol for ultrasonic extraction for 15 min. ...
... Total sterol content: According to the literature [44], 0.50 g medicinal powder was accurately weighed and placed in a 25 mL volumetric flask, added with 20 mL chloroform, and then ultrasonically extracted for 20 min. Then, it was cooled and diluted with chloroform to the scale, and shaken and filtered to obtain the tested solution. ...
... Metabolomics analysis was adopted from a previous method as we reported elsewhere [44]. The separation was performed with Agilent 1290 Infinity LC HILIC column; column temperature of 25 • C; flow rate of 0.5 mL/min; injection volume of 2 µL; mobile phase composition A: water + 25 mMol ammonium acetate + 25 mMol ammonia, and B: acetonitrile; gradient elution procedure as follows: 0~0.5 min, 95% B; 0.5~7 min, B linearly varied from 95% to 65%; 7~8 min, B linearly varied from 65% to 40%; 8~9 min, B maintained at 40%; 9~9.1 min, B linearly varied from 40% to 95%; 9.1~12 min, B maintained at 95% [44]. ...
Stellaria Radix, called Yinchaihu in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese medicine, which is obtained from the dried roots of Stellaria dichotoma L. var. lanceolata Bge. Cultivated yinchaihu (YCH) has become a main source of production to alleviate the shortage of wild plant resources, but it is not clear whether the metabolites of YCH change with the mode of production. In this study, the contents of methanol extracts, total sterols and total flavonoids in wild and cultivated YCH are compared. The metabolites were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The content of methanol extracts of the wild and cultivated YCH all exceeded the standard content of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. However, the contents of total sterols and total flavonoids in the wild YCH were significantly higher than those in the cultivated YCH. In total, 1586 metabolites were identified by mass spectrometry, and 97 were significantly different between the wild and cultivated sources, including β-sitosterol, quercetin derivatives as well as many newly discovered potential active components, such as trigonelline, arctiin and loganic acid. The results confirm that there is a rich diversity of metabolites in the wild and cultivated YCH, and provide a useful theoretical guidance for the evaluation of quality in the production of YCH.
Polygonatum rhizome is a traditional Chinese medicine of the same origin as food and medicine, and it has high economic value and social benefits. To screen the excellent germplasm resources of Polygonatum kingianum (P. kingianum) and clarify the nutritional and medicinal value of the rhizome of P. kingianum, we used widely targeted metabolomics to analyze the traits and metabolomics of rhizomes of different germplasms of P. kingianum from different growth years. The results showed that different germplasms and growth years of P. kingianum were rich in different nutritional and medicinal components. Among them, Polygonatum kingianum ‘Linyun 1′ rhizome (PWR) was richer in amino acids and derivatives, alkaloids, and phenolic acids, while Polygonatum kingianum rhizome (PRR) was richer in flavonoids, organic acids, and phenolic acids. Most of the differential compounds were mainly enriched in PRR when the growth year was one, and PWR had a greater variety and higher content of differential compounds in the third year, which also reflected the advantages of Polygonatum kingianum ‘Linyun 1′ (P. kingianum ‘Linyun 1′) as an excellent new variety of P. kingianum. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathway analysis showed that in P. kingianum with the same age and different germplasms, the significantly enriched metabolic pathway was more active in biosynthesis in PWR. In the same germplasm of P. kingianum from different years, the metabolites involved in PRR were mainly the highest in one-year-old P. kingianum (PR-1) or three-year-old P. kingianum (PR-3), and the metabolites involved in PWR were mainly the highest in three-year-old P. kingianum ‘Linyun 1′ (PW-3). The above results showed that the three-year-old PWR had more advantages based on chemical substances. Therefore, this study provided a new theoretical reference for the development of P. kingianum products and the breeding of new varieties.
The importance of metabolomics in furthering the study of medicinal plants is discussed in this chapter. It clarifies the differences between primary and secondary metabolites; examines important metabolomics techniques such as LC-MS, GC-MS, and NMR; and highlights their uses in the identification of bioactive compounds, quality assurance, authentication, and metabolic pathway research. The essay discusses current issues as well as prospective developments in the future, highlighting how metabolomics has the ability to revolutionize the field of medicinal plant research and customized herbal medicine and ultimately provide new drugs and comprehensive healthcare solutions.
