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Background: Glehnia littoralis has been used for traditional Asian medicine, which has diverse therapeutic activities. However, studies regarding neurogenic effects of G. littoralis have not yet been considered. Therefore, in this study, we examined effects of G. littoralis extract on cell proliferation, neuroblast differentiation, and the maturation of newborn neurons in the hippocampus of adult mice. Methods: A total of 39 male ICR mice (12 weeks old) were randomly assigned to vehicle-treated and 100 and 200 mg/kg G. littoralis extract-treated groups (n = 13 in each group). Vehicle and G. littoralis extract were orally administrated for 28 days. To examine neurogenic effects of G. littoralis extract, we performed immunohistochemistry for 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU, an indicator for cell proliferation) and doublecortin (DCX, an immature neuronal marker) and double immunofluorescence staining for BrdU and neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN, a mature neuronal marker). In addition, we examined expressional changes of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its major receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) using Western blotting analysis. Results: Treatment with 200 mg/kg, not 100 mg/kg, significantly increased number of BrdU-immunoreactive (+) and DCX+ cells (48.0 ± 3.1 and 72.0 ± 3.8 cells/section, respectively) in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus (DG) and BrdU+/NeuN+ cells (17.0 ± 1.5 cells/section) in the granule cell layer as well as in the SGZ. In addition, protein levels of BDNF and TrkB (about 232% and 244% of the vehicle-treated group, respectively) were significantly increased in the DG of the mice treated with 200 mg/kg of G. littoralis extract. Conclusion: G. littoralis extract promots cell proliferation, neuroblast differentiation, and neuronal maturation in the hippocampal DG, and neurogenic effects might be closely related to increases of BDNF and TrkB proteins by G. littoralis extract treatment.

Three Apiaceae species Ledebouriella seseloides, Peucedanum japonicum, and Glehnia littoralis are used as Asian herbal medicines, with the confusingly similar common name “Bang-poong”. We characterized the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes and 45S nuclear ribosomal DNA (45S nrDNA) sequences of two accessions for each species. The complete cp genomes of G. littoralis, L. seseloides, and P. japonicum were 147,467, 147,830, and 164,633 bp, respectively. Compared to the other species, the P. japonicum cp genome had a huge inverted repeat expansion and a segmental inversion. The 45S nrDNA cistron sequences of the three species were almost identical in size and structure. Despite the structural variation in the P. japonicum cp genome, phylogenetic analysis revealed that G. littoralis diverged 5–6 million years ago (Mya), while P. japonicum diverged from L. seseloides only 2–3 Mya. Abundant copy number variations including tandem repeats, insertion/deletions, and single nucleotide polymorphisms, were found at the interspecies level. Intraspecies-level polymorphism was also found for L. seseloides and G. littoralis. We developed nine PCR barcode markers to authenticate all three species. This study characterizes the genomic differences between L. seseloides, P. japonicum, and G. littoralis; provides a method of species identification; and sheds light on the evolutionary history of these three species.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Glehnia littoralis (GL) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine used to clear the lungs and benefit the stomach. Glehnia littoralis polysaccharides (GLPs) constitute one of the primary active ingredients of GL, demonstrating notable biological activities including immunomodulatory, antioxidant activity, and antitumor effects. Aim of the study: This review aims to provide the latest and the most comprehensive information on GLPs, specifically investigating their extraction technologies, isolation and purification methods, structural characteristics, and pharmacological activities of GLPs. It seeks to lay a foundation for further investigating pharmacological activities and application scope and guide the safe clinical practice of GLPs. Materials and methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Elsevier, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and other online databases were used to collect literature about extraction, isolation, and purification methods, structural characteristics, and pharmacological activities of GLPs published before January 2025. Results: Polysaccharides are the main active ingredient of GL. Currently, 19 types of GLPs have been extracted. Methods of extracting GL include hot water extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and enzyme extraction. The most frequently used method of separation and purification within GLP is column chromatography, often entailing cellulose column chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. GLPs have various pharmacological activities, including immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and antitumor. Conclusions: While GLPs show promising immunomodulatory and antitumor effects, elucidating their structure–activity relationships is essential for advancing our understanding and requires future research.

