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With the increase of chemotherapy frequency for breast cancer, the drug resistance rate of patients is rising, accompanied by cell invasion and metastasis, thus causing mortality. We aimed to explore the mechanism by which Platycodon grandiflorus affects breast cancer cells in terms of the doxorubicin (Dox) resistance and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling pathway. MCF-7/R cell lines with resistance to Dox were established. After 24 h of culture with DMEM (blank group), they were divided into Platycodon grandiflorus, Platycodon grandiflorus + Ophiopogon japonicus, Platycodon grandiflorus + Curcumae Rhizoma, Platycodon grandiflorus + Curcumae Rhizoma + U46619 groups. Flow cytometry, colony formation assay, as well as Transwell assay were performed to examine the cells for apoptosis, proliferation, and invasion, respectively. Western blotting was performed to measure the phosphorylated (p)-p38 MAPK-to-p38 MAPK ratio together with N-cadherin, vimentin, β-catenin, and E-cadherin protein expressions. Compared with the blank group, the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), number of cell colonies, number of invading cells and expressions of proteins related to EMT (i.e. N-cadherin, vimentin, and β-catenin) significantly reduced, but increases in apoptosis rate, p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK ratio and E-cadherin protein expression were observed in different groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the Platycodon grandiflorus + Curcumae Rhizoma group, the Platycodon grandiflorus + Curcumae Rhizoma + U46619 group had significantly decreased IC50, cell colony count, invading cell count and β-catenin, N-cadherin, and vimentin expressions, in addition to elevated E-cadherin protein expression, apoptosis rate, and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK ratio (P < 0.05). Platycodon grandiflorus can reverse the resistance of breast cancer cells to Dox and regulate their biological activities by activating the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Highlights: p38 MAPK expression enhances Dox resistance of breast cancer cells, regulates their biological activity and blocks their epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Platycodon grandiflorus can activate the p38 MAPK signaling pathway to reverse the resistance of breast cancer cells to Dox and regulate their biological activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platycodon grandiflorus has long been used for its medicinal, culinary and ornamental properties. With increasing market demand and the depletion of wild resources, understanding the distribution and factors affecting its habitat suitability is crucial for its conservation and sustainable utilization. This study aims to predict the suitable habitat for P. grandiflorus in China considering current and future climate scenarios. The MaxEnt model, with an AUC value of 0.846, demonstrated good predictive ability for the current and future distribution of P. grandiflorus. It also identified the central, eastern, and southern regions as suitable habitats, with the critical environmental factors being precipitation, temperature, and elevation. Future scenarios under both SSP126 and SSP585 projections indicate an increase in suitable habitats, particularly in northeastern and central China, albeit with a shift in the distribution center towards the northeast by 2041–2060 and 2081–2100 under different scenarios. P. grandiflorus' distribution is significantly influenced by environmental factors, with precipitation and temperature being pivotal. Taken together, our study predicts an expansion of suitable habitats under future climate scenarios and the northward shift in the distribution center underlines the impact of global warming on the distribution of P. grandiflorus. The findings are crucial for the conservation, effective utilization, and strategic planning for the cultivation of P. grandiflorus in the face of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the utilization of by-products from Platycodon grandiflorus and the role of genetic diversity in their anti-melanogenic properties, focusing on the purple-flower (PF) and white-flower (WF) varieties. Our results show that the WF variety exhibited significantly higher anti-melanogenic activity, attributed to higher concentrations of key saponins such as platycodin D3 and platycodin D. These saponins demonstrated strong tyrosinase inhibitory effects as confirmed by molecular docking analysis. Further, the WF variety showed increased expression of genes involved in saponin biosynthesis, highlighting the role of genetic diversity in determining phytochemical composition and pharmacological efficacy. The superior anti-melanogenic activity of WF suggests its potential as a valuable ingredient in the cosmetic industry for skin-whitening products. Our findings emphasize the importance of utilizing by-products and selecting specific genotypes to enhance the quality and efficacy of plant-derived products. Future research should explore the full spectrum of bioactive compounds in P. grandiflorus, investigate sustainable extraction methods, and conduct clinical trials to validate the safety and effectiveness of these compounds in cosmetic and therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new phenylpropanoids, plagnans (1) and plaganoid (2), along with five known phenylpropanoids, including an enantiomeric mixture (compound 3) were isolated from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorus. Meanwhile, their structures were elucidated by analyzing the spectroscopic data, including NMR, HR-ESI-MS, ECD (ICD), and X-ray analysis. Although all isolates were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities, and of them exhibited moderate activities, with IC50 values of around 27.5 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glycosyltransferase (UGT) family is the largest glycosyltransferase family, which is involved in the biosynthesis of natural plant products and response to abiotic stress. UGT has been studied in many medicinal plants, but there are few reports on Platycodon grandiflorus. This study is devoted to genome-wide analysis of UGT family and identification of UGT genes involved in drought stress of Platycodon grandiflorus (PgUGTs). Methods: The genome data of Platycodon grandiflorus was used for genome-wide identification of PgUGTs, online website and bioinformatics analysis software was used to conduct bioinformatics analysis of PgUGT genes and the genes highly responsive to drought stress were screened out by qRT-PCR, these genes were cloned and conducted bioinformatics analysis. Results: A total of 75 PgUGT genes were identified in P.grandiflorus genome and clustered into 14 subgroups. The PgUGTs were distributed on nine chromosomes, containing multiple cis-acting elements and 22 pairs of duplicate genes were identified. Protein-protein interaction analysis was performed to predict the interaction between PgUGT proteins. Additionally, six genes were upregulated after 3d under drought stress and three genes (PGrchr09G0563, PGrchr06G0523, PGrchr06G1266) responded significantly to drought stress, as confirmed by qRT-PCR. This was especially true for PGrchr06G1266, the expression of which increased 16.21-fold after 3d of treatment. We cloned and conducted bioinformatics analysis of three candidate genes, both of which contained conserved motifs and several cis-acting elements related to stress response, PGrchr06G1266 contained the most elements. Discussion: PgGT1 was confirmed to catalyze the C-3 position of platycodin D and only eight amino acids showed differences between gene PGr008G1527 and PgGT1, which means PGr008G1527 may be able to catalyze the C-3 position of platycodin D in the same manner as PgGT1. Seven genes were highly expressed in the roots, stems, and leaves, these genes may play important roles in the development of the roots, stems, and leaves of P. grandiflorus. Three genes were highly responsive to drought stress, among which the expression of PGrchr06G1266 was increased 16.21-fold after 3d of drought stress treatment, indicating that PGrchr06G1266 plays an important role in drought stress tolerance. To summarize, this study laied the foundation to better understand the molecular bases of responses to drought stress and the biosynthesis of platycodin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract [Objective] Drought stress seriously affects the yield and quality of medicinal plants. This study aims to reveal the physiological mechanism of exogenous calcium in alleviating drought-induced damage in Platycodon grandifloras, which can provide a basis for using exogenous calcium to improve drought resistance and medicinal quality of P . grandiflorus in arid and semi-arid area. [Methods] With P . grandiflorus seedlings as materials, a pot experiment was conducted to explore the effects of exogenous calcium on the growth, photosynthetic gas exchange parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity, and medicinal quality of P . grandiflorus seedlings under drought stress by foliar spraying of 10 mmol/L CaCl2. [Results] (1) Exogenous calcium significantly increased root length and dry and fresh biomass of P . grandiflorus under drought stress. It significantly increased the stomatal aperture, chlorophyll a content, total chlorophyll content, carotenoid content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate by 30.28%, 57.67%, 44.44%, 100.33%, 89.53%, 60.00%, and 83.11%, respectively, in P . grandiflorus leaves under drought stress. (2) Exogenous calcium effectively reduced the content of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide in P . grandiflorus leaves under drought stress, which was significantly reduced by 13.82% and 18.66%, respectively, compared to drought stress. Exogenous calcium increased the superoxide dismutase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities in P . grandiflorus leaves by 25.43%, 7.90%, and 33.92%, respectively, and also increased the soluble protein content in roots compared with drought stress. (3) Exogenous calcium significantly increased the levels of latycodin-D, polysaccharides, total flavonoids, and free amino acids in P . grandiflorus roots by 35.34%, 34.87%, 4.19%, and 6.52%, respectively, under normal conditions. Under drought stress, the levels were significantly increased by 10.94%, 7.53%, 6.07%, and 5.78%, respectively. (4) N, P, K, Ca, Cu, and Mn contents in the aboveground and underground parts of P . grandiflorus were significantly reduced under drought stress, while they were increased to varying degrees under exogenous calcium treatment. [Conclusion] Spraying 10 mmol/L CaCl2 could enhance the antioxidant system activity and osmotic regulation ability in P . grandiflorus leaves in arid environment, increase the content of photosynthetic pigments and photosynthetic performance, synergistically promote the accumulation of secondary metabolites and mineral elements, improve the quality of medicinal parts, and alleviate the damage of P . grandiflorus seedlings under drought stress.

