Longitudinal Distribution Map of the Active Components and Endophytic Fungi in Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels Root and Their Potential Correlations.

The three distinct medicinal parts of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Ang) roots are the head, body, and tail (ARH, ARB, and ART, respectively). How endophytic fungi shape the differences in metabolic components among these parts remains unclear. We quantified the distribution of active components and endophytic fungi along the ARH, ARB, and ART and their relationships. Based on the metabolic components and their abundances detected via non-target metabolism, the different medicinal parts were distinguishable. The largest number of dominant metabolic components was present in ART. The difference between ART and ARH was the greatest, and ARB was in a transitional state. The dominant active molecules in ART highlight their effects in haemodynamics improvement, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and hormone regulation, while ARH and ARB indicated more haemostasis, blood enrichment, neuromodulation, neuroprotection and tranquilisation, hepatoprotection, and antitumour activities than that of ART. The ARHs, ARBs, and ARTs can also be distinguished from each other based on the endophytic fungi at the microbiome level. The most dominant endophytic fungi were distributed in ART; the differences between ART and ARH were the largest, and ARB was in a transition state, which is consistent with the metabolite distributions. Structural equation modelling showed that the endophytic fungi were highly indicative of the metabolic components. Correlation analysis further identified the endophytic fungi significantly positively correlated with important active components, including Condenascus tortuosus, Sodiomyces alcalophilus, and Pleotrichocladium opacum. The bidirectional multivariate interactions between endophytic fungi and the metabolic components shape their spatial variations along the longitudinal direction in the Ang root.

The Dynamic Accumulation Rules of Chemical Components during the Medicine Formation Period of Angelica sinensis and Chemometric Classifying Analysis for Different Bolting Times Using ATR-FTIR.

The dried roots of the perennial herb Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (AS) are commonly used as medicinal and edible resources. In commercial planting, early bolting and flowering (EB) of ca. 60% in the medicine formation period reduces root yield and quality, becoming a significant bottleneck in agricultural production. In the cultivation process, summer bolting (SB) occurs from June to July, and autumn bolting (AB) occurs in September. The AB root is often mistaken for the AS root due to its similar morphological characteristics. Few studies have involved whether the root of AB could be used as herbal medicine. This study explored and compared the accumulation dynamics of primary and secondary metabolites in AS and EB roots during the vegetative growth stage (from May to September) by light microscopy, ultraviolet spectrometry, and HPLC methods. Under a microscope, the amount of free starch granules and oil chamber in the AS root increased. On the contrary, they decreased further from EB-Jul to EB-Sep. By comparison, the wall of the xylem vessel was slightly thickened and stacked, and the cell walls of parenchyma and root cortex tissue were thickened in the EB root. Early underground bolting reduces soluble sugar, soluble protein, free amino acids, total C element, total N element, ferulic acid, and ligustilide accumulation, accompanied by the lignification of the root during the vegetative growth stage. Furthermore, a total of 55 root samples from different bolting types of AS root (29 samples), SB root (14 samples), and AB root (12 samples) were collected from Gansu Province during the harvesting period (October). The later the bolting occurred, the less difference there was between unbolted and bolted roots in terms of morphological appearance and efficacy components. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with the attenuated total reflection mode (ATR-FTIR) provides a "holistic" spectroscopic fingerprinting of all compositions in the tested sample. The ATR-FTIR spectrum of the AB root was similar to that of the AS root. However, the number and location of absorption peaks in the spectra of SB were different, and only one strong absorption peak at 1021 cm-1 was regarded as the characteristic peak of C-O stretching vibration in lignin. The ATR-FTIR spectra can be effectively differentiated based on their various characteristics using orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA). Results were assessed using multiple statistical techniques, including Spearman's correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and OPLS-DA. Among these methods, the ATR-FTIR data demonstrated the most effective outcomes in differentiating between viable and non-viable roots for their application in herbal medicine. Essential substances are ferulic acid and flavonoid, which are much more abundant in the AB root. It provides a material basis for the pharmacological action of the AB roots and a theoretical basis for improving their availability.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in soils where astragalus had grown for 2 years were similar to those in the abandoned farmland.

Purpose: Astragalus-cultivated soils are enriched in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF); however, the community changes of AMF between years in stragalus-cultivated soils are still unclear. Methods: To illustrate this, using high-throughput amplicon sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR, we analyzed the AMF communities of the abandoned farmlands and interannual astragalus-cultivated soils for 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-years, including community composition, dominant, core, specific and significantly fluctuating AMF, co-occurrence network, alpha diversity, and beta diversity. Results: A total of 74 OTUs were classified into one phylum, Glomeromycota; one class, Glomeromycetes; four orders; four families; and six genera. The 2-year soil had the highest number of reads among the interannual soils. Only one OTU was shared among all interannual soils. The treatments significantly affected the Ace, Shannoneven, and Shannon estimators of the communities. The 2-year soil had the highest richness, evenness, and diversity among all interannual soils and was the closest to the abandoned farmland in terms of alpha diversity. Glomus of the family Glomeraceae was the dominant genus present in all treatments, and the composition of the dominant genus in interannual soils was different. Both Glomus and Diversispora were the core AMF in interannual soils, and specific AMF existed in different interannual soils. Glomus is a genus that exhibits significant interannual variation. The interannual time significantly affected the network connectivity. The results of the principal coordinate analysis showed that the community composition of the interannual soils was close to each other and separated from the abandoned farmland, and that the interannual time significantly affected the community composition. Conclusion: Among the interannual soils, the 2-year soil may be more suitable for A. sinensis seedling rotation.

[Cultivation and Standardized Technology Research on A New Astragalus Variety of Longqi 4].

Objective: To breed a new Astragalus variety and to study its standard cultivation techniques, which are high yield, good quality, disease resistance, anti-reverse with intrinsic quality in line with the standard of the Pharmacopoeia of the People' s Republic of China. Methods: By using the method of single plant selection,15 excellent individual plants were selected in 2003→seed period tested in 2004→strains identification tested from 2005 to 2007 → new strains comparison tested for HQZX04-04-01 in medicine period from2008 to 2010→regional tested and production demonstration for HQZX04-04-01 from 2011 to 2014→Longqi 4 was named by Crop Variety Approval Committee of Gansu Province in April,2015. Results: A new Astragalus variety of Longqi 4( the original code HQZX04-04-01) was bred. By 3 n tests in different ecological zones, the average yield of fresh Astragalus root was 708. 9 kg /666. 7 m2,and was31. 1% increased compared with the control variety; special / first class rate was 21. 5%,30. 6%,in which were 4. 8,5. 3 percentage points higher than that of the control variety, respectively; root rot disease incidence and disease index were 25. 7%,13. 5%,in which were 2. 75,2. 17 percentage points reduced compared with control variety; intrinsic quality were as follows, the total ash was 4. 5%,the extract was 41. 0%,the content of calycosin was 0. 10%,and the content of astragaloside was 0. 076%,respectively,which superior than the 2010 edition of the standard of the Pharmacopoeia of the People' s Republic of China. Conclusion: A new Astragalus variety of Longqi 4 is high-yield, good-quality, disease-resistant, anti-inverse and its intrinsic quality in lines with the standard of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. Longqi 4 is suitable for application at an altitude of 1 900 ~ 2 400 m, the annual average temperature of 5 ~ 8 ℃,semi-arid and cold damp ecological area of annual precipitation of 450 ~ 550 mm.