Background
Stellaria dichotoma L. var. lanceolata Bge. (S. lanceolata) is a psammophytic plant endemic to the northwest region of China and serves as a distinctive economic crop. It is the original plant species used in traditional Chinese medicine as Yinchaihu and also finds application in cosmetics production, predominantly growing in arid and semi-arid desert grasslands. In response to the significant changes in habitat and quality of S. lanceolata resulting from shifts in cultivation areas and indiscriminate introductions, this study aims to propose a more scientifically sound delineation of suitable production zones.
Results
The results indicated migration trends of S. lanceolata towards the central and eastern parts of Inner Mongolia and identified elev, bio_4, bio_13, bio_11, and S_clay as the primary influencing climate and soil environmental factors. Additionally, the rhizosphere microbial environment of S. lanceolata shifted significantly from high to medium suitability habitats. Meanwhile, increasing years of cultivation in introduction area broken the balance in fungal and bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere soil of S. lanceolata, leading to the enrichment of more pathogenic microbial communities, inducing diseases. It further demonstrated the suitability for high suitable zones of S. lanceolata from the perspective of rhizosphere microbiota. Metabolomic analysis revealed substantial changes in metabolic processes and substance accumulation during the migration from high to low suitable zones. Quality evaluations using near-infrared spectroscopy and determination of major component contents confirmed the superior quality of S. lanceolata in high suitable zones.
Conclusion
Overall, this study revealed the key climatic, soil, and rhizosphere microbial environmental factors influencing the quality formation of S. lanceolata and the selection of suitable production zones, offering guidance for sustainable development and production zone planning.
Yin chai hu (Radix Stellariae) is a root medicine that is frequently used in Chinese traditional medicine to treat fever and malnutrition. In modern medicine, it has been discovered to have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anticancer properties. In a previous study, we were able to extract lipids from Stellariae Radix using supercritical CO2 extraction (SRE), and these sterol lipids accounted for up to 88.29% of the extract. However, the impact of SRE on the development of atopic dermatitis (AD) has not yet been investigated. This study investigates the inhibitory effects of SRE on AD development using a 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD mouse model. Treatment with SRE significantly reduced the dermatitis score and histopathological changes compared with the DNCB group. The study found that treatment with SRE resulted in a decrease of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, CXC-10, IL-12, and IL-1β in skin lesions. Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that SRE effectively suppressed M1 macrophage infiltration into the AD lesion. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory effect of SRE was evaluated in LPS + INF-γ induced bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) M1 polarization, SRE inhibited the production of TNF-α, CXC-10, IL-12, and IL-1β and decreased the expression of NLRP3. Additionally, SRE was found to increase p-AMPKT172 , but had no effect on total AMPK expression, after administration of the AMPK inhibitor Compound C, the inhibitory effect of SRE on M1 macrophages was partially reversed. The results indicate that SRE has an inhibitory effect on AD, making it a potential therapeutic agent for this atopic disorder.
Metarhizium anisopliae, an entomopathogenic fungus, has been widely used for the control of agricultural and forestry pests. However, sporulation degeneration occurs frequently during the process of successive culture, and we currently lack a clear understanding of the underlying mechanisms. In this study, the metabolic profiles of M. anisopliae were comparatively analyzed based on the metabolomics approach of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). A total of 74 metabolites were detected in both normal and degenerate strains, with 40 differential metabolites contributing significantly to the model. Principal component analysis (PCA) and potential structure discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed a clear distinction between the sporulation of normal strains and degenerate strains. Specifically, 23 metabolites were down-regulated and 17 metabolites were up-regulated in degenerate strains compared to normal strains. The KEGG enrichment analysis identified 47 significant pathways. Among them, the alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolic pathways and the glycine, serine and threonine metabolism had the most significant effects on sporulation, which revealed that significant changes occur in the metabolic phenotypes of strains during sporulation and degeneration processes. Furthermore, our subsequent experiments have substantiated that the addition of amino acids could improve M. anisopliae’s spore production. Our study shows that metabolites, especially amino acids, which are significantly up-regulated or down-regulated during the sporulation and degeneration of M. anisopliae, may be involved in the sporulation process of M. anisopliae, and amino acid metabolism (especially glutamate, aspartate, serine, glycine, arginine and leucine) may be an important part of the sporulation mechanism of M. anisopliae. This study provides a foundation and technical support for rejuvenation and production improvement strategies for M. anisopliae.