Background: Platycodon grandiflorus belongs to the genus Platycodon and has many pharmacological effects, such as expectorant, antitussive, and anti-tumor properties. Among transcription factor families peculiar to eukaryotes, the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family is one of the most important, which exists widely in plants and participates in many biological processes, such as plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, genomic analysis of the bZIP gene family and related stress response genes has not yet been reported in P. grandiflorus. Methods: P. grandiflorus bZIP (PgbZIP) genes were first identified here, and the phylogenetic relationships and conserved motifs in the PgbZIPs were also performed. Meanwhile, gene structures, conserved domains, and the possible protein subcellular localizations of these PgbZIPs were characterized. Most importantly, the cis-regulatory elements and expression patterns of selected genes exposed to two different stresses were analyzed to provide further information on PgbZIPs potential biological roles in P. grandiflorus upon exposure to environmental stresses. Conclusions: Forty-six PgbZIPs were identified in P. grandiflorus and divided into nine groups, as displayed in the phylogenetic tree. The results of the chromosomal location and the collinearity analysis showed that forty-six PgbZIP genes were distributed on eight chromosomes, with one tandem duplication event and eleven segmental duplication events identified. Most PgbZIPs in the same phylogenetic group have similar conserved motifs, domains, and gene structures. There are cis-regulatory elements related to the methyl jasmonate (MeJA) response, low-temperature response, abscisic acid response, auxin response, and gibberellin response. Ten PgbZIP genes were selected to study their expression patterns upon exposure to low-temperature and MeJA treatments, and all ten genes responded to these stresses. The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results suggest that the expression levels of most PgbZIPs decreased significantly within 6 h and then gradually increased to normal or above normal levels over the 90 h following MeJA treatment. The expression levels of all PgbZIPs were significantly reduced after 3 h of the low-temperature treatment. These results reveal the characteristics of the PgbZIP family genes and provide valuable information for improving P. grandiflorus's ability to cope with environmental stresses during growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Basic Leucine Zipper (bZIP) transcription factors (TFs) family is among of the largest and most diverse gene families found in plant species, and members of the bZIP TFs family perform important functions in plant developmental processes and stress response. To date, bZIP genes in Platycodon grandiflorus have not been characterized. In this work, a number of 47 PgbZIP genes were identified from the genome of P. grandiflorus, divided into 11 subfamilies. The distribution of these PgbZIP genes on the chromosome and gene replication events were analyzed. The motif, gene structure, cis-elements, and collinearity relationships of the PgbZIP genes were simultaneously analyzed. In addition, gene expression pattern analysis identified ten candidate genes involved in the developmental process of different tissue parts of P. grandiflorus. Among them, Four genes (PgbZIP5, PgbZIP21, PgbZIP25 and PgbZIP28) responded to drought and salt stress, which may have potential biological roles in P. grandiflorus development under salt and drought stress. Four hub genes (PgbZIP13, PgbZIP30, PgbZIP32 and PgbZIP45) mined in correlation network analysis, suggesting that these PgbZIP genes may form a regulatory network with other transcription factors to participate in regulating the growth and development of P. grandiflorus. This study provides new insights regarding the understanding of the comprehensive characterization of the PgbZIP TFs for further exploration of the functions of growth and developmental regulation in P. grandiflorus and the mechanisms for coping with abiotic stress response.

Abstract Background Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC is a famous traditional Chinese medicine in China and an authentic medicine in Inner Mongolia. It has been traditionally used as an expectorant in cough and also has anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological effects. As a homologous plant of medicine and food, P. grandiflorus is widely planted in Northeast China. Soil salinity isa limiting factor for its cultivation. In this study, we comprehensively described the physiological characteristics of P. grandiflorus and combined transcriptomics and metabolomics to study the response of roots of P. grandiflorus to salt stress. Results Overall, 8,988 differentially expressed genes were activated and significantly altered the metabolic processes. In total, 428 differentially abundant metabolites were affected by salt stress. After moderate and severe salt stress, most of the differentially abundant metabolites were enriched in the L-phenylalanine metabolic pathway. Through the comprehensive analysis of the interaction between key genes and metabolites, the main pathways such as lignin compound biosynthesis and triterpene saponin biosynthesis were completed. The relative content of compounds related to lignin biosynthesis, such as caffeic acid, coniferin, and syringing, increased under salt stress, and the related genes such as PAL, C4H, and the key enzyme gene UGT72E2 were activated to adapt to the salt stress. Platycodon saponin is one of the major triterpene saponins in P. grandiflorus, and Platycodin D is its most abundant major bioactive component. Under severe salt stress, Platycodin D level increased by nearly 1.77-fold compared with the control group. Most of the genes involved insynthetic pathway of Platycodin D, such as HMGCR, GGPS, SE, and LUP, were upregulated under salt stress. Conclusion Salt stress led to a decrease in the biomass and affected the activities of antioxidant enzymes and contents of osmotic regulators in the plant. These results provided not only novel insights into the underlying mechanisms of response of P. grandiflorus to salt stress but also a foundation for future studies on the function of genes related to salt tolerance in the triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis pathway.

