Genome-wide identification and expression pattern analysis of the GRF transcription factor family in Astragalus mongholicus.

BACKGROUND: Astragalus membranaceus is a plant of the Astragalus genus, which is used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with extremely high medicinal and edible value. Astragalus mongholicus, as one of the representative medicinal materials with the same origin of medicine and food, has a rising market demand for its raw materials, but the quality is different in different production areas. Growth-regulating factors (GRF) are transcription factors unique to plants that play important roles in plant growth and development. Up to now, there is no report about GRF in A. mongholicus. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study conducted a genome-wide analysis of the AmGRF gene family, identifying a total of nine AmGRF genes that were classified into subfamily V based on phylogenetic relationships. In the promoter region of the AmGRF gene, we successfully predicted cis-elements that respond to abiotic stress, growth, development, and hormone production in plants. Based on transcriptomic data and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) validation, the results showed that AmGRFs were expressed in the roots, stems, and leaves, with overall higher expression in leaves, higher expression of AmGRF1 and AmGRF8 in roots, and high expression levels of AmGRF1 and AmGRF9 in stems. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the further exploration of the functions of AmGRFs in plant growth and development.

Trollius chinensis Bunge: A Comprehensive Review of Research on Botany, Materia Medica, Ethnopharmacological Use, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Quality Control.

Trollius chinensis Bunge, a perennial herb belonging to the Ranunculaceae family, has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine. Documented in the Supplements to the Compendium of Materia Medica, its medicinal properties encompass a spectrum of applications, including heat clearance, detoxification, alleviation of oral/throat sores, earaches, eye pain, cold-induced fever, and vision improvement. Furthermore, T. chinensis is used in clinical settings to treat upper respiratory infections, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, esoenteritis, canker, bronchitis, etc. It is mainly used to treat inflammation, such as inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and nasal mucosa. This comprehensive review explores the evolving scientific understanding of T. chinensis, covering facets of botany, materia medica, ethnopharmacological use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and quality control. In particular, the chemical constituents and pharmacological research are reviewed. Polyphenols, mainly flavonoids and phenolic acids, are highly abundant among T. chinensis and are responsible for antiviral, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities. The flower additionally harbors trace amounts of volatile oil, polysaccharides, and other bioactive compounds. The active ingredients of the flower have fewer side effects, and it is used in children because of its minimal side effects, which has great research potential. These findings validate the traditional uses of T. chinensis and lay the groundwork for further scientific exploration. The sources utilized in this study encompass Web of Science, Pubmed, CNKI site, classic monographs, Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Chinese Medicine Dictionary, and doctoral and master's theses.

Identification of the lateral organ boundary domain gene family and its preservation by exogenous salicylic acid in Cerasus humilis.

The gene family known as the Lateral Organ Boundary Domain (LBD) is responsible for producing transcription factors unique to plants, which play a crucial role in controlling diverse biological activities, including their growth and development. This research focused on examining Cerasus humilis'ChLBD gene, owing to its significant ecological, economic, and nutritional benefits. Examining the ChLBD gene family's member count, physicochemical characteristics, phylogenetic evolution, gene configuration, and motif revealed 41 ChLBD gene family members spread across 8 chromosomes, with ChLBD gene's full-length coding sequences (CDSs) ranging from 327 to 1737 base pairs, and the protein sequence's length spanning 109 (ChLBD30)-579 (ChLBD35) amino acids. The molecular weights vary from 12.068 (ChLBD30) to 62.748 (ChLBD35) kDa, and the isoelectric points span from 4.74 (ChLBD20) to 9.19 (ChLBD3). Categorizing them into two evolutionary subfamilies: class I with 5 branches, class II with 2, the majority of genes with a single intron, and most members of the same subclade sharing comparable motif structures. The results of collinearity analysis showed that there were 3 pairs of tandem repeat genes and 12 pairs of fragment repeat genes in the Cerasus humilis genome, and in the interspecific collinearity analysis, the number of collinear gene pairs with apples belonging to the same family of Rosaceae was the highest. Examination of cis-acting elements revealed that methyl jasmonate response elements stood out as the most abundant, extensively dispersed in the promoter areas of class 1 and class 2 ChLBD. Genetic transcript analysis revealed that during Cerasus humilis' growth and maturation, ChLBD developed varied control mechanisms, with ChLBD27 and ChLBD40 potentially playing a role in managing color alterations in fruit ripening. In addition, the quality of calcium fruit will be affected by the environment during transportation and storage, and it is particularly important to use appropriate means to preserve the fruit. The research used salicylic acid-treated Cerasus humilis as the research object and employed qRT-PCR to examine the expression of six ChLBD genes throughout storage. Variations in the expression of the ChLBD gene were observed when exposed to salicylic acid, indicating that salicylic acid could influence ChLBD gene expression during the storage of fruits. This study's findings lay the groundwork for additional research into the biological role of the LBD gene in Cerasus humilis. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-024-01438-5.

