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Background The dried roots of Angelica sinensis , A. acutiloba , and A. gigas in the Angelica L. have been used as the same traditional medicines for nourishing the blood, regulating female menstrual disorders, relieving pains, and relaxing bowels for thousands of years. Although significant differences in geographical distribution, morphological characteristics, chemical components, and gene sizes have been observed in previous studies, they were limited to distinguishing the three species through an efficient, unique, and accurate approach. Results In this study, morphological characteristics, photosynthetic capacity, and chloroplast (CP) genomes of the three species were performed. There were obvious differences in morphological characteristics, such as leaf margin irregularly coarse-cuspidate-serrate of A. sinensis , leaf margin irregularly acute-serrate of A. acutiloba , and leaf margin irregularly coarse-toothed apex acute of A. gigas . There was a higher photosynthetic capacity of A. gigas and A. acutiloba than A. sinensis , which was consistent with root biomass. The length of CP genomes of A. sinensis , A. acutiloba and A. gigas were 141,869, 147,057 and 147,050 bp with encoding 124,128 and 128 genes, respectively. There were 3 genes (i.e., psbA , ndhB , and ycf15 ) affecting the expansion and contraction of inverted repeat (IR), and 7 genes (i.e., matK , psbN , ccsA , rps8 , ndhF , ycf1 , and ycf2 ) in the gene regions presenting notably high nucleotide diversity. Conclusion The distinct phenotypes of leaf shape and stem color can be used for species delimitation of the three species. The 3 genes (i.e., psbA , ndhB , and ycf15 ) can be used to distinguish A. sinensis from A. acutiloba and A. gigas using the agarose gel electrophoresis and the base sequence. The 7 genes (i.e., matK , psbN , ccsA , rps8 , ndhF , ycf1 , and ycf2 ) can accurately distinguish the three species using the base sequence. We establish a rapid and reliable multi-level identification system for the three Angelica species. This approach addresses critical challenges in medicinal plant taxonomy and supports quality control in herbal product industries.

Beneficial interactions between host plants and rhizosphere microbes can increase plant growth, suppress plant disease, and promote sustainable production. In previous work, we demonstrated that a novel biocontrol agent consisting of attapulgite-coated Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 (APBA) effectively controlled Fusarium root rot in the well-known medicinal herb Angelica sinensis . Here, we sought to examine how APBA would affect the growth and medicinal metabolite content of (A) sinensis under chemical and organic fertilizer regimes. Inoculation with (B) amyloliquefaciens FZB42 in the greenhouse or application of APBA in the field significantly enhanced growth and yield of A. sinensis , regardless of whether it was applied with chemical or organic fertilizer. Levels of secondary metabolites such as shikimate and isoferulic acid were higher in APBA-treated plants, particularly when APBA was applied together with organic fertilizer. Transcriptome analysis revealed that APBA treatment altered the expression of genes encoding pathogenesis-related proteins, heat shock proteins, antioxidant enzymes, and various transcription factors, as well as genes associated with hormone signaling and primary and secondary metabolism. Some responses to APBA differed depending on the fertilizer regime: APBA had a greater effect on phenylpropanoid metabolite levels and upregulated expression of more hormone-related genes when applied with organic fertilizer. This study provides insights into the molecular responses of (A) sinensis to a bacterial biocontrol agent, providing a foundation for further research and practical applications of (B) amyloliquefaciens FZB42 in sustainable agriculture.

Redesigning lignin, the aromatic polymer fortifying plant cell walls, to be more amenable to chemical depolymerization can lower the energy required for industrial processing. We have engineered poplar trees to introduce ester linkages into the lignin polymer backbone by augmenting the monomer pool with monolignol ferulate conjugates. Herein, we describe the isolation of a transferase gene capable of forming these conjugates and its xylem-specific introduction into poplar. Enzyme kinetics, in planta expression, lignin structural analysis, and improved cell wall digestibility after mild alkaline pretreatment demonstrate that these trees produce the monolignol ferulate conjugates, export them to the wall, and use them during lignification. Tailoring plants to use such conjugates during cell wall biosynthesis is a promising way to produce plants that are designed for deconstruction.

