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Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Harms is a perennial shrub of the Acanthopanax genus in the Araliaceae family and has a high medicinal value. The application of zinc fertilizer can improve the yield and quality of medicinal materials. However, there are limited reports on approaches to increase the content of medicinal components in A. senticosus, hindering the improvement of its medicinal quality. In this study, A. senticosus was treated with 0.1% (LZn) and 0.4% (HZn) zinc sprayed on the leaf surface. The effects of zinc treatment on the medicinal components in the roots of A. senticosus were analyzed by comprehensive metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses. A total of 316 metabolites were detected, with a prevailing occurrence of terpenoids and phenylpropanoids. We identified metabolites related to the medicinal components that were upregulated after Zn treatment, including 43 terpenoids, 19 phenylpropanoids, eight phenols, and three flavonoids. Combining differential gene expression and K-means analysis, we found 95, 65, and 25 upregulated genes related to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, terpenoid biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis, respectively. Under different concentrations of Zn treatment, the upregulated metabolite biosynthesis-related genes and differentially expressed transcription factors varied. Pearson correlation network analysis revealed significant correlations among terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids biosynthetic genes, and several transcription factors (ERFs, WRKYs, bHLHs, NACs, and MYBs). This study lays the foundation for understanding the metabolic processes in response to varying levels of zinc foliar spray and provides a theoretical basis for enhancing the efficiency of zinc fertilizer utilization in A. senticosus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Because of the certain overlapping of the genus Bupleurum, the identification features are few and the delimitation among species is difficult, Bupleurum taxonomy is under frequent revisions. In this research, hierarchical cluster analysis based on morphology characters is done to establish a dendrogram and illustrate the taxonomic relationship among Bupleurum species (Apiaceae) from China. Materials and Methods: The fruit morphology of 17 Bupleurum taxa from China was investigated with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical microscopy (OM). The hierarchical cluster analysis based on 41 morphological character states belonging to 9 characters was done to establish a dendrogram and illustrate the taxonomic relationship among the studied species of Bupleurum (Apiaceae) from China. Results: Based on fruit morphological characteristics, it is possible to separate the Bupleurum species into the following four groups. The research indicates that the classification of Bupleurum in China is closely related to geographical distribution, which is divided into Southwestern and Northeastern Bupleurum. Conclusion: The fruit morphological characteristics are variable enough to distinguish species between Bupleurum, such as fruit length, width, shape, colour, the curvature of the outer periclinal and so on in this article. Morphological characters could be probably the taxonomical standard of intraspecific and interspecific delamination, which is significant for understanding the classification of Bupleurum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suaeda glauca and Puccinellia tenuiflora are two important saline-alkali tolerant plants that can improve the soil properties. For exploring the different tolerance mechanisms between them, GC-MS-based metabolomics was used to comprehensively evaluate the primary metabolites differences, a total of 51 different metabolites were present in different quantities. The identified compounds were mainly 11 sugars, 7 amino acids, 5 alcohols and 18 organic acids; they play an important role in responding to the saline-alkali stress and distinguish between S. glauca and P. tenuiflora. All identified metabolites classes showed similar trend to largely accumulate in P. tenuiflora roots and S. glauca shoots, this reveals that the two plants used different physiological strategies to cope with saline-alkali stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined Vicia seeds using gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS). The metabolic differences of seeds of twelve Vicia species were assessed. 184 metabolites were identified. Vicia species were classified via multivariate data analyses into four clusters. V. unijuga was most enriched in fatty acids and anthraquinones contents while highest levels of amino acids, alcohols and phenolic were in V. costata. Clustering analysis of biochemical profiles matched with the pervious phenotypic observation with all examined species from section Cracca grouped together under one sub-cluster, except for V. costata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, the changes in isoflavone levels and the expression of genes involved in their biosynthesis were studied in two Astragalus by UPLC‐MS and real‐time PCR after 10 days of UV‐B treatment (λmax = 313 nm, 804 J m−2). Isoflavones were significantly induced by UV‐B irradiation. The influence might be activated by the regulation of these target genes. Our results indicate that (1) the resistance of Astragalus membranaceus might not be as good as Astragalus mongholicus in the enhanced UV‐B radiation environment; (2) the enhanced accumulation of calycosin and calycosin‐7‐glucoside with UV‐B treatment in roots of A. mongholicus might be derived from formononetin which is synthesized in the leaves; (3) the glycosylation process could be stimulated and activated by the enhanced UV‐B radiation in both A. mongholicus and A. membranaceus. In other words, glycosylation of isoflavones might play a crucial role for two Astragalus plants in response to UV‐B stress. Overall, this study offered a feasible elicitation strategy to understand the accumulation pattern of isoflavone in A. mongholicus and A. membranaceus, and also provided a reference for the changes in isoflavone levels of Astragalus in UV‐B enhanced environment in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the changes in isoflavone levels and the expression of genes involved in their biosynthesis were studied in two Astragalus by UPLC-MS and real-time PCR after 10 days of UV-B treatment (λ max  = 313 nm, 804 J m -2 ). Isoflavones were significantly induced by UV-B irradiation. The influence might be activated by the regulation of these target genes. Our results indicate that (1) the resistance of Astragalus membranaceus might not be as good as Astragalus mongholicus in the enhanced UV-B radiation environment; (2) the enhanced accumulation of calycosin and calycosin-7-glucoside with UV-B treatment in roots of A. mongholicus might be derived from formononetin which is synthesized in the leaves; (3) the glycosylation process could be stimulated and activated by the enhanced UV-B radiation in both A. mongholicus and A. membranaceus. In other words, glycosylation of isoflavones might play a crucial role for two Astragalus plants in response to UV-B stress. Overall, this study offered a feasible elicitation strategy to understand the accumulation pattern of isoflavone in A. mongholicus and A. membranaceus, and also provided a reference for the changes in isoflavone levels of Astragalus in UV-B enhanced environment in the future., (© 2017 The American Society of Photobiology.)