Identification of Apiaceae using ITS, ITS2 and psba-trnH barcodes.

Apiaceae plants are used as medicinal herbs, pesticides, spices, and vegetables; thus, accurately identifying Apiaceae species is important. The grassland ecosystem of Heilongjiang Province in northern China has huge reserves of wild Apiaceae plants, but few reports have systematically documented their diversity. In this study, 275 Apiaceae plants of 23 species in 18 genera were collected from this area. We identified Apiaceae species by using nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS/ITS2) and psbA-trnH (chloroplast non-coding region) sequences based on experimental data. The identification efficiency of ITS, ITS2 and psbA-trnH sequences was determined and evaluated by sequence alignment and analysis, intraspecific and interspecific genetic distance analyses, and phylogenetic tree construction. ITS, ITS2 could distinguish 21 species from 17 genera of Apiaceae with good identification effect. When identifying species in the Apiaceae family, ITS2 can be used as the core barcode and psbA-trnH can be used as the supplementary barcode. These results can enrich the reference Apiaceae DNA barcode database.

A Review of NDT Methods for Wheel Burn Detection on Rails.

Wheel burn can affect the wheel-rail contact state and ride quality. With long-term operation, it can cause rail head spalling or transverse cracking, which will lead to rail breakage. By analyzing the relevant literature on wheel burn, this paper reviews the characteristics, mechanism of formation, crack extension, and NDT methods of wheel burn. The results are as follows: Thermal-induced, plastic-deformation-induced, and thermomechanical-induced mechanisms have been proposed by researchers; among them, the thermomechanical-induced wheel burn mechanism is more probable and convincing. Initially, the wheel burns appear as an elliptical or strip-shaped white etching layer with or without deformation on the running surface of the rails. In the latter stages of development, this may cause cracks, spalling, etc. Magnetic Flux Leakage Testing, Magnetic Barkhausen Noise Testing, Eddy Current Testing, Acoustic Emission Testing, and Infrared Thermography Testing can identify the white etching layer, and surface and near-surface cracks. Automatic Visual Testing can detect the white etching layer, surface cracks, spalling, and indentation, but cannot detect the depth of rail defects. Axle Box Acceleration Measurement can be used to detect severe wheel burn with deformation.

Detection of Rail Defects Using NDT Methods.

The rapid development of high-speed and heavy-haul railways caused rapid rail defects and sudden failure. This requires more advanced rail inspection, i.e., real-time accurate identification and evaluation for rail defects. However, existing applications cannot meet future demand. In this paper, different types of rail defects are introduced. Afterwards, methods that have the potential to achieve rapid accurate detection and evaluation of rail defects are summarized, including ultrasonic testing, electromagnetic testing, visual testing, and some integrated methods in the field. Finally, advice on rail inspection is given, such as synchronously utilizing the ultrasonic testing, magnetic flux leakage, and visual testing for multi-part detection. Specifically, synchronously using the magnetic flux leakage and visual testing technologies can detect and evaluate surface and subsurface defects, and UT is used to detect internal defects in the rail. This will obtain full rail information, to prevent sudden failure, then ensure train ride safety.