Flowering is a critical step in the plant life cycle. Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels is a medicinal crop whose root is a well-known herbal medicine used in Asia. Early flowering causes changes in secondary metabolic flow and results in the loss of medicinal quality. Based on untargeted metabolomics studies, quinic acid was identified as a metabolite present in significantly higher concentrations during the early-flowering stage in A. sinensis leaves. This metabolite was subsequently investigated as a potential marker for early bolting in A. sinensis under field conditions. Moreover, quinic acid was found to accelerate flowering in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana . Importantly, the flowering time was delayed in the quinate dehydrogenase At mutant, and this delay was reversed by quinic acid. Quinic acid upregulated the expression of the GA20OX and GID1 receptors and downregulated the expression of the inhibitor DELLA, thereby affecting the levels of FT and LFY and accelerating plant flowering. Quinic acid also significantly changed the expression of genes such as LOX, JAZ1, MYC2 and MYC3 in the jasmonic acid pathway. The trends of GID1, DELLA (GAI) and LOX2 protein expression were essentially consistent with those at the transcription level. These results suggest that quinic acid may promote plant flowering primarily by regulating the expression of genes and proteins in the gibberellin and jasmonic acid pathways.

Angelica sinensis is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant that has been primarily used as a blood tonic. It largely relies on its bioactive metabolites, which include ferulic acid, volatile oils, polysaccharides and flavonoids. In order to improve the yield and quality of A. sinensis, the two cultivars Mingui 1 (M1), with a purple stem, and Mingui 2 (M2), with a green stem, have been selected in the field. Although a higher root yield and ferulic acid content in M1 than M2 has been observed, the differences of flavonoid biosynthesis and stem-color formation are still limited. In this study, the contents of flavonoids and anthocyanins were determined by spectrophotometer, the differences of flavonoids and transcripts in M1 and M2 were conducted by metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis, and the expression level of candidate genes was validated by qRT-PCR. The results showed that the contents of flavonoids and anthocyanins were 1.5- and 2.6-fold greater in M1 than M2, respectively. A total of 26 differentially accumulated flavonoids (DAFs) with 19 up-regulated (UR) and seven down-regulated (DR) were obtained from the 131 identified flavonoids (e.g., flavonols, flavonoid, isoflavones, and anthocyanins) in M1 vs. M2. A total 2210 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained from the 34,528 full-length isoforms in M1 vs. M2, and 29 DEGs with 24 UR and 5 DR were identified to be involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, with 25 genes (e.g., CHS1, CHI3, F3H, DFR, ANS, CYPs and UGTs) mapped on the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway and four genes (e.g., RL1, RL6, MYB90 and MYB114) belonging to transcription factors. The differential accumulation level of flavonoids is coherent with the expression level of candidate genes. Finally, the network of DAFs regulated by DEGs was proposed. These findings will provide references for flavonoid production and cultivars selection of A. sinensis.

This research aimed to discover chemical markers for discriminating radix Angelica sinensis (RAS) from different regions and to explore the differences of RAS in the content of four active compounds and anti-inflammatory activities on lipopolysacchride (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells and calcium antagonists on the HEK 293T cells of RAS. Nine compounds were selected as characteristic chemical markers by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS), based on metabolomics, in order to rapidly discriminate RAS from geoherb and non-geoherb regions. The contents of senkyunolide I and butylidenephthalide in geoherb samples were higher than those in non-geoherb samples, but the contents of ferulic acid and levistolide A were lower in the geoherb samples. Furthermore, the geoherbs showed better nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory and calcium antagonistic activities than the non-geoherbs. These results demonstrate the diversity in quality of RAS between geoherbs and non-geoherbs.

