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Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb.f., is a traditional Chinese medicine, and the Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) is one of the principal components extracted from Bletilla striata with various biological activities. Previous studies have shown that many natural polysaccharides have significant immunomodulatory activities. However, as a plant polysaccharide, the research of BSP on immunomodulatory activities is limited. In this study, we aim to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of BSP in vivo and further explore its underlying mechanism in vitro. In vivo, a cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppression mice mode was established by intraperitoneal injection of CTX, and the immune-enhancing effect of BSP (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) on immunosuppressed mice were evaluated. The result indicated that BSP could significantly improve the immune organ index and the content of immunoglobulin, TNF-α and IL-4 in serum. It was also found that BSP could clearly ameliorate the spleen damage induced by CTX. Meanwhile, the result showed that BSP could not only improve the proliferation of splenocytes, but also activate the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and acid phosphatase (ACP) in mouse spleen tissue. In vitro, potential mechanism was further revealed in macrophages. The result supported that BSP could activate macrophages with high phagocytic ability, and induce macrophages to secrete cytokines. Finally, it revealed that activation of NF-κB and MAPK signalling pathway should be the underlying mechanism of the immunoenhancment of BSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by an excessive inflammatory response, closely related to sepsis occurrence and development. It has been reported that Schisandrin (Sch) exhibits anti‐inflammatory activity. However, whether the beneficial effects of Sch exists during ALI remains to be studied. In this study, the impact of Sch was evaluated by studying lung tissue damage, measuring the concentrations of pro‐inflammatory factors, and the expression of apoptotic proteins in the LPS‐induced ALI mice model. Protein expression of inflammation‐related signaling pathway within the lung tissue and A549 cells were also measured. In addition, the effect of Sch on A549 cell apoptosis and inflammatory markers was also detected. Animal experiments demonstrated that pre‐feeding Sch alleviated the production of inflammation mediators, abnormal pathological injuries, and blocked the progression of apoptotic events in the lung tissue. The in vitro experiments showed that Sch pretreatment reduced LPS upregulated interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), IL‐18, and IL‐6 levels, and improved LPS‐induced abnormal apoptosis. Sch and the pathway inhibitor AG490 also inhibited the expression levels of p‐JAK2 and p‐STAT3 in A549 cells. Moreover, pretreatment with Sch significantly inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, reduced inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase 2 proteins expression during ALI in vitro and in vivo. Overall, Sch effectively alleviated ALI and provided a new mechanism to support the protective effect of Sch for sepsis‐induced ALI. Practical implications: ALI is characterized by inflammatory injury of the lungs, which is an important cause of high morbidity and mortality in severe patients. Sch is considered as a botanical active ingredient with various pharmacological activities, such as neuroprotective and vascular protective effects. However, the effect of Sch on ALI and its mechanism remains largely unknown. Research data indicate that Sch exerts an anti‐inflammatory effect by reducing the production of inflammatory factors and abnormal apoptosis of cells, further alleviating lung damage. The protective effect of Sch was associated with inhibition of the activation of NLRP3 and the JAK2/STAT3 inflammatory pathways. The study, therefore, confirmed that Sch has a potential as an effective drug to prevent ALI diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shifts in the realized niches of exotic species may play an important role in their invasion. Galinsoga quadriradiata has invaded China widely and occupied many climate zones that are different from its native range. We addressed the climatic niche shift of G. quadriradiata and evaluated how this could contribute to its invasion in China. We used the Maxent model to predict the potential distribution of G. quadriradiata using its native and invaded range occurrences and climatic variables. Principal component analysis was conducted to measure climatic niche shifts of G. quadriradiata during its invasion in China. The models revealed only 32.7% niche overlap between the native and invasive populations. The niche similarity of the two populations was significantly low (Schoener's D = 0.093, P < 0.005), suggesting the occurrence of a niche shift. The envelop and center of the realized climatic niche in China has shifted to lower temperature and less precipitation compared to that in its native range. The majority of invaded areas in southern China are in the stabilizing zone, whereas the colonization and adaptation zones are predicted to be at the leading edge of G. quadriradiata invasion in northern China. This suggests that the regional distribution of G. quadriradiata may be in a quasi-equilibrium state, and that the