This study investigated the utilization of by-products from Platycodon grandiflorus and the role of genetic diversity in their anti-melanogenic properties, focusing on the purple-flower (PF) and white-flower (WF) varieties. Our results show that the WF variety exhibited significantly higher anti-melanogenic activity, attributed to higher concentrations of key saponins such as platycodin D3 and platycodin D. These saponins demonstrated strong tyrosinase inhibitory effects as confirmed by molecular docking analysis. Further, the WF variety showed increased expression of genes involved in saponin biosynthesis, highlighting the role of genetic diversity in determining phytochemical composition and pharmacological efficacy. The superior anti-melanogenic activity of WF suggests its potential as a valuable ingredient in the cosmetic industry for skin-whitening products. Our findings emphasize the importance of utilizing by-products and selecting specific genotypes to enhance the quality and efficacy of plant-derived products. Future research should explore the full spectrum of bioactive compounds in P. grandiflorus, investigate sustainable extraction methods, and conduct clinical trials to validate the safety and effectiveness of these compounds in cosmetic and therapeutic applications.

The consumption of agricultural water resources is enormous, and in the face of water scarcity, optimizing the utilization rate of water resources is an urgent need. As a common medicinal plant, the planting area of Platycodon grandiflorus crops has increased. Therefore, in order to maximize the yield and quality of Platycodon crops, different irrigation treatment methods are developed in this study based on their evaporation capacity and the impact of different irrigation amounts on Platycodon crops is explored. Different irrigation amounts affect various indicators of Platycodon plants. The experimental results of this study indicate that for the daily transpiration of Platycodon, 120% irrigation is more effective during the maturity period, and the stemflow efficiency performs better overall on sunny days. Irrigation at a rate of 120% can obtain the maximum number of leaves. Regarding the quality of Platycodon grandiflorus crops, 120% irrigation can achieve the highest contents of saponins, flavonoids, and polysaccharides, but 100% irrigation is required to achieve the highest soluble protein contents. Overall, Platycodon crops require 100% irrigation during the flowering stage and 120% irrigation during the maturity stage. As the temperature increases, the irrigation amount should be appropriately increased, and it should be reduced as the temperature decreases. This research demonstrates the impact of irrigation volume on Platycodon crops, and controlling the irrigation volume can effectively enhance the utilization efficiency of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Anthracnose disease, caused by Colletotrichum incanum, has emerged and affected the production of balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) in Viet Nam. The current study aims to characterize C. incanum and evaluate its sensitivity to fungicides. C. incanum was identified based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. The study revealed that Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) was the most suitable medium for the growth of C. incanum. The optimal conditions were observed at temperatures ranging between 25-28 °C and pH levels of 6.5-7.0. Antracol 70WP at a concentration of 3.00 g L−1, Tilt Super® 300EC at 0.03 ml L−1, and Ridomil Gold® 68WG at 4.5 g L−1 exhibited high efficacy in inhibiting the growth and development of C. incanum isolates under in vitro conditions. It's worth noting that this study marks the first report of C. incanum causing anthracnose disease in balloon flower in Viet Nam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Two trans-isopentenyl diphosphate synthase and one squalene synthase genes were identified and proved to be involved in the triterpenoid biosynthesis in Platycodon grandiflorus. Platycodon grandiflorus is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. The main bioactive compounds of P. grandiflorus are triterpenoid saponins. The biosynthetic pathway of triterpenoid saponins in P. grandiflorus has been preliminarily explored. However, limited functional information on related genes has been reported. A total of three trans-isopentenyl diphosphate synthases (trans-IDSs) genes (PgFPPS, PgGGPPS1 and PgGGPPS2) and one squalene synthase (SQS) gene (PgSQS) in P. grandiflorus were screened and identified from transcriptome dataset. Subcellular localization of the proteins was defined based on the analysis of GFP-tagged. The activity of genes was verified in Escherichia coli, demonstrating that recombinant PgFPPS catalysed the production of farnesyl diphosphate. PgGGPPS1 produced geranylgeranyl diphosphate, whereas PgGGPPS2 did not exhibit catalytic activity. By structural identification of encoding genes, a transmembrane region was found at the C-terminus of the PgSQS gene, which produced an insoluble protein when expressed in E. coli but showed no apparent effect on the enzyme function. Furthermore, some triterpenoid saponin synthesis-related genes were discovered by combining the component content and the gene expression assays at the five growth stages of P. grandiflorus seedlings. The accumulation of active components in P. grandiflorus was closely associated with the expression level of genes related to the synthesis pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC is a famous traditional Chinese medicine in China and an authentic medicine in Inner Mongolia. It has been traditionally used as an expectorant in cough and also has anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological effects. As a homologous plant of medicine and food, P. grandiflorus is widely planted in Northeast China. Soil salinity isa limiting factor for its cultivation. In this study, we comprehensively described the physiological characteristics of P. grandiflorus and combined transcriptomics and metabolomics to study the response of roots of P. grandiflorus to salt stress. Results: Overall, 8,988 differentially expressed genes were activated and significantly altered the metabolic processes. In total, 428 differentially abundant metabolites were affected by salt stress. After moderate and severe salt stress, most of the differentially abundant metabolites were enriched in the L-phenylalanine metabolic pathway. Through the comprehensive analysis of the interaction between key genes and metabolites, the main pathways such as lignin compound biosynthesis and triterpene saponin biosynthesis were completed. The relative content of compounds related to lignin biosynthesis, such as caffeic acid, coniferin, and syringing, increased under salt stress, and the related genes such as PAL, C4H, and the key enzyme gene UGT72E2 were activated to adapt to the salt stress. Platycodon saponin is one of the major triterpene saponins in P. grandiflorus, and Platycodin D is its most abundant major bioactive component. Under severe salt stress, Platycodin D level increased by nearly 1.77-fold compared with the control group. Most of the genes involved insynthetic pathway of Platycodin D, such as HMGCR, GGPS, SE, and LUP, were upregulated under salt stress. Conclusion: Salt stress led to a decrease in the biomass and affected the activities of antioxidant enzymes and contents of osmotic regulators in the plant. These results provided not only novel insights into the underlying mechanisms of response of P. grandiflorus to salt stress but also a foundation for future studies on the function of genes related to salt tolerance in the triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platycodon grandiflorus set ornamental, edible, and medicinal plant with broad prospects for further application development. However, there are no reports on the YABBY transcription factor in P. grandiflorus. Identification and analysis of the YABBY gene family of P. grandiflorus using bioinformatics means. Six YABBY genes were identified and divided into five subgroups. Transcriptome data and qRT-PCR were used to analyze the expression patterns of YABBY. YABBY genes exhibited organ-specific patterns in expression in P grandiflorus. Upon salt stress and drought induction, P. grandiflorus presented different morphological and physiological changes with some dynamic changes. Under salt treatment, the YABBY gene family was down-regulated; PgYABBY5 was up-regulated in leaves at 24 h. In drought treatment, PgYABBY1, PgYABBY2, and PgYABBY3 were down-regulated to varying degrees, but PgYABBY3 was significantly up-regulated in the roots. PgYABBY5 was up-regulated gradually after being down-regulated. PgYABBY5 was significantly up-regulated in stem and leaf at 48 h. PgYABBY6 was down-regulated at first and then significantly up-regulated. The dynamic changes of salt stress and drought stress can be regarded as the responses of plants to resist damage. During the whole process of salt and drought stress treatment, the protein content of each tissue part of P grandiflorus changed continuously. At the same time, we found that the promoter region of the PgYABBY gene contains stress-resistant elements, and the regulatory role of YABBY transcription factor in the anti-stress mechanism of P grandiflorus remains to be studied. PgYABBY1, PgYABBY2, and PgYABBY5 may be involved in the regulation of saponins in P. grandiflorus. PgYABBY5 may be involved in the drought resistance mechanism in P. grandiflorus stems and leaves. This study may provide a theoretical basis for studying the regulation of terpenoids by the YABBY transcription factor and its resistance to abiotic stress.