Climate change is shifting optimal habitats for medicinal plants, potentially compromising the efficacy and therapeutic value of herbal remedies. Global warming and increased extreme weather events threaten the sustainability and pharmaceutical integrity of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels ( A. sinensis ). Despite its importance in traditional herbal medicine, there is limited research on adaptation of A. sinensis to climate challenges. This study systematically collected occurrence data of A. sinensis through field expeditions and online databases, using the Maxent ecological niche modeling tool and ArcGIS software to forecast suitable habitats. A total of 402 species occurrence points and 21 environmental variables were selected for modeling, resulting in 1,160 distribution models, of which only one met the stringent 5% odds ratio (OR) standard. The optimal model exhibited a pROC value of 0, an OR of 0.0196, and an AICc score of 9,287.133. The model, run ten times for robustness, showed an average AUC of 0.980, indicating high accuracy and reliability. Under current climate conditions, suitable habitats for A. sinensis cover approximately 13% of mainland China, primarily in Gansu (73.77%), Qinghai (14.73%), and Sichuan (11.18%) provinces. Environmental factors such as altitude, humidity, and temperature significantly influence the geographical distribution of A. sinensis . The future climate scenario predictions suggest that suitable habitats will generally shift towards higher latitudes, with areas of moderate to high suitability primarily distributed across the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai. The interactions between environmental factors, characterized by mutual and nonlinear enhancement, further influence the spatial differentiation of suitability zones. Overlay analysis with 2020 land cover data indicated that 861,437 km² of arable and forest land are suitable for A. sinensis cultivation. Future predictions under four SSP scenarios show varying changes in suitable habitat areas, with the most significant expansion under SSP370 between 2080 and 2100, covering 14.54% of mainland China. These findings provide critical insights for optimizing A. sinensis cultivation regions and quality assessments in response to climate change.

To explore the mechanism of the Astragalus membranaceous (AM)-Angelica sinensis (AS) compound in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN) we used network pharmacology and molecular docking. Screen the components and targets of the AM-AS compound in the TCMSP and the BATMAN-TCM, and establish a component-target interaction network by Cytoscape 3.7.2. After searching relevant targets of DN in related databases, the common targets of the AM-AS compound and DN were obtained by comparison. Gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed through David database. Molecular docking was performed by PyMoL2.3.0 and AutoDock Vina software. After screening, 142 main targets of the AM-AS compound in the treatment of DN have been identified. Target network was established and the topology of PPI network was analyzed. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis shows that these targets are related to apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, insulin resistance, etc. Molecular docking shows that the target proteins have good combinations with the main active components of the AM-AS compound. AM-AS compound may treat DN by acting on VEGFA, TP53, IL-6, TNF, MARK1, etc., and regulate apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, glucose, and lipid metabolism processes. The in vivo study results suggest that AM-AS compound can significantly reduce the FBG level of diabetic rats, increase the level of INS, improve renal functions, reduce urinary proteins, inhibit glycogen deposition, granulocyte infiltration and collagen fiber proliferation in renal tissue, and restrain the progress of DN. In vivo study combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking methods provides new ideas for the pathogenesis and treatments of DN.

Premature flowering in Angelica sinensis (Danggui) triggers severe declines in root yield and medicinal quality5 by reducing bioactive ferulic acid and promoting lignification. Ferulate 5-hydroxylase (F5H), a cytochrome P450 enzyme, drives metabolic flux toward lignin biosynthesis, but its regulatory network and functional dynamics during early flowering remain unresolved. Transcriptomic and functional analyses identified AsF5H ( As09G05225 ) as a key gene upregulated in early-flowering plants, correlating with root lignin accumulation and ferulic acid depletion. Phylogenetic studies confirmed F5H functional conservation across Apiaceae species, while heterologous expression in yeast validated its enzymatic activity in converting ferulic acid to 5-hydroxyferulic acid. Structural modeling pinpointed three substrate-binding residues (ARG98, ALA115, PHE116) critical for regiospecific hydroxylation. Through correlation network analysis, we identified the AP2/ERF transcription factor AsAP2 ( As08G00463 ) as a regulator of AsF5H and support this regulation with transient assay in tobacco. Our findings elucidate a molecular trade-off between lignification and medicinal compound accumulation, providing actionable targets for metabolic engineering or breeding programs to suppress premature flowering effects and enhance root quality in commercial Danggui cultivation.

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (A. sinensis) is a medicinal and edible values substance, which could promote blood circulation and enrich blood. It possesses rich chemical components and nutrients, which have significant therapeutic effects on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. It is commonly used for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in the elderly, especially in improving ischemic damage to the heart and brain, protecting vascular cells, and regulating inflammatory reactions. This article reviews the main pharmacological effects and clinical research of A. sinensis on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in recent years, explores the effect of its chemical components on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases by regulating the expression of functional proteins and inhibiting inflammation, anti-apoptosis, and antioxidant mechanisms. It provides a reference for further research on A. sinensis and the development of related drugs. It provides a new reference direction for the in-depth research and application of A. sinensis in the prevention, improvement, and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.