species continues to invade environmentally suitable areas. Alterations in G. quadriradiata 's niche would help to explain why this species is so invasive in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WRKY gene family is an important inducible regulatory factor in plants, which has been extensively studied in many model plants. It has progressively become the focus of investigation for the secondary metabolites of medicinal plants. Currently, there is no systematic analysis of the WRKY gene family in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. For this study, a systematic and comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of the WRKY gene family was conducted based on the genomic data of S. baicalensis. A total of 77 WRKY members were identified and 75 were mapped onto nine chromosomes, respectively. Their encoded WRKY proteins could be classified into three subfamilies: Group I, Group II (II-a, II-b, II-c, II-d, II-e), and Group III, based on the characteristics of the amino acid sequences of the WRKY domain and genetic structure. Syntenic analysis revealed that there were 35 pairs of repetitive fragments. Furthermore, the transcriptome data of roots, stems, leaves, and flowers showed that the spatial expression profiles of WRKYs were different. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that 11 stress-related WRKYs exhibited specific expression patterns under diverse treatments. In addition, sub cellular localization analysis indicated that SbWRKY26 and SbWRKY41 were localized in nucleus. This study is the first to report the identification and characterization of the WRKY gene family in S. baicalensis, which is valuable for the further exploration of the biological function of SbWRKYs. It also provides valuable bioinformatics data for S. baicalensis and provides a reference for assessing the medicinal properties of the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuzi (the lateral root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx.) is a traditional Chinese medicine that is cultivated in more than eight provinces in China. However, it can be easily devastated by post-harvest rot, causing huge losses. Therefore, it is extremely important that the primary causal pathogens of post-harvest Fuzi rot are identified and appropriate detection methods for them are developed to prevent and control losses. In this study, two bacterial strains (X1 and X2) were isolated from rotten post-harvest Fuzi. Based on their morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics, housekeeping gene homologies, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) results, these isolates were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens. The pathogenicities of these isolates were confirmed by fulfilling Koch's postulates demonstrating that they were post-harvest Fuzi rot pathogens. Two loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) methods targeting the gyrase B subunit (gyrB) gene of P. aeruginosa and the phosphatidylinositol glycan C (pigC) gene of S. marcescens were successfully developed, and it was found that the target genes were highly specific to the two pathogens. These LAMP methods were used to detect P. aeruginosa and S. marcescens in 46 naturally occurring Fuzi and their associated rhizosphere soil samples of unknown etiology. The two bacterial assays were positive in some healthy and rotten samples and could be accomplished within 1 h at 65°C without the need for complicated, expensive instruments. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. aeruginosa and S. marcescens causing post-harvest Fuzi rot. The newly developed methods are expected to have applications in point-of-care testing for the two pathogens under different Fuzi planting procedures and will significantly contribute to the control and prevention of Fuzi rot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As sessile organisms, plants are continuously exposed to a wide range of environmental stress. In addition to their crucial roles in plant growth and development, small signaling peptides are also implicated in sensing environmental stimuli. Notably, recent studies in plants have revealed that small signaling peptides are actively involved in controlling stomatal aperture to defend against biotic and abiotic stress. This review illustrates our growing knowledge of small signaling peptides in the modulation of stomatal aperture and highlights future challenges to decipher peptide signaling pathways in guard cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored the changes in phytochemical profiles (proximate, amino acids, fatty acids, and lignans) and antioxidant activity of Schisandra sphenathera fruit with three maturity stages (un-ripen, semi-ripen and fully-ripen). The results showed that the whole fruit contained high levels of essential amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and oleic acids), whose content slightly reduced with maturity. Meanwhile, the contents of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and total tannins were generally decreased in the extractable, free, conjugated, and bound phenolic fractions, while the total anthocyanin content in these phenolic fractions were increased during ripening. Furthermore, the lignan profiling of these fractions indicated an increased content of schisandrol A and gomisin J, but a decreased content of schisandrin B and schisandrin C in the extractable phenolic fractions during fruit maturation. It was noted that