Two new neolignans, plagraneolignans A-B (1 - 2), in addition to eight known compounds, platycodin D (3), platycodin J (4), platycodin D 3 (5), platyconic acid A (6), platycoside E (7), chlorogenic acid (8), hexyl β -sophoroside (9) and tryptophan (10), were isolated from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorus. Their structures were elucidated by means of comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D, 2D and HRESIMS, as well as though comparison with published data. The antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects of all isolated compounds were evaluated. Compounds 1 - 2 , 8 and 10 exhibited the DPPH radical scavenging activity with IC 50 values ranging from 40.4 to 54.9 µM and the capacity of reducing intracellular lipid levels on the HepG2 cell line in the range of 21.79–32.40%. [Display omitted] • Two new neolignans, plagraneolignans A-B (1 - 2) were isolated from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorus. • Their structures were successfully determined by spectroscopic evidence. • Compounds 1 - 2 showed the antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the impact of developmental stages on triterpene saponin content and expression of key genes in their biosynthetic pathway in Platycodon grandiflorus seedlings. Method: The total saponins were extracted using ultrasonic extraction with methanol as the solvent. The quantification of Platycodin D in 6-month-old and 1-year-old Platycodon grandiflorus seedlings was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, while the expression of key genes in the biosynthesis of saponins was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Result: The content of Platycodin D and total saponins in 1-year-old Platycodon grandiflorus roots was significantly higher than that in of 6-month-old. The expression of key genes in saponin biosynthesis, such as PGMVK, PGMVD, PGDXR, PGMCT, PGMDS, PGHDS, PGHDR, PGFPS, and PGSS, was higher in 1-year-old roots compared to 6-month-old seedlings. Conclusion: The medicinal value of 1-year-old Platycodon grandiflorus root was higher than that of 6-month-old seedlings. The difference in medicinal value can be attributed to the variation in the expression of key genes involved in the saponin biosynthesis pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the status of histone acetylation is a critical regulator of chromatin's structure with a significant impact on plant physiology, our understanding of epigenetic regulation in the biosynthesis of active compounds in plants is limited. In this study, Platycodon grandiflorus was treated with sodium butyrate (NaB), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, to investigate the influence of histone acetylation on secondary metabolism. Its treatment with NaB increased the acetylation of histone H3 at lysine 9, 14, and 27 and enhanced the anti-melanogenic properties of P. grandiflorus roots. Through transcriptome and differentially expressed gene analyses, we found that NaB influenced the expression of genes that were involved in both primary and secondary metabolic pathways. In addition, NaB treatment caused the accumulation of polyphenolic compounds, including dihydroquercetin, gallic acid, and 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid. The NaB-induced transcriptional activation of genes in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway influenced the anti-melanogenic properties of P. grandiflorus roots. Overall, these findings suggest the potential of an epigenomic approach to enhance the medicinal qualities of medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most significant issue affecting balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) in Vietnam's mountainous provinces is stem and root rot disease. The purpose of this study was to identify the causal fungus Fusarium solani of balloon flower planted in Lao Cai province. F. solani's identity was confirmed through DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyses based on ITS sequences. PDA was the most suitable medium for F. solani growth and development of the three semi-solid media tested (CA, PDA, and CDA). The optimal temperature and pH conditions for its growth ranged from 25-30 °C with a maximum growth rate of 25 °C and pH 5.5-7.0 with a maximum growth rate of 6.5. This is the first report of F. solani causing balloon flower stem and root rot in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liang Wang,1,&ast; Longjiao Hu,2,&ast; Zhilian Peng,3 Honghong Cao,1 Danfeng Cao,4 Yiqin Long,4 Zhengyu Zou4 1Pharmacy Department, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Jiulongpo Distriction Chongqing, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 2Pharmacy Department, Chongqing Jiulongpo People’s Hospital, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 3Administrative Department, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Jiulongpo Distriction Chongqing, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 4Clinical Laboratory, Chongqing Jiulongpo People’s Hospital, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zhengyu Zou, Clinical Laboratory, Chongqing Jiulongpo People’s Hospital, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China, Email hulongjiao494@126.com Liang Wang, Pharmacy Department, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Jiulongpo Distriction Chongqing, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China, Email askliang621129@126.comBackground: Platycodon grandiflorus could significantly improve the pathological results of cutaneous scald injury, reduce the release of inflammatory factors and promote angiogenesis. This study investigated the wound healing effect of luteolin, an active component of P. grandiflorus, on induced cutaneous scald injury in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.Methods: The protein expression levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were detected by ELISA. QRT-PCR was adopted to detect the expression of TGF-β 1 and VEGF. Histopathological changes of scald wounds were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Cell viability and migration ability were detected by CCK-8 assay and scratch assay.Results: Both in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that luteolin promoted wound healing of cutaneous scald injury. Gene Oncology (GO) functional analysis and rescue experiments showed that endothelial nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) was the critical target of luteolin in treating cutaneous scald.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that luteolin is an effective component of P. grandiflorus and is effective in the treatment of cutaneous scald injury.Keywords: Platycodon grandiflorus, luteolin, scald injury, nitric oxide synthase, network pharmacology