Glehnia littoralis Fr. Schmidt ex Miq. has been cultivated in China for a long time and used as a medicinal plant called “Beishashen” in traditional Chinese medicine and has been traditionally known to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, but its direct role in periodontitis has not been known. Currently used periodontal treatments require long-term administration, which causes many side effects. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the effects of G. littoralis extract (GLE) on periodontitis in an experimental periodontitis-induced in vitro and vivo model and understood its potential molecular mechanism. The effect of GLE on periodontitis in vitro was investigated using human periodontal ligament (HPDL) cells mediated by PG-LPS. Additionally, a ligature-induced periodontitis model and a PG-LPS-induced periodontal inflammation model were used to investigate the effect of GLE in vivo. In vitro study results showed that GLE down-regulated the increased inflammatory cytokines and mediators in HPDL cells stimulated with PG-LPS, and simultaneously down-regulated the levels of 11β-HSD1 and glucocorticoid receptor (GR), thereby alleviating periodontal inflammation. At the same time, it restored the lost osteoblast differentiation potential of HPDL cells. In addition, in an in vivo model representatively used for periodontitis research, the periodontal inflammation-alleviating effect and the effect of restoring or protecting damaged periodontal tissue were confirmed. GLE can be considered as a new periodontitis treatment agent through regulating 11β-HSD1.

Selecting the optimal light in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is crucial for crop yield and quality. However, the optimal light conditions can only be identified through extensive testing. This study proposes a methodology for selecting the optimizing light conditions and applies it to a medicinal herb Glehnia littoralis . Using a mixture design and response surface methodology with red (R), green (G), and blue (B) based LEDs, the optimal light spectrum was identified as R:B = 7:5 based on growth parameters (shoot fresh weight, number of leaves, leaf area, and shoot area). Verification experiments showed that R:B = 7:5 enhanced growth through R and B light synergy, while the high proportion of blue light stimulated secondary metabolism, leading to increased biomass and accumulation of medicinally valuable compounds–imperatorin, bergamottin, and coumarin. These findings highlight the potential of using tailored artificial light spectra in CEA to overcome cultivation challenges and optimize yield and quality, contributing to the development of a stable and sustainable scalable production system for high value medicinal plants.

Glehnia littoralis is an important medicinal halophyte—the dried root of which is used as Chinese herbal medicine. However, the use, selection and stability of reference genes are rarely verified in studies of G. littoralis , which hampers investigation of its salt tolerance and metabolism. In this study, we selected 13 candidate reference genes from the transcriptome data of G. littoralis —serine/threonine-protein phosphatase PP2A ( PP2A ), polyubiquitin 10 ( UBQ10 ), actin ( ACT ), elongation factor 1-α ( EF1-α ), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase ( GAPDH ), α-tubulin ( α-TUB ), β-tubulin ( β-TUB ), polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 ( PTBP1 ), expressed protein 1 ( EXP1 ), expressed protein 2 ( EXP2 ), TIP41-like ( TIP41 ), SAND family ( SAND ), and cyclophilin 2 ( CYP2 ), and used qRT-PCR to analyse their expression levels in roots of G. littoralis treated with NaCl, polyethylene glycol (PEG), abscisic acid (ABA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA), as well as in various organs of G. littoralis . The ΔCt, geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper algorithms were used to assess the expression stability of the candidate reference genes and the results were then used to generate a comprehensive rank list with the RankAggreg R package. The most stable reference genes for normalisation were EXP1 and PP2A in response to NaCl, EXP2 and PP2A in response to ABA, CYP2 and α-TUB in response to MeJA, and ACT and EXP1 in the PEG and the organ subsets. GAPDH , β-TUB , and UBQ10 exhibited low stability and so were unsuitable for normalisation. This study is the first systematic analysis of candidate reference genes in G. littoralis and will facilitate further investigation of normalisation of gene expression in G. littoralis .

A new cytorhabdovirus, tentatively named “chelidonium yellow mottle associated virus” (CheYMaV), was identified in Chelidonium majus with yellow mottle symptoms by high-throughput sequencing and RT-PCR. Its genome is 12,121 nucleotides in length and contains eight open reading frames (ORFs) in the order 3ʹ-N-Pʹ-P-P3-M-G-P6-L-5ʹ. Amino acid sequence comparisons between the putative proteins of CheYMaV and the corresponding proteins of other cytorhabdoviruses showed that it shares the highest sequence similarity with Trifolium pratense virus A (TpVA, MH982250) and Glehnia littoralis virus 1 (GllV1, BK014304), but with sequence identity values below the species demarcation threshold for cytorhabdoviruses (< 80%). Phylogenetic analysis showed that CheYMaV is most closely related to TpVA and GllV1. CheYMaV should therefore be considered a new member of the genus Cytorhabdovirus. This is the first report of a cytorhabdovirus identified in Chelidonium majus.