schisantherin B and schisandrin A were recorded in all phenolic fractions, alongside schisandrin B and schisandrin C detected only in extractable form. Additionally, the extractable phenolic fractions exerted considerable antioxidant activity with little or low significance at three maturity stages. Therefore, the whole fruit of S. sphenathera abound with unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant lignans, boosting its chances of being fully utilized as a versatile and economical crop in pharmaceutical and food industries for different purposes. • S. sphenathera fruit contained high levels of essential amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids. • Both extractable and non-extractable phenolics changed with ripening stages. • Lignan profiles of different phenolics fractions were also varied. • Schisantherin B and schisandrin A presented in free, conjugated and bound forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The membrane lipid peroxidation, antioxidant metabolites, as well as ultrastructure of chloroplasts of leaves were investigated in two cool-season turfgrass species, perennial ryegrass (heat sensitive) and tall fescue (moderate), exposed to three heat stress levels (38, 42, 46°C) for 14h, respectively, with a heat acclimation pretreatment at 30°C for 3 days in a growth chamber. Relative water content (RWC), cell membrane thermostability, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide (O2 −), ascorbate (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) contents were measured in leaves. RWC decreased with increase in heat stress levels in tall fescue and perennial ryegrass leaves. However, leaves with heat acclimation pretreatment kept lower decrease in RWC than those without heat acclimation pretreatment at three heat stress levels. Under heat stresses, leaves heat-acclimated pretreatment in two turfgrass species maintained higher membrane thermostability and lower membrane lipid peroxidation product (MDA) than those in no heat-acclimated leaves; however, perennial ryegrass leaves showed greater membrane injury than tall fescue leaves regardless of heat acclimation pretreatment, especially at 46°C. Significant accumulation of H2O2 and O2 − was observed in two turfgrass species leaves regardless of heat-acclimated pretreatment at all stress levels; however, their degree of accumulation kept lower level in heat-acclimated leaves than in no heat-acclimated leaves. AsA and GSH are two important metabolites in antioxidant system in plants. Our results showed the contents of AsA and GSH in heat-acclimated leaves were higher than those in control at same heat stress level though the contents of AsA and GSH showed the trend of significant decrease with increase in heat stress levels. After heat acclimation pretreatment, ultrastructure of chloroplasts had lower damage in two turfgrass species leaves under heat stress than those without heat acclimation pretreatment, which may contribute to the decrease in membrane lipid peroxidation, increase in AsA and GSH contents at same heat stress level. However, it was insufficient to protect the chloroplast from damage with increase in heat stress level, even if with high AsA and GSH contents to remove reactive oxygen species (ROS). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus (SSF), the dry ripe fruit of Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils., is a traditional Chinese medicine with wide application potential. The quality of SSF indicated by the composition and contents of secondary metabolites is closely related to environmental factors, such as regional climate and soil conditions. The aims of this study were to predict the distribution patterns of potentially suitable areas for S. sphenanthera in China and pinpoint the major environmental factors influencing its accumulation of medicinal components. An optimized maximum entropy model was developed and applied under current and future climate scenarios (SSP1-RCP2.6, SSP3-RCP7, and SSP5-RCP8.5). Results show that the total suitable areas for S. sphenanthera (179.58×10 4 km 2 ) cover 18.71% of China's territory under the current climatic conditions (1981-2010). Poorly, moderately, and highly suitable areas are 119.00×10 4 km 2 , 49.61×10 4 km 2 , and 10.98×10 4 km 2 , respectively. The potentially suitable areas for S. sphenanthera are predicted to shrink and shift westward under the future climatic conditions (2041-2070 and 2071-2100). The areas of low climate impact are located in southern Shaanxi, northwestern Guizhou, southeastern Chongqing, and western Hubei Provinces (or Municipality), which exhibit stable and high suitability under different climate scenarios. The contents of volatile oils, lignans, and polysaccharides in SSF are correlated with various environmental factors. The accumulation of major secondary metabolites is primarily influenced by temperature variation, seasonal precipitation, and annual precipitation. This study depicts the potential distribution of S. sphenanthera in China and its spatial change in the future. Our findings decipher the influence of habitat environment on the geographical distribution and medicinal quality of S. sphenanthera , which could have great implications for natural resource conservation and artificial cultivation., Competing Interests: Author DZ is employed by Shaanxi Panlong Pharmaceutical Group Limited by Share Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Shang, Zhao, Yan, Sun, Sun, Liang, Zhang, Qian and Cui.)