Differential Deformation Identification of High-Speed Railway Substructures Based on Dynamic Inspection of Longitudinal Level.

High-speed railway administrations are particularly concerned about safety and comfort issues, which are sometimes threatened by the differential deformation of substructures. Existing deformation-monitoring techniques are impractical for covering the whole range of a railway line at acceptable costs. Fortunately, the information about differential substructure deformation is contained in the dynamic inspection data of longitudinal level from comprehensive inspections trains. In order to detect potential differential deformations, an identification method, combining digital filtering, a convolutional neural network and infrastructure base information, is proposed. In this method, a low-pass filter is designed to remove short-waveband components of the longitudinal level. Then, a one-dimensional convolutional neural network is constructed to serve as a feature extractor from local longitudinal-level waveforms, and a binary classifier of potential differential deformations in place of the visual judgement of humans with profound expertise. Finally, the infrastructure base information is utilized to further classify the differential deformations into several types, according to the positional distribution of the substructures. The inspection data of four typical high-speed railways are selected to train and test the method. The results show that the convolutional neural network can identify differential substructure-deformations, with the precision, recall, accuracy and F1 score all exceeding 98% on the test data. In addition, four types of deformation can be further classified with the support of infrastructure base information. The proposed method can be used for directly locating adverse substructure deformations, and is also becoming a promising addition to existing deformation monitoring methods.

[Transcriptomics of therapeutic effect of Huangqi Liuyi decoction in treating type 2 diabetes].

In this study, Illumina sequencing platform was applied in sequencing rat pancreas, counting expression of target points, analyzing expression differences among blank group, model group and Huangqi Liuyi decoction group and exploring the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Huangqi Liuyi decoction on type 2 diabetes mellitus. According to the result, 24.25% of these genes belonged to the unknown functional class, which was the largest classification unit according to the classification analysis of genes by eggNOG. The rest were classified as energy conversion, amino acid transport and metabolism, nucleotide transport and metabolism, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, coenzyme transport and metabolism, and lipid transport and metabolism, etc.Huangqi Liuyi decoction may play a therapeutic role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus through four metabolic pathways, namely environmental information processing, cellular process, organismal system and human diseases according to KEGG enrichment analysis. This study shows that, Huangqi Liuyi decoction can significantly improve the fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin in type 2 diabetic rats.

[Model Predicts of Astragalus membranceus Transcriptional Gene].

Objective: Astragali Radix, one of the most widely used traditional Chinese medicines, has been extracted a variety of efficiently ingredients. However, the formation mechanism of the secondary metabolites is still unclear and the genome of Astragali Radix has not been sequenced yet. This study aimed at predicting gene model according to transcriptome data, which can be helpful to the use of Astragalus membranceus in the medicine field. Methods: Based on the transcriptome data of Astragalus membranceus and the existing whole genome sequence of its closely related species, the unigene of transcriptome of Astragalus membranceus was predicted and analyzed. Results: Astragalus membranceus had close genetic relationship with Glycine max,Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus. Astragalus membranceus shared 2 039 sequences with Medicago truncatula, and their base similarity was 90. 14%. There were 1 948 sequences matched up with Glycine max, and their base similarity was 90. 40%. In the aligement of Astragalus membranceus and Lotus corniculatus, the matched sequences dropped to 1 003,and the base similarity dropped to 89. 77%. Conclusion: The matched gene with three species discributed in chromosome genomes and extrachromosomal genome.

Uncovering Nanoindention Behavior of Amorphous/Crystalline High-Entropy-Alloy Composites.