Platycodon grandiflorus (balloon flower), used as a food reserve as well as in traditional herbal medicine, is known for its multiple beneficial effects. In particular, this plant is widely used as a vegetable in Republic of Korea. We examined the ameliorative effects of P. grandiflorus on alloxan-induced pancreatic islet damage in zebrafish. The aerial part treatment led to a significant recovery in pancreatic islet size and glucose uptake. The efficacy of the aerial part was more potent than that of the root. Eight flavonoids (1–8) were isolated from the aerial part. Structures of two new flavone glycosides, designated dorajiside I (1) and II (2), were elucidated to be luteolin 7-O-α-L-rhamno-pyranosyl (1 → 2)-(6-O-acetyl)-β-D-glucopyranoside and apigenin 7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1 → 2)-(6-O-acetyl)-β-D-glucopyranoside, respectively, by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1, 3, 4 and 6–8 yielded the recovery of injured pancreatic islets in zebrafish. Among them, compound 7 blocked KATP channels in pancreatic β-cells. Furthermore, compounds 3, 4, 6 and 7 showed significant changes with respect to the mRNA expression of GCK, GCKR, GLIS3 and CDKN2B compared to alloxan-induced zebrafish. In conclusion, the aerial part of P. grandiflorus and its constituents conferred a regenerative effect on injured pancreatic islets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel β-carboline, namely Plagranline A (1), and a known alkaloid (2) were isolated from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorus. Their structure was elucidated using a combination of spectroscopic analyses and computational chemistry, including electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and optical rotatory dispersion (ORD). Alkaloids 1 and 2 exhibited moderate inhibitory effects against NO production. Interestingly, 1 and 2 are the first alkaloid constituents reported from the plant P. grandifloras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floral color plays a major role in pollinator specificity, and changes in color may result in pollinator shifts and pollinator-mediated speciation. In the purple flowers of Platycodon grandiflorus, anthocyanins are the major pigment metabolites, whereas white flowers result due to the absence of anthocyanins. The lack of anthocyanins may be due to the inhibition of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. However, the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis in P. grandiflorus is not fully understood. Hence, we identified R2R3-MYB transcription factor, PlgMYBR1, as a negative regulator for anthocyanin biosynthesis using sequence homology and tissue-specific expression pattern analyses. A heterologous co-expression assay suggested that PlgMYBR1 inhibited the function of AtPAP1 (Arabidopsis thaliana production of anthocyanin pigment 1), indicating that PlgMYBR1 plays as a repressor of anthocyanin biosynthesis in P. grandiflorus. Our results provide a foundation for future efforts to understand the anthocyanin biosynthesis in P. grandiflorus and, thereby, to improve flower color through genetic engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tilapia lake virus (TiLV) poses a significant threat to the worldwide tilapia aquaculture sector, and there currently exists no efficient method of containment for this lethal pathogen. Given the widespread utilization of herbal medicines in the treatment of various aquatic animal diseases, it becomes imperative to evaluate and identify herbs that can be used for developing effective drugs against TiLV. We evaluated the efficacy of 20 herbs to inhibit TiLV proliferation in a TiLV infection model (Oreochromis niloticus) through two rounds of screening, with Platycodon grandiflorus extract showing the strongest inhibitory effect on TiLV replication (IC 50 = 72.619 mg/L), survival of TiLV-infected tilapia was also improved in individual experiments. Platycodin D (PD), the principal bioactive compound found in Platycodon grandiflorus , demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in viral load when used for treatment and enhanced the survival rate of tilapia infected with TiLV (42.3 %). The results of serum enzyme activity showed that PD treatment at a concentration of 5 mg/kg significantly enhance the non-specific parameters in tilapia (GSH, ACP, and AKP) (** p < 0.01). Additionally, immune-related gene analysis indicated that PD up-regulated IFN-I , CC2 and other genes expression while down-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory factors (TNF-α , IL-1β) and TLR2 in the spleen and kidney of tilapia, implying that PD could induce IFN-I expression resulting in potential antiviral effects and inhibit some pro-inflammatory factors to alleviate oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in tilapia. The aforementioned findings suggest that Platycodon grandiflorus could potentially serve as a promising candidate for the development of drugs targeting TiLV. In particular, the bioactive component PD showed a strong anti-TiLV effect, which needs to be further explored. • Platycodon grandiflorus inhibits TiLV proliferation in vivo and in vitro. • Platycodin D, a main bioactive constituent of Platycodon grandiflorus , is a potent TiLV inhibitor. • Platycodin D enhances anti-oxidant defenses, promote the activation of macrophages to induce immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platycodon grandiflorus, a perennial flowering plant widely distributed in China and South Korea, is an excellent resource for both food and medicine. The main active compounds of P. grandiflorus are triterpenoid saponins. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are among the largest gene families in plants and play an important role in regulating plant terpenoid accumulation, physiological metabolism, and stress response. Numerous studies have been reported on other medicinal plants; however, little is known about WRKY genes in P. grandiflorus. In this study, 27 PgWRKYs were identified in the P. grandiflorus transcriptome. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PgWRKY genes were clustered into three main groups and five subgroups. Transcriptome analysis showed that the PgWRKY gene expression patterns in different tissues differed between those in Tongcheng City (Southern Anhui) and Taihe County (Northern Anhui). Gene expression analysis based on RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR analysis showed that most PgWRKY genes were expressed after induction with methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Co-expressing PgWRKY genes with triterpenoid biosynthesis pathway genes revealed four PgWRKY genes that may have functions in triterpenoid biosynthesis. Additionally, functional annotation and protein-protein interaction analysis of PgWRKY proteins were performed to predict their roles in potential regulatory networks. Thus, we systematically analyzed the structure, evolution, and expression patterns of PgWRKY genes to provide an important theoretical basis for further exploring the molecular basis and regulatory mechanism of WRKY TFs in triterpenoid biosynthesis.