Aconitum carmichaeli Debx . is a traditional Chinese medicine that is cultivated in China and Japan. However, the monoculturing of this herb substantially decreases soil quality. Therefore, scientific planting management is crucial for resolving the current problems in the cultivation of A. carmichaeli . In this study, we conducted a comparative study on the soil environmental characteristics, herb growth and quality of A. carmichaeli intercropping with five local crops in two different areas. Herb growth and quality, including biomass and secondary metabolites, and rhizosphere soil environmental characteristics were measured. The results showed that the intercropping with the five local crops substantially improved the A. carmichaeli biomass and polysaccharide content, decreased the disease index, and altered three monoester diterpenoid alkaloids and three diester diterpenoid alkaloids accumulations. The intercrops also increased the soil pH, nitrogen-cycling-gene abundances, and potentially beneficial microorganism abundances, and it also changed the soil nutrient levels. Moreover, these intercropping patterns could alleviate the continuous cropping obstacles of A. carmichaeli . According to a comprehensive evaluation of the A. carmichaeli growth and quality, as well as the soil quality, the best intercropping systems were the A. carmichaeli intercropping with rice, maize, and peanut. In summary, the strip-intercropping systems could improve the A. carmichaeli growth and soil quality, and be beneficial to the sustainable ecological planting of A. carmichaeli ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Liu, Yan, Liu, Zhang, Zhang and Cui.)

Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb that has been utilized for approximately 2,000 years. However, as cultivation has increased, there have been more reports of A. carmichaelii infections caused by four major pathogenic fungal species, Fusarium oxysporum , F. solani , Mucor circinelloides , and Sclerotium rolfsii , resulting in increased disease incidences and limited production and quality. To detect these infections, we developed a LAMP-based toolbox in this study. The cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 ( cox1 ) gene, translation elongation factor-1α ( EF-1α ), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of rDNA, and alcohol dehydrogenase 1 ( ADH1 ) gene, respectively, were used to design species-specific LAMP primer sets for F. oxysporum , F. solani , S. rolfsii , and M. circinelloides . The results showed that the LAMP-based toolbox was effective at detecting pathogens in soil and plant materials. We also used this toolbox to investigate pathogen infection in the main planting regions of A. carmichaelii . Before harvesting, F. oxysporum , M. circinelloides , and S. rolfsii were commonly found in the planting fields and in infected A. carmichaelii plants. Therefore, the toolbox we developed will be useful for tracking these infections, as well as for disease control in A. carmichaelii .

China has the largest area of kiwifruit production in the world. Pathogens associated with root diseases of kiwi trees have not been investigated extensively. In this research, three Phytophthora species, Phytophthora cactorum , Phytophthora cinnamomi , and Phytophthora lateralis , which are pathogenic to kiwi trees in the main planting areas of China, were studied. The population densities of these species in 128 soil samples from 32 kiwi orchards in 2017 and 2018 were measured using multiplex real-time quantitative PCR based on the ras-related protein gene Ypt1 . P. cactorum was the most widely distributed of the three species in orchards of the Zhouzhi and Meixian prefectures. We used redundancy analysis to examine soil factors in the kiwi orchards to understand their effects on the population densities of the Phytophthora species. The redundancy analysis indicated that soil temperature and pH were significantly correlated with the abundance of P. cactorum and P. cinnamomi . In addition, two loop-mediated isothermal amplification detection systems for P. cactorum were developed based on the tigA gene. The color-change detection system proved to be accurate, sensitive, and faster than quantitative PCR. The results of this study, along with the loop-mediated isothermal amplification detection systems, will be of great use in the control of Phytophthora diseases for the production of kiwifruits in China.