Amorphous/crystalline high-entropy-alloy (HEA) composites show great promise as structural materials due to their exceptional mechanical properties. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the dynamic nanoindentation response of HEA composites at the atomic scale. Here, the mechanical behavior of amorphous/crystalline HEA composites under nanoindentation is investigated through a large-scale molecular dynamics simulation and a dislocation-based strength model, in terms of the indentation force, microstructural evolution, stress distribution, shear strain distribution, and surface topography. The results show that the uneven distribution of elements within the crystal leads to a strong heterogeneity of the surface tension during elastic deformation. The severe mismatch of the amorphous/crystalline interface combined with the rapid accumulation of elastic deformation energy causes a significant number of dislocation-based plastic deformation behaviors. The presence of surrounding dislocations inhibits the free slip of dislocations below the indenter, while the amorphous layer prevents the movement or disappearance of dislocations towards the substrate. A thin amorphous layer leads to great indentation force, and causes inconsistent stacking and movement patterns of surface atoms, resulting in local bulges and depressions at the macroscopic level. The increasing thickness of the amorphous layer hinders the extension of shear bands towards the lower part of the substrate. These findings shed light on the mechanical properties of amorphous/crystalline HEA composites and offer insights for the design of high-performance materials.

High performances of cellulose nanocrystal based bicomponent supramolecular hydrogel lubricant.

To improve the limitations of water-based lubricants, a novel cellulose nanocrystal based supramolecular hydrogel (CNC/x-DG/y) was prepared by mixing cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and diglycerol (DG) into deionized water (DW). The hydrogel was characterized to determine its material ratio and gelation mechanism. When DW was fixed at 1 mL, CNC content should be no <2.4 wt% and DG content 0.1-1.3 mL. The gelification was driven by the multiple H-bond network between CNC and DG, which immobilized water molecules. The rheological performances, the anti-rust property and the volatilization behaviour of the hydrogel were further studied. The results showed that the hydrogel had satisfactory viscoelasticity, excellent thermal stability, strong creep recovery, high anti-rust performance and low volatilization rate, which were exactly its advantages for use as lubricant. A typical representative of the hydrogel, namely CNC/2.4-DG/0.1, was selected to evaluate the tribological performances, and the resulting worn surfaces were analyzed. CNC/2.4-DG/0.1 exhibited a lower friction coefficient of 0.059 and a smaller wear volume of 0.81 × 10-3 mm3, compared to DW(1 mL) + CNC(2.4 wt%) and DW(1 mL) + DG(0.1 mL). The outstanding tribological performances of CNC/2.4-DG/0.1 were reasonably attributed to the synergistic mending effect of CNC and DG and the dissipative effect of H-bonds between the two.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the HSF Gene Family Reveals Its Role in Astragalus mongholicus under Different Light Conditions.

Astragalus mongholicus is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with important medicinal value and is widely used worldwide. Heat shock (HSF) transcription factors are among the most important transcription factors in plants and are involved in the transcriptional regulation of various stress responses, including drought, salinity, oxidation, osmotic stress, and high light, thereby regulating growth and developmental processes. However, the HFS gene family has not yet been identified in A. mongholicus, and little is known regarding the role of HSF genes in A. mongholicus. This study is based on whole genome analysis of A. mongholicus, identifying a total of 22 AmHSF genes and analyzing their physicochemical properties. Divided into three subgroups based on phylogenetic and gene structural characteristics, including subgroup A (12), subgroup B (9), and subgroup C (1), they are randomly distributed in 8 out of 9 chromosomes of A. mongholicus. In addition, transcriptome data and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses revealed that AmHSF was differentially transcribed in different tissues, suggesting that AmHSF gene functions may differ. Red and blue light treatment significantly affected the expression of 20 HSF genes in soilless cultivation of A. mongholicus seedlings. AmHSF3, AmHSF3, AmHSF11, AmHSF12, and AmHSF14 were upregulated after red light and blue light treatment, and these genes all had light-corresponding cis-elements, suggesting that AmHSF genes play an important role in the light response of A. mongholicus. Although the responses of soilless-cultivated A. mongholicus seedlings to red and blue light may not represent the mature stage, our results provide fundamental research for future elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of HSF in the growth and development of A. mongholicus and its response to different light conditions.