Introduction Intercropping has the function of promoting plant growth, improving yield and quality. Platycodon grandiflorus ( P. grandiflorus ) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb; continuous cropping obstacles significantly inhibit its yield and quality. However, few study have established about P. grandiflorus interaction of various crops. This study provides a theoretical foundation to explore the most effective intercropping method, enhance soil utilization efficiency, and increase the yield and quality of P. grandiflorus . We conducted field experiment, P. grandiflorus monoculture (JG-JG), P. grandiflorus and Achyranthes bidentata intercropping (JG-NX), P. grandiflorus and Saposhnikovia divaricata intercropping (JG-FF), P. grandiflorus and Glehnia littoralis (JG-SS) intercropping. Additionally, we included three main intercropping crops with P. grandiflorus , Zea mays (JG-YM), Setaria italica (JG-GZ), and Glycine max (JG-DD). The soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activity, soil microorganisms, the yield and secondary metabolite content in the roots of P. grandiflorus were determined. The results showed that intercropping significantly increased the yield and quality of P. grandiflorus , and significantly reduced the incidence rate of root rot. The intercropping system enhances the physical and chemical properties of soil, soil enzyme activity, and soil microbial diversity. JG-SS intercropping significantly increased the abundance of bacteria and fungi, stimulated soil microbial communities, promoted plant growth, significantly increased yield and content of platycodin D, enhanced the complexity of microbial co-occurrence networks. This study could provide a sustainable planting system for the cultivation of P. grandiflorus , particularly the system JG-SS. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

Background Glehnia littoralis is a medicinal and edible plant species having commercial value and has several hundred years of cultivation history. Polyploid breeding is one of the most important and fastest ways to generate novel varieties. To obtain tetraploids of G. littoralis in vitro, colchicine treatment was given to the seeds and then were screened based on morphology, flow cytometry, and root tip pressing assays. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis was performed to identity the differentially expressed genes associated with phenotypic changes in tetraploid G. littoralis . Results The results showed that 0.05% (w/v) colchicine treatment for 48 h was effective in inducing tetraploids in G. littoralis . The tetraploid G. littoralis (2n = 4x = 44) was superior in leaf area, leaf thickness, petiole diameter, SPAD value (Chl SPAD), stomatal size, epidermal tissues thickness, palisade tissues thickness, and spongy tissues thickness to the diploid ones, while the stomatal density of tetraploids was significantly lower. Transcriptome sequencing revealed, a total of 1336 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between tetraploids and diploids. Chromosome doubling may lead to DNA content change and gene dosage effect, which directly affects changes in quantitative traits, with changes such as increased chlorophyll content, larger stomata and thicker tissue of leaves. Several up-regulated DEGs were found related to growth and development in tetraploid G. littoralis such as CKI , PPDK , hisD and MDP1 . KEGG pathway enrichment analyses showed that most of DEGs were enriched in metabolic pathways. Conclusions This is the first report of the successful induction of tetraploids in G. littoralis . The information presented in this study facilitate breeding programs and molecular breeding of G. littoralis varieties.

Background Glehnia littoralis F. Schmidt ex Miq., an endangered plant species with significant medicinal, edible, and ecological value, is now a central concern for conservation and sustainable utilization. Investigating the physiological and ecological mechanisms leading to its endangerment and elucidating its genetic background constitutes the foundation for conducting in-depth research on G. littoralis . Results Our observations have revealed a significant degree of floral sterility in wild populations of G. littoralis . The inflorescences of G. littoralis are classified into three types: completely fertile, completely sterile, and partially fertile compound umbels. Moreover, the flowers of G. littoralis can be categorized into fertile and sterile types. Sterile flowers exhibited abnormalities in the stigma, ovary, and ovules. This study is the first to discover that the presence or absence of a giant cell at the funiculus during the initiation of ovule primordium determines whether the flower can develop normally, providing cytological evidence for female sterility in G. littoralis . Conversely, both fertile and sterile flowers produced normally developed pollen. Field observations have suggested that robust plants bear more fertile umbels, while weaker ones have fewer or even no fertile umbels, indicating a close relationship between flower fertility and plant nutritional status. Our model correctly predicted that the eastern coastal regions of China, as well as prospective areas in Neimenggu and Sichuan, are suitable environments for its cultivation. Additionally, Using flow cytometry and genome survey, we estimated the genome size of G. littoralis to be 3.06 Gb and the heterozygosity to be 4.58%. Conclusion The observations and findings presented in this study were expected to provide valuable insights for further conserving its genetic resources and sustainable utilization of G. littoralis .