Aconitum carmichaelii is a typical traditional Chinese medicinal herb that has been grown for more than one thousand years in China (Singhuber et al. 2009). Surveys for damping-off of A. carmichaelii were conducted from 2016 to 2018 in three of China's major planting areas (Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Yunnan Province). Damping-off was observed from April to June with disease incidences ranging from 5% to 11% in ten investigated fields. In the early stage of disease development, the roots were fully covered by white mycelia. When the disease was severe, seedlings were stunted, turned yellow, had withered roots, and some eventually died. One fungus was consistently isolated from the diseased roots in the planting areas of Shaanxi Province (33°7'42″N and 107°20'27″E) on PDA medium. It was identified as Mucor circinelloides , based on morphological characteristics (Schipper 1976). Three isolates from different regions were characterized by yellowish colonies composed of tall and short sporangiophores 6-11 µm in width, terminal and globose sporangia, ellipsoidal sporangiospores 5-8 µm in length and 4-5 µm in width, and obovoid columellae. The internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) and the large subunit (28S) of ribosomal RNA gene from the representative isolate, MC180610 (GenBank accession no. MK087755, MT043749), were also amplified and sequenced using the universal primer sets, ITS1/ITS4 and NL1/NL4, respectively. BLAST analyses of the ITS sequence showed 99.38% identity with the type strain (CBS 195.68) of M. circinelloides (GenBank accession no. NR&#95;126116), and the 28S sequence showed 99.44% identity with the strain (CBS 274.49) of M. circinelloides f. circinelloides (GenBank accession no. MH868051). The pathogenicity of M. circinelloides isolate (MC180610) to A. carmichaelii was examined by inoculating 150 ml of the hypha suspension of M. circinelloides prepared from a 10-day-old potato dextrose broth culture into the soils of healthy potted A. carmichaelii plants. Uninoculated potted A. carmichaelii plants served as controls. There were three replicates for the inoculated and control plants. All the potted A. carmichaelii plants were incubated at 25°C under 12 h light 12 h dark conditions. The symptoms that developed on M. circinelloides inoculated A. carmichaelii plants were similar to those observed in the field; control plants did not show symptoms. The pathogen was reisolated from symptomatic roots onto the PDA medium and morphologically identified as M. circinelloides . M. circinelloides has been reported as a pathogen of papaya ( Carica papaya ), Mandarin fruits ( Citrus reticulata ), and sweet potatoes ( Ipomea batatas ), respectively (Cruz-Lachica et al. 2018; Saito et al. 2016; Oladoye et al. 2016), but it has never been reported on A. carmichaelii before. This is the first report of damping-off caused by M. circinelloides on A. carmichaelii . This pathogen may present a threat to the production of A. carmichaelii in China.

Polysaccharides from morels possess many characteristics beneficial to health, such as anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities. The gut microbiota plays a critical role in the modulation of immune function. However, the impact of morel polysaccharides on the gut microbiota has not yet been explored. In this study, a high-throughput pyrosequencing technique was used to investigate the effects of MP, a new heteropolysaccharide extracted from wild morels, on the diversity and composition of microbiota along the intestine in mice, as well as the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The results showed that MP treatment increased the number of operational taxonomic unit (OTUs) and diversity along the intestine, especially in the small intestine. MP treatment induced a significant decrease in the number of Firmicutes and a significant increase in the number of Bacteroidetes in the small intestine microbiota. It was also observed that the relative abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria, especially Lachnospiraceae , was increased in both the cecum and colon of MP-treated mice. Moreover, MP promoted the production of SCFAs in mice. These results provide a foundation for further understanding the health benefits conferred by morel polysaccharides., (©2020 BMFH Press.)

CLE peptides have been implicated in various developmental processes of plants and mediate their responses to environmental stimuli. However, the biological relevance of most CLE genes remains to be functionally characterized. Here, we report that CLE9, which is expressed in stomata, acts as an essential regulator in the induction of stomatal closure. Exogenous application of CLE9 peptides or overexpression of CLE9 effectively led to stomatal closure and enhanced drought tolerance, whereas CLE9 loss-of-function mutants were sensitivity to drought stress. CLE9-induced stomatal closure was impaired in abscisic acid (ABA)-deficient mutants, indicating that ABA is required for CLE9-medaited guard cell signalling. We further deciphered that two guard cell ABA-signalling components, OST1 and SLAC1, were responsible for CLE9-induced stomatal closure. MPK3 and MPK6 were activated by the CLE9 peptide, and CLE9 peptides failed to close stomata in mpk3 and mpk6 mutants. In addition, CLE9 peptides stimulated the induction of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and nitric oxide (NO) synthesis associated with stomatal closure, which was abolished in the NADPH oxidase-deficient mutants or nitric reductase mutants, respectively. Collectively, our results reveal a novel ABA-dependent function of CLE9 in the regulation of stomatal apertures, thereby suggesting a potential role of CLE9 in the stress acclimatization of plants., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Pestalafuranones A-E (compounds 1-5), five new 2(5H)-furanones, have been isolated from cultures of an isolate of Pestalotiopsis besseyi. The structures of these compounds were elucidated mainly by analysis of their NMR spectroscopic data and HRESIMS experiments. Pestalafuranones A-C (compounds 1-3) displayed weak inhibitory effects against HIV-1 replication in C8166 cells, whereas pestalafuranones D (4) and E (5) showed moderate antifungal activity against the plant pathogens Verticillium dahiae and Alternaria longipes.