Platycodin D (PD) is a deglycosylated triterpene saponin with much higher pharmacological activity than glycosylated platycoside E (PE). Extensive studies in vitro showed that the transformation of platycoside E to platycodin D can be achieved using ß-glucosidase extracted from several bacteria. However, whether similar enzymes in Platycodon grandiflorus could convert platycoside E to platycodin D, as well as the molecular mechanism underlying the deglycosylation process of platycodon E, remain unclear. Here, we identified a ß-glucosidase in P. grandiflorus from our previous RNA-seq analysis, with a full-length cDNA of 1,488 bp encoding 495 amino acids. Bioinformatics and phylogenetic analyses showed that ß-glucosidases in P. grandiflorus have high homology with other plant ß-glucosidases. Subcellular localization showed that there is no subcellular preference for its encoding gene. ß-glucosidase was successfully expressed as 6 × His-tagged fusion protein in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Western blot analysis yielded a recombinant protein of approximately 68 kDa. In vitro enzymatic reactions determined that ß-glucosidase was functional and could convert PE to PD. RT-qPCR analysis showed that the expression level of ß-glucosidase was higher at night than during the day, with the highest expression level between 9:00 and 12:00 at night. Analysis of the promoter sequence showed many light-responsive cis-acting elements, suggesting that the light might regulate the gene. The results will contribute to the further study of the biosynthesis and metabolism regulation of triterpenoid saponins in P. grandiflorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology (1008-0864) is the property of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Platycodon grandiflorus is a medical, ornamental, and edible traditional Chinese medicine whose seed germination and plant growth are frequently restricted by dormancy and stresses. In this study, we investigated how chitosan soaking affected seed germination, growth, photosynthesis, resistance, yield, and quality of P. grandiflorus. The results indicated that chitosan soaking had a preferable enhancing effect on seed germination of P. grandiflorus, which significantly (p < 0.05) promoted its germination rate, energy, and index, as well as cotyl and radicle length. Furthermore, 0.15–0.20% chitosan soaking effectively enhanced the leaf growth, height, stem diameter, and overground part dry weight of P. grandiflorus and reliably improved their leaves’ chlorophyll, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and water use efficiency. Moreover, 0.15–0.20% chitosan soaking effectively enhanced the stress resistance and adaptability of P. grandiflorus via increasing its resistance substances and triggering its defense enzyme activity. Meanwhile, 0.15–0.20% chitosan soaking effectively improved the underground part growth and medical quality of P. grandiflorus. This study highlights that chitosan can be used as a favorable, efficient, and economical candidate or promoter for enhancing seed germination of P. grandiflorus and improving its growth, photosynthesis, resistance, yield, and quality; it also highlights that 0.15–0.20% chitosan is a suitable concentration.

In order to promote the green, healthy and sustainable development of Platycodon grandiflorus industry, the current situations of P. grandiflorus industry development in Shandong Province were analyzed. That is, an advantageous area has been gradually formed; product processing is diversified; industrialization development pattern is gradually emerging. Three problems in the development of P. grandiflorus industry were deeply analyzed. That is, it is difficult to control product quality; the problem of soil obstacles to continuous cropping is serious; the problem of talent shortage is prominent. Four countermeasures for the next development were put forward as follows: increasing government support, strengthening the construction of talent team, implementing crop rotation or intercropping, and increasing technology promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platycodonis Radix is widely used as homology of medicine and food in China; polysaccharides are thought to be one of its functional constituents. In this study, a pectic polysaccharide, PGP-I-I, was obtained from the root of the traditional medicine plant Platycodon grandiflorus through ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. This was characterized being mainly composed of 1,5-α-L-arabinan and both arabinogalactan type I (AG-I) and II chains linked to rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) backbone linked to longer galacturonan chains. In vitro bioactivity study showed that PGP-I-I could restore the intestinal cellular antioxidant defense under the condition of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) treatment through promoting the expressions of cellular antioxidant genes and protect against oxidative damages. • A pectic polysaccharide PGP-I-I was purified from Platycodon grandiflorus. • PGP-I-I contains long HG regions and AG side chains, with Mw of 27.9 kDa. • PGP-I-I promotes antioxidant defense of the intestinal porcine epithelial cells in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Basic Leucine Zipper (bZIP) transcription factors (TFs) family is among of the largest and most diverse gene families found in plant species, and members of the bZIP TFs family perform important functions in plant developmental processes and stress response. To date, bZIP genes in Platycodon grandiflorus have not been characterized. In this work, a number of 47 PgbZIP genes were identified from the genome of P. grandiflorus , divided into 11 subfamilies. The distribution of these PgbZIP genes on the chromosome and gene replication events were analyzed. The motif, gene structure, cis -elements, and collinearity relationships of the PgbZIP genes were simultaneously analyzed. In addition, gene expression pattern analysis identified ten candidate genes involved in the developmental process of different tissue parts of P. grandiflorus . Among them, Four genes ( PgbZIP5 , PgbZIP21 , PgbZIP25 and PgbZIP28 ) responded to drought and salt stress, which may have potential biological roles in P. grandiflorus development under salt and drought stress. Four hub genes ( PgbZIP13 , PgbZIP30 , PgbZIP32 and PgbZIP45 ) mined in correlation network analysis, suggesting that these PgbZIP genes may form a regulatory network with other transcription factors to participate in regulating the growth and development of P. grandiflorus . This study provides new insights regarding the understanding of the comprehensive characterization of the PgbZIP TFs for further exploration of the functions of growth and developmental regulation in P. grandiflorus and the mechanisms for coping with abiotic stress response., 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 © 2024 Wang, Wang, Cao, Liu, Kong, Wang, Ren, Fu and Ma.)

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.