Genus Paeonia monoterpene glycosides: A systematic review on their pharmacological activities and molecular mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Genus Paeonia, which is the main source of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Paeoniae Radix Rubra (Chishao in Chinese), Paeoniae Radix Alba (Baishao in Chinese) and Moutan Cortex (Mudanpi in Chinese), is rich in active pharmaceutical ingredient such as monoterpenoid glycosides (MPGs). MPGs from Paeonia have extensive pharmacological effects, but the pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of MPGs has not been comprehensively reviewed. PURPOSE: MPGs compounds are one of the main chemical components of the genus Paeonia, with a wide variety of compounds and strong pharmacological activities, and the structure of the mother nucleus-pinane skeleton is similar to that of a cage. The purpose of this review is to summarize the pharmacological activity and mechanism of action of MPGs from 2012 to 2023, providing reference direction for the development and utilization of Paeonia resources and preclinical research. METHODS: Keywords and phrases are widely used in database searches, such as PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and X-Mol to search for citations related to the new compounds, extensive pharmacological research and molecular mechanisms of MPGs compounds of genus Paeonia. RESULTS: Modern research confirms that MPGs are the main compounds in Paeonia that exert pharmacological effects. MPGs with extensive pharmacological characteristics are mainly concentrated in two categories: paeoniflorin derivatives and albiflflorin derivatives among MPGs, which contains 32 compounds. Among them, 5 components including paeoniflorin, albiflorin, oxypaeoniflorin, 6'-O-galloylpaeoniflorin and paeoniflorigenone have been extensively studied, while the other 28 components have only been confirmed to have a certain degree of anti-inflammatory and anticomplementary effects. Studies of pharmacological effects are widely involved in nervous system, endocrine system, digestive system, immune system, etc., and some studies have identified clear mechanisms. MPGs exert pharmacological activity through multilateral mechanisms, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, inhibition of cell apoptosis, regulation of brain gut axis, regulation of gut microbiota and downregulation of mitochondrial apoptosis, etc. CONCLUSION: This systematic review delved into the pharmacological effects and related molecular mechanisms of MPGs. However, there are still some compounds in MPGs whose pharmacological effects and pharmacological mechanisms have not been clarified. In addition, extensive clinical randomized trials are needed to verify the efficacy and dosage of MPGs.

Ginseng rusty root symptoms result from nitric oxide stress in soil.

Ginseng, from the roots of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, is a widely used herbal medicine in Asian countries, known for its excellent therapeutic properties. The growth of P. ginseng is depend on specific and strict environments, with a preference for wetness but intolerance for flooding. Under excessive soil moisture, some irregular rust-like substances are deposited on the root epidermis, causing ginseng rusty symptoms (GRS). This condition leads to a significant reduce in yield and quality, resulting in substantial economic loses. However, there is less knowledge on the cause of GRS and there are no effective treatments available for its treatment once it occurs. Unsuitable environments lead to the generation of large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We investigated the key indicators associated with the stress response during different physiological stages of GRS development. We observed a significant change in ROS level, MDA contents, antioxidant enzymes activities, and non-enzymatic antioxidants contents prior to the GRS. Through the analysis of soil features with an abundance of moisture, we further determined the source of ROS. The levels of nitrate reductase (NR) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities in the inter-root soil of ginseng with GRS were significantly elevated compared to those of healthy ginseng. These enzymes boost nitric oxide (NO) levels, which in turn showed a favorable correlation with the GRS. The activities of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase first rose and then decreased as GRS developed. Excess soil moisture causes a decrease in oxygen levels. This activated NR and NOS in the soil, resulting in a production of excess NO. The NO then diffused into the ginseng root and triggered a burst of ROS through NADPH located on the cell membrane. Additionally, Fe2+ in soil was oxidized to red Fe3+, and finally led to GRS. This conclusion was also verified by the Sodium Nitroprusside (SNP), a precursor compound producing NO. The presence of NO from NR and NOS in water-saturated soil is responsible for the generation of ROS. Among these, NO is the main component that contribute to the occurrence of GRS.

