RESUMEN
Isodon rubescens (Hemsley) H. Hara is the source of Donglingcao under the monograph Rabdosiae Rubescentis Herba in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. In the local marketplace, this medicine can be accidentally contaminated, deliberately substituted, or mixed with other related species. The contaminants of herbal products are a threat to consumer safety. Due to the scarcity of genetic information on Isodon plants, more molecular markers are needed to avoid misidentification. In the present study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of seven species of Isodon was sequenced, de novo assembled and characterized. The cp genomes of these species universally exhibited a conserved quadripartite structure, i.e., two inverted repeats (IRs) containing most of the ribosomal RNA genes and two unique regions (large single copy and small single copy). Moreover, the genome structure, codon usage, and repeat sequences were highly conserved and showed similarities among the seven species. Five highly variable regions (trnS-GCU-trnT-CGU, atpH-atpI, trnE-UUC-trnT-GGU, ndhC-trnM-CAU, and rps15-ycf1) might be potential molecular markers for identifying I. rubescens and its contaminants. These findings provide valuable information for further species identification, evolution, and phylogenetic research of Isodon.
RESUMEN
Laggera crispata, an herbaceous plant, has been used in Chinese medicines as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-viral. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of L. crispata was first reported. The cp genome of L. crispata is 155522 bp in length, with two inverted repeats (IR) regions of 25042 bp, the large single copy (LSC) region of 84198 bp and the small single copy (SSC) region of 21240 bp. 128 genes were predicted, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis suggested that L. crispata is more closely related to Pluchea pteropoda and P. indica with solid bootstrap values belonging to the subfamily Inuleae of Asteraceae.
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Research on crop sexuality is important for establishing systems for germplasm innovation and cultivating improved varieties. In this study, androecious persimmon trees were treated with various concentrations of ethrel (100, 500, and 1,000 mg/L) and zeatin (1, 5, and 10 mg/L) to investigate the morphological, physiological, and molecular characteristics of persimmon. Ethrel at 1,000 mg/L and zeatin at 10 mg/L both significantly reduced the stamen length and pollen grain diameter in androecious trees. Ethrel treatment also led to reduced stamen development with degenerated cellular contents; zeatin treatment promoted the development of arrested pistils via maintaining relatively normal mitochondrial morphology. Both treatments altered carbohydrate, amino acid, and endogenous phytohormone contents, as well as genes associated with hormone production and floral organ development. Thereafter, we explored the combined effects of four chemicals, including ethrel and zeatin, as well as zebularine and 5-azacytidine, both of which are DNA methylation inhibitors, on androecious persimmon flower development. Morphological comparisons showed that stamen length, pollen viability, and pollen grain diameter were significantly inhibited after combined treatment. Large numbers of genes involving in carbohydrate metabolic, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, and ribosome pathways, and metabolites including uridine monophosphate (UMP) and cyclamic acid were identified in response to the treatment, indicating complex regulatory mechanisms. An association analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data indicated that ribosomal genes have distinct effects on UMP and cyclamic acid metabolites, explaining how male floral buds of androecious persimmon trees respond to these exogenous chemicals. These findings extend the knowledge concerning sexual differentiation in persimmon; they also provide a theoretical basis for molecular breeding, high-yield cultivation, and quality improvement in persimmon.
RESUMEN
Thalictrum foliolosum DC. 1817, a widely distributed species in the genus of Thalictrum, is used as a traditional herbal medicine in China. For the first time, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of T. foliolosum was assembled and characterized for the first time in this study. The cp genome of T. foliolosum was 155,764 bp in length, including a large-single copy region of 85,086 bp, a small-single copy region of 17,636 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats region of 53,042 bp. The overall GC content was 38.50%. A total of 127 genes were predicted, including 82 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that T. foliolosum is closely related to T. petaloideum.
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Understanding how microbial communities affect plant growth is crucial for sustainable productivity and ecological health. However, in contrast with the crop system, there is limited information on the microbial community associated with the medicinal plant. We observed that altitude was the most influential factor on the soil microbial community structures of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux. For community composition, bacterial reads were assigned to 48 phyla, with Proteobacteria, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota being the dominant phyla. The fungal reads were assigned to seven phyla, and Ascomycota was the predominant phylum detected in most groups. The four dominant phyla were categorized as keystone taxa in the co-occurrence networks, suggesting that they may be involved in soil disease suppression and nutrient mobility. Bacterial co-occurrence networks had fewer edges, lower average degree, and lower density at YL1, HQ1, HQ2, BC, and DL than fungal networks, creating less intricate rhizosphere network patterns. Furthermore, the bacterial and fungal communities showed strong distance decay of similarity across the sampling range. Overall, this study improves our understanding of regulating rhizosphere microbial communities in soil systems and also provides potential production strategies for planting A. carmichaelii.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) and paeoniflorin (PF) are the main active ingredients in Chinese peony- Liquorice Decoction, a widely used Traditional Chinese Medicine. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: The aim of this work was to investigate the combinatory analgesic effect of GA and PF after percutaneous administration and to define their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) characteristics. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: GA and PF were produced to transdermal patches based on previous research, and the permeation parameters of GA and PF in the patches were investigated with in vitro experiments. Dysmenorrhea model mice were then produced to compare the analgesic effects of the patches with different proportions of GA-PF. In the in vivo assessment, the number of writhes exhibited by the dysmenorrhea mice was recorded at designated time points, and skin, muscle under skin and plasma samples were collected, for assessments of drug distribution, pharmacokinetics parameters and PK/PD characteristics. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In dysmenorrhea mice, GA-PF and meloxicam (the positive control drug) could relieve pain to equal degrees. Specifically, a single dose of the optimized patches (10%GA-10%PF, wt) exerted a steady analgesic effect for 48h in dysmenorrhea mice, but this effect lagged behind the changes in the plasma concentration. Evaluation with the Bliss Independence criterion revealed that the two ingredients displayed a synergistic effect. Then the PK/PD relationship of GA in this compound preparation was defined with this synergistic effect. The preparation might be suitable for topical spasmolysis and anti-inflammatory therapy.