Featured Application: Authors are encouraged to provide a concise description of the specific application or a potential application of the work. This section is not mandatory.Platycodon grandiflorus has huge potential medicinal applications in different diseases and immune enhancement (IE). In the past, limited studies have been conducted to decipher the molecular mechanism behind IE of Platycodon grandiflorus extract (PGE) despite the fact that IE can be one of the important factors for application of PGE in different diseases including cancer. In this study, whole transcriptome expression and subsequent analysis in PGE treated/untreated organisms were carried out to explore the molecular mechanism behind IE, and subsequently anticancer effect. Current study has the possibility of interaction of PGE treatment with diet, so further study is required to validate the results. The immunity-related genes were found to be up-regulated in the differential expression analysis, which is in line with the IE potential of PGE and the literature. Similarly, Siglec-15, the immune-suppressor gene that has recently been suggested as the normalization target in cancer, was one of the most down-regulated genes. In a set analysis with immune-suppressor genes, the high number of immune-suppressor genes were found to be down-regulated, which indicated that down-regulation of immune-suppressor genes can be the major mechanism behind the IE in PGE treatment. Identified genes, important in immunity and cancer, are highly recommended for anticancer and IE targets in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The root of Platycodon grandiflorus (PG) has a long-standing tradition in the Asian diet and herbal medicine, because of its anti-inflammatory and antiobesity effects. Changes in the gut microbiota can have dietary effects on host health, which suggests a relation between the 2.Objectives: The aim of our study was to investigate the relation between PG-mediated suppression of obesity and the composition and functioning of the gut microbiota.Methods: Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed either a control diet (CON, 10% kcal from fat), a high-fat diet (HFD, 60% kcal from fat), or a PG-supplemented HFD for 18 wk. PG was administered by oral gavage at 2 g · kg body weight-1 · d-1. Body weight and food intake were monitored. Lipid metabolism, inflammation, and intestinal barrier function were determined. Amplicon sequencing of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene was used to explore gut microbiota structure, and nontargeted metabolomics analysis was performed to investigate metabolite concentrations in fecal samples.Results: We found that PG significantly ameliorated HFD-induced inflammation, recovered intestinal barrier integrity (reduced permeability by 39% , P = 0.008), reduced fat accumulation by 26% (P = 0.009), and changed the expression of key genes involved in the development of white adipose tissue (P < 0.05) in HFD-fed mice to similar levels in CON mice. Moreover, PG attenuated HFD-induced changes in the gut microbiota; it especially increased Allobaculum (7.3-fold, P = 0.002) relative to HFD, whereas CON was 15.2-fold of HFD (P = 0.002). These changes by PG were associated with an increase in the production of SCFAs (butyrate and propionate, P < 0.001) and other carbohydrate-related metabolites known to have a major role in disease suppression.Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that PG beneficially changed the gut microbiota and the gut metabolome in HFD-fed mice, and suggests that the antiobesity effects of PG may be mediated via changes in gut microbiota composition and metabolic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abundance of saponin-rich plants across different ecosystems indicates their great potential as a replacement for harmful synthetic surfactants in modern commercial products. These organic saponins have remarkable biological and surface-active properties and align with sustainable and eco-friendly practices. This article examines and discusses the structure and properties of plant saponins with high yield of saponin concentrations and their exploitable applications. This highlights the potential of saponins as ethical substitutes for traditional synthetic surfactants and pharmacological agents, with favorable effects on the economy and environment. For this purpose, studies on the relevant capabilities, structure, and yield of selected plants were thoroughly examined. Studies on the possible uses of the selected saponins have also been conducted. This in-depth analysis highlights the potential of saponins as workable and ethical replacements for traditional synthetic medications and surfactants, thus emphasizing their favorable effects on human health and the environment. [Display omitted] • An exploration into the multifaceted nature of plant saponins unveiling their versatile potential was attempted. • The sources, structure, physiochemical and biological properties of saponins were discussed. • Examines structural attributes and properties of high-concentration plant saponins for potential applications. • The structure and concentrations of selected plant saponins were recorded. • Sustainable plant saponin extraction offers health and industrial benefits, like anti cancer and anti-diabetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platycodon grandiflorus roots have been used as a foodstuff and traditional medicine for thousands of years in East Asia. In order to increase the root development of P. grandiflorus, cultivators removed the inflorescences, suggesting the possible negative effect of flowering on root development. This indicates that the genetic improvement of P. grandiflorus by late flowering is a potential approach to increase productivity. However, nothing is known about key genes integrating multiple flowering pathways in P. grandiflorus. In order to fill this gap, we identified potential homologs of the FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene in P. grandiflorus. The alignment with other FT members and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the P. grandiflorus FT (PlgFT) protein contains highly conserved functional domains and belongs to the FT-like clade. The expression analysis revealed spatial variations in the transcription of PlgFT in different organs. In addition, the expression level of PlgFT was increased by high temperature but not by photoperiodic light input signals, presumably due to lacking the CONSTANS binding motif in its promoter region. Furthermore, PlgFT induced early flowering upon its overexpression in P. grandiflorus, suggesting the functional role of PlgFT in flowering. Taken together, we functionally characterized PlgFT as a master regulator of P. grandiflorus flowering under inductive high temperature, which will serve as an important target gene for improving the root productivity.

Platycodon grandiflorus is the single genus plant in family Campanulaceae, which is distributed in areas of China, Japan, Korea, and Russia. In this study, we assembled and annotated the complete chloroplast genome of P. grandiflorus. The chloroplast genome of P. grandiflorus is 171,624 bp long, containing a shorter small single-copy region (SSC) of 7,962 bp, a normal large single-copy region (LSC) of 79,690 bp and a longer pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 41,986 bp. The whole chloroplast genome of P. grandiflorus has 146 genes, including 102 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 36 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and 8 ribosome RNA genes (rRNAs). The overall nucleotide composition is: A of 30.9%, T of 30.9%, C of 19.3%, and G of 18.9%, with a total G + C content of the chloroplast genome 38.2%. The phylogenetic and genetic analysis showed a close relationship between Platycodon grandiflorus and Codonopsis lanceolata.

Background: Platycodon grandiflorus belongs to the genus Platycodon and has many pharmacological effects, such as expectorant, antitussive, and anti-tumor properties. Among transcription factor families peculiar to eukaryotes, the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family is one of the most important, which exists widely in plants and participates in many biological processes, such as plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, genomic analysis of the bZIP gene family and related stress response genes has not yet been reported in P. grandiflorus ., Methods: P. grandiflorus bZIP (PgbZIP) genes were first identified here, and the phylogenetic relationships and conserved motifs in the PgbZIPs were also performed. Meanwhile, gene structures, conserved domains, and the possible protein subcellular localizations of these PgbZIPs were characterized. Most importantly, the cis-regulatory elements and expression patterns of selected genes exposed to two different stresses were analyzed to provide further information on PgbZIPs potential biological roles in P. grandiflorus upon exposure to environmental stresses., Conclusions: Forty-six PgbZIPs were identified in P. grandiflorus and divided into nine groups, as displayed in the phylogenetic tree. The results of the chromosomal location and the collinearity analysis showed that forty-six PgbZIP genes were distributed on eight chromosomes, with one tandem duplication event and eleven segmental duplication events identified. Most PgbZIPs in the same phylogenetic group have similar conserved motifs, domains, and gene structures. There are cis-regulatory elements related to the methyl jasmonate (MeJA) response, low-temperature response, abscisic acid response, auxin response, and gibberellin response. Ten PgbZIP genes were selected to study their expression patterns upon exposure to low-temperature and MeJA treatments, and all ten genes responded to these stresses. The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results suggest that the expression levels of most PgbZIPs decreased significantly within 6 h and then gradually increased to normal or above normal levels over the 90 h following MeJA treatment. The expression levels of all PgbZIPs were significantly reduced after 3 h of the low-temperature treatment. These results reveal the characteristics of the PgbZIP family genes and provide valuable information for improving P. grandiflorus's ability to cope with environmental stresses during growth and development., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Fan et al.)

Two unusual N -containing heterocyclic compounds, Plagranlines B-C, were isolated from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorus . Plagranline B ( 1 ) was consisted of neolignane and monomeric quinoline constituent units and plagranline C ( 2 ) possessed pyridinone ring that was not commonly discovered in natural product. Their planar structures were elucidated based on analysis of NMR and HRESIMS spectroscopy data, and their absolute configurations were determined by quantum chemical calculations, including GIAO 13 C NMR (DP4+) calculation and ECD calculation. In addition, extensive activity screening including glycosidases, oestrogen-like, and NO inhibitory assays were performed, compounds 1 and 2 possessed the weak activities.