Genome-wide identification of YABBY gene family and its expression pattern analysis in Astragalus mongholicus.

During plant growth and development, the YABBY gene plays a crucial role in the morphological structure, hormone signaling, stress resistance, crop breeding, and agricultural production of plant lateral organs, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Astragalus mongholicus is a perennial herbaceous plant in the legume family, widely used worldwide due to its high medicinal and edible value. However, there have been no reports of the YABBY gene family in A. mongholicus. This study used bioinformatics methods, combined with databases and analysis websites, to systematically analyze the AmYABBY gene family in the entire genome of A. mongholicus and verified its expression patterns in different tissues of A. mongholicus through transcriptome data and qRT-PCR experiments. A total of seven AmYABBY genes were identified, which can be divided into five subfamilies and distributed on three chromosomes. Two pairs of AmYABBY genes may be involved in fragment duplication on three chromosomes. All AmYABBY proteins have a zinc finger YABBY domain, and members of the same group have similar motif composition and intron - exon structure. In the promoter region of the genes, light-responsive and MeJa-response cis-elements are dominant. AmYABBY is highly expressed in stems and leaves, especially AmYABBY1, AmYABBY2, and AmYABBY3, which play important roles in the growth and development of stems and leaves. The AmYABBY gene family regulates the growth and development of A. mongholicus. In summary, this study provides a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the function of the AmYABBY gene and new insights into the molecular response mechanism of the growth and development of the traditional Chinese medicine A. mongholicus.

Identification and expression analysis of TPS family gene in Cannabis sativa L.

Terpene synthases (TPSs) regulate plant growth, development, and stress response. TPS genes have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana and Zea mays. Cannabis sativa TPS genes were identified and analyzed using bioinformatics. Genomic data were downloaded from Plant Transcription Factor Database and National Center for Biotechnology Information database, and TPS genes were predicted, analyzed, and visualized using ExPASy, PlantCare, and other online websites along with TBtools, MEGA software, and other software. To verify its role, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) tests were conducted. The Cannabis sativa TPS family comprises 41 elements distributed over 8 chromosomes and a single scaffold segment. The isoelectric point varied between 4.96 and 7.03, while the molecular weight spanned from 20705.90 to 102324.64 Da. The majority of genes were found in the cytoplasm and chloroplasts, with the remainder situated in the peroxisome, nucleus, plasma membrane, and mitochondria. Several cis-acting components associated with stress response were present in the gene's upstream promoter region. Data from RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR revealed specific expression of TPS genes in all five organs of female Cannabis sativa plants. Collinearity analysis showed 4 homologous gene pairs between the Cannabis sativa and Arabidopsis thaliana, with many pairs of homologous genes in other species, which was consistent with the dicotyledons evolutionary relationship. Furthermore, some genes may participate in Cannabis sativa growth and development and play a role in secondary metabolite synthesis. Therefore, bioinformatics analysis of the Cannabis sativa TPS gene family provides a theoretical basis for future research on the volatile terpene compounds of Cannabis sativa.

Cloning, Expression Characteristics of Farnesyl Pyrophosphate Synthase Gene from Platycodon grandiflorus and Functional Identification in Triterpenoid Synthesis.

