Effects of light regulation on the synthesis of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants / 药学实践杂志

ABSTRACT

Secondary metabolites of medicinal plants are extremely important to human health because of their special pharmacological activities or efficacy. They are the main source of drugs, health care products, and cosmetics. As human beings continue to pursue health and longevity, the demand in the pharmaceutical market continues to grow. It becomes especially important to improve the production and quality of secondary metabolites of medicinal plants. Plant secondary metabolites are a kind of adaptation of plants to their environment and are the result of the interaction between plants and biotic and abiotic factors during the long-term evolution process. The production and accumulation of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants are mainly affected by plant genetic factors and environmental factors. Among them, light environment is extremely important for their synthesis. Therefore, light regulation has long been a research focus for many scholars in China and abroad. In this article, we the recent research progress on the effects of light regulation on the secondary metabolites of medicinal plants were reviewed, mainly focusing on the effects of light quality, light intensity and photoperiod, in order to provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for the efficient production of secondary metabolites with important pharmacological activities.