Introduction: The uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glycosyltransferase (UGT) family is the largest glycosyltransferase family, which is involved in the biosynthesis of natural plant products and response to abiotic stress. UGT has been studied in many medicinal plants, but there are few reports on Platycodon grandiflorus. This study is devoted to genome-wide analysis of UGT family and identification of UGT genes involved in drought stress of Platycodon grandiflorus (PgUGTs)., Methods: The genome data of Platycodon grandiflorus was used for genome-wide identification of PgUGTs, online website and bioinformatics analysis software was used to conduct bioinformatics analysis of PgUGT genes and the genes highly responsive to drought stress were screened out by qRT-PCR, these genes were cloned and conducted bioinformatics analysis., Results: A total of 75 PgUGT genes were identified in P.grandiflorus genome and clustered into 14 subgroups. The PgUGTs were distributed on nine chromosomes, containing multiple cis-acting elements and 22 pairs of duplicate genes were identified. Protein-protein interaction analysis was performed to predict the interaction between PgUGT proteins. Additionally, six genes were upregulated after 3d under drought stress and three genes (PGrchr09G0563, PGrchr06G0523, PGrchr06G1266) responded significantly to drought stress, as confirmed by qRT-PCR. This was especially true for PGrchr06G1266, the expression of which increased 16.21-fold after 3d of treatment. We cloned and conducted bioinformatics analysis of three candidate genes, both of which contained conserved motifs and several cis-acting elements related to stress response, PGrchr06G1266 contained the most elements., Discussion: PgGT1 was confirmed to catalyze the C-3 position of platycodin D and only eight amino acids showed differences between gene PGr008G1527 and PgGT1, which means PGr008G1527 may be able to catalyze the C-3 position of platycodin D in the same manner as PgGT1. Seven genes were highly expressed in the roots, stems, and leaves, these genes may play important roles in the development of the roots, stems, and leaves of P. grandiflorus. Three genes were highly responsive to drought stress, among which the expression of PGrchr06G1266 was increased 16.21-fold after 3d of drought stress treatment, indicating that PGrchr06G1266 plays an important role in drought stress tolerance. To summarize, this study laied the foundation to better understand the molecular bases of responses to drought stress and the biosynthesis of platycodin., 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 © 2024 Chen, Wang, Yu, Dong, Li, Chang, Wang, Jiang, Liu, Chi, Zha and Gui.)

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology (1008-0864) is the property of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Adipocytes regulate lipid metabolism according to physiological energy requirements. A dysfunctional lipid metabolism can lead to obesity and its complications such as hepatic steatosis, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. In our study, the impact of Platycodon grandiflorus root ethanol extract (PGH) on lipid excretion and thermogenesis-related markers in diet-induced obesity mice was analyzed. Our data show that PGH elevated fatty acid uptake in epididymal adipose tissue by increasing Cd36, Slc27a1, Ffar2, and Ffar4 expression, which led to decreased blood free fatty acid concentrations. Moreover, PGH normalized body weight and fat mass in diet-induced obese mice by increasing lipolysis (Plin1, Atgl, and Hsl) and fatty acid oxidation. Changes in the levels of browning-related genes, enzyme activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase, and the overall transcriptome (Bmp4, Cidec, Ucp3, Sirt3, and Cox4i1) led to promote brown adipose tissue-like features (browning) in epididymal white adipose tissue and enhanced energy expenditure. Our results suggest that PGH promotes lipid excretion and thermogenic function in high-fat diet-induced obese mice, which are mediated by regulation of fat metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the healing effect of Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.). extract (PGE) on experimental burn wounds in rats. Methods: Rats were randomly divided into four groups of eight rats each: control group, silver sulfadiazine (SSD)-treated group, moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO)-treated group and PGE-treated group. PGE, SSD and MEBO were applied topically twice daily for 7 days. SSD and MEBO were used as reference control. External observation of wound area contraction and histological analysis of wound tissues was performed respectively. The effect of PGE on matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Type-III Collagen proteins of wound tissue in rats were analysed by Western blot. Results: After 10 days of topical treatment with PGE, PGE-treated group showed faster reduction in wound area when compared with control groups (p < 0.01). Matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2), matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9), VEGF and type-III collagen expressions in the wound tissue increased significantly (p < 0.05) when compared with the control burn wounds. Histological results showed an overall early recovery and regeneration in PGE-treated group when compared with control group. Conclusion: PGE possesses a significant wound-healing activity in full-thickness burn wounds in rats. Therefore, it can potentially be developed for the management of burns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platycodon grandiflorus has huge potential medicinal applications in different diseases and immune enhancement (IE). In the past, limited studies have been conducted to decipher the molecular mechanism behind IE of Platycodon grandiflorus extract (PGE) despite the fact that IE can be one of the important factors for application of PGE in different diseases including cancer. In this study, whole transcriptome expression and subsequent analysis in PGE treated/untreated organisms were carried out to explore the molecular mechanism behind IE, and subsequently anticancer effect. Current study has the possibility of interaction of PGE treatment with diet, so further study is required to validate the results. The immunity-related genes were found to be up-regulated in the differential expression analysis, which is in line with the IE potential of PGE and the literature. Similarly, Siglec-15, the immune-suppressor gene that has recently been suggested as the normalization target in cancer, was one of the most down-regulated genes. In a set analysis with immune-suppressor genes, the high number of immune-suppressor genes were found to be down-regulated, which indicated that down-regulation of immune-suppressor genes can be the major mechanism behind the IE in PGE treatment. Identified genes, important in immunity and cancer, are highly recommended for anticancer and IE targets in future studies.

Platycodon grandiflorus set ornamental, edible, and medicinal plant with broad prospects for further application development. However, there are no reports on the YABBY transcription factor in P. grandiflorus . Identification and analysis of the YABBY gene family of P. grandiflorus using bioinformatics means. Six YABBY genes were identified and divided into five subgroups. Transcriptome data and qRT-PCR were used to analyze the expression patterns of YABBY. YABBY genes exhibited organ-specific patterns in expression in P grandiflorus . Upon salt stress and drought induction, P. grandiflorus presented different morphological and physiological changes with some dynamic changes. Under salt treatment, the YABBY gene family was down-regulated; PgYABBY5 was up-regulated in leaves at 24 h. In drought treatment, PgYABBY1, PgYABBY2 , and PgYABBY3 were down-regulated to varying degrees, but PgYABBY3 was significantly up-regulated in the roots. PgYABBY5 was up-regulated gradually after being down-regulated. PgYABBY5 was significantly up-regulated in stem and leaf at 48 h. PgYABBY6 was down-regulated at first and then significantly up-regulated. The dynamic changes of salt stress and drought stress can be regarded as the responses of plants to resist damage. During the whole process of salt and drought stress treatment, the protein content of each tissue part of P grandiflorus changed continuously. At the same time, we found that the promoter region of the PgYABBY gene contains stress-resistant elements, and the regulatory role of YABBY transcription factor in the anti-stress mechanism of P grandiflorus remains to be studied. PgYABBY1, PgYABBY2 , and PgYABBY5 may be involved in the regulation of saponins in P. grandiflorus. PgYABBY5 may be involved in the drought resistance mechanism in P. grandiflorus stems and leaves. This study may provide a theoretical basis for studying the regulation of terpenoids by the YABBY transcription factor and its resistance to abiotic stress.