Platycodon grandiflorus is a medicinal plant whose main component is platycodins, which have a variety of pharmacological effects and nutritional values. The farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPS) is a key enzyme in the isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway, which catalyzes the synthesis of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP). In this study, we cloned the FPS gene from P. grandiflorus (PgFPS) with an ORF of 1260 bp, encoding 419 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight and theoretical pI of 46,200.98 Da and 6.52, respectively. The squalene content of overexpressed PgFPS in tobacco leaves and yeast cells extract was 1.88-fold and 1.21-fold higher than that of the control group, respectively, and the total saponin content was also increased by 1.15 times in yeast cells extract, which verified the biological function of PgFPS in terpenoid synthesis. After 48 h of MeJA treatment and 6 h of ethephon treatment, the expression of the PgFPS gene in roots and stems reached its peak, showing a 3.125-fold and 3.236-fold increase compared to the untreated group, respectively. Interestingly, the expression of the PgFPS gene in leaves showed a decreasing trend after exogenous elicitors treatment. The discovery of this enzyme will provide a novel perspective for enhancing the efficient synthesis of platycodins.

A Comprehensive Research Review of Herbal Textual Research, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Traditional Uses, Clinical Application, Safety Evaluation, and Quality Control of Trollius chinensis Bunge.

Trollius chinensis Bunge (TCB) is a perennial plant of the Ranunculaceae family with medicinal and edible values. It is widely distributed and commonly used in various regions, including Asia, Europe, and North America. The main chemical components of TCB include alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and volatile oil compounds. TCB is renowned for its anti-inflammatory, heat-clearing, detoxifying, and eyesight-improving properties. Its dried flowers are commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine indicated for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections, chronic tonsillitis, pharyngitis, influenza, and bronchitis. Modern pharmacology has demonstrated the anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and antioxidant effects of TCB. This study presents a comprehensive overview of various aspects of TCB, including herbal textual research, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, traditional uses, clinical application, and quality control, aiming to provide new ideas on the scientific application of TCB as well as the integration of modern research with traditional medicinal uses.

A review of the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, synthetic biology and comprehensive utilization of Silybum marianum.

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn, a herbaceous plant with a long history in traditional medicine for the treatment of hepatobiliary diseases, particularly in Europe, which has attracted attention for its remarkable therapeutic effect. This review systematically summarizes the research progress in the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, comprehensive utilization and synthetic biology of S. marianum. Up to now, more than 20 types of flavonolignan components have been isolated from S. marianum. In addition, the rearch on fatty acids and triterpenoids is also constantly improving. Among them, silybin is the most active compound in flavonolignans components. Its pharmacological effects in vivo and in vitro include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumour, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and immunoregulatory properties. The use of coniferyl alcohol and taxifolin as substrates to produce silybin and isosilybin under the action of enzyme catalysis is the commonly used biosynthetic pathway of silymarin, which provides support for a comprehensive analysis of the synthetic pathway of silymarin. In addition to medicinal use, the extracts of plants also have broad application prospects in the production of food, healthcare products, cosmetics and other aspects. In addition, the chemical composition, pharmacological mechanism and synthetic biology of S. marianum need to be further studied, which is very important for its clinical efficacy and resource development.

In silico genome-wide analysis of homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factors in Cannabis sativa L.

HD-Zip (Homeodomain-Leucine Zipper) is a family of transcription factors unique to higher plants and plays a vital role in plant growth and development. Increasing research results show that HD-Zip transcription factors are widely involved in many life processes in plants. However, the HD-Zip transcription factor for cannabis, a valuable crop, has not yet been identified. The sequence characteristics, chromosome localization, system evolution, conservative motif, gene structure, and gene expression of the HD-Zip transcription factor in the cannabis genome were systematically studied. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to verify its function. The results showed that cannabis contained 33 HD-Zip gene members. The number of amino acids is 136-849aa, the isoelectric point is 4.54-9.04, and the molecular weight is 23264.32-93147.87Da. Many cis-acting elements are corresponding to hormone and abiotic stress in the HD-Zip family promoter area of cannabis. Sequencing of the transcriptome at 5 tissue sites of hemp, stems, leaves, bracts, and seeds showed similar levels of expression of 33 members of the HD-Zip gene family at 5 tissue sites. Bioinformatics results show that HD-Zip expression is tissue-specific and may be influenced by hormones and environmental factors. This lays a foundation for further research on the gene function of HD-Zip.