Lianqing He

Trollius chinensis Bunge (TCB), a perennial Ranunculaceae herb, produces Flos Trollii-dried flowers with medicinal properties including heat clearing, detoxification, and relieving oral/throat discomfort, eye pain, and cold-induced fever. TCB is mainly cultivated in northern China, while Trollius ledebouri Rchb. (TLR), distributed in Heilongjiang’s Great Xing’an Mountains, is morphologically similar to TCB. However, their regulatory statuses are inconsistent, and comprehensive comparative studies are lacking. This study adopted morphological assessment, microscopy, DNA barcoding, and physicochemical analysis to explore whether TLR could be a potential alternative source of Flos Trollii. Key differences were identified: TLR’s sepals are shorter than petals, whereas TCB’s sepals and petals are nearly equal in length; TLR has brown secretory structures absent in TCB. Genetic distance analysis showed high conservation in ITS2 and trnL-trnF sequences between the two species, but psbA-trnH sequence divergence exceeded the 0.05 threshold. HPLC quantification revealed that TLR contained slightly higher levels of orientin and vitexin than TCB. HPLC quantification revealed that TLR contained slightly higher levels of orientin (5.370–5.377 mg/g) and vitexin (1.954–2.053 mg/g) compared to TCB (orientin: 4.493–4.620 mg/g; vitexin: 1.361–1.451 mg/g). Collectively, TLR exhibits comparable flavonoid content and holds potential as an alternative Flos Trollii source. Given the limited bioactive compounds analyzed, future research should conduct comprehensive metabolomic profiling to fully evaluate its phytochemical composition and medicinal value. These data establish chemotaxonomic markers for Trollius authentication in herbal medicine.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a key enzyme in the plant antioxidant system. It plays an essential role in plant adversity stress by scavenging excess reactive oxygen species to protect cells from oxidative damage. Isatis indigotica, being a mildly saline-tolerant plant, can be grown in soils containing a certain amount of saline–alkaline content. In order to reveal the SOD gene family members and their potential roles under saline and alkaline stress, the present study used a bioinformatics approach to identify 9 potential IiSOD genes in the I. indigotica genome. It analyzed the expression patterns of SOD family genes (IiSODs) in response to alkaline stress. According to the results of quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), the expression levels of the IiSOD7 gene significantly increased within 120 h of alkaline stress treatment, while the expression level of the IiSOD8 gene was the highest among all detected genes at 120 h of alkaline stress. The rest of the genes showed different degrees of expression. Alkaline stress showed significant and dynamic changes in the content of indigo and indirubin in leaves of I. indigotica. Finally, the yeast one-hybrid assay confirmed that IiWRKY54 was able to activate the expression of IiSOD2 and IiSOD7. Combined with qRT-PCR analysis, it was further hypothesized that IiWRKY54 might enhance the alkaline tolerance of I. indigotica by regulating the expression of IiSOD2 and IiSOD7. Taken together, this study lays the foundation for elucidating the function of the IiSOD gene in salinity stress tolerance of I. indigotica as well as promoting the genetic breeding of alkaline-tolerant varieties of I. indigotica.

Trollius chinensis Bunge (TCB) is a perennial plant of the Ranunculaceae family with medicinal and edible values. It is widely distributed and commonly used in various regions, including Asia, Europe, and North America. The main chemical components of TCB include alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and volatile oil compounds. TCB is renowned for its anti-inflammatory, heat-clearing, detoxifying, and eyesight-improving properties. Its dried flowers are commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine indicated for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections, chronic tonsillitis, pharyngitis, influenza, and bronchitis. Modern pharmacology has demonstrated the anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and antioxidant effects of TCB. This study presents a comprehensive overview of various aspects of TCB, including herbal textual research, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, traditional uses, clinical application, and quality control, aiming to provide new ideas on the scientific application of TCB as well as the integration of modern research with traditional medicinal uses.

Trollius chinensis Bunge, a perennial herb belonging to the Ranunculaceae family, has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine. Documented in the Supplements to the Compendium of Materia Medica, its medicinal properties encompass a spectrum of applications, including heat clearance, detoxification, alleviation of oral/throat sores, earaches, eye pain, cold-induced fever, and vision improvement. Furthermore, T. chinensis is used in clinical settings to treat upper respiratory infections, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, esoenteritis, canker, bronchitis, etc. It is mainly used to treat inflammation, such as inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and nasal mucosa. This comprehensive review explores the evolving scientific understanding of T. chinensis, covering facets of botany, materia medica, ethnopharmacological use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and quality control. In particular, the chemical constituents and pharmacological research are reviewed. Polyphenols, mainly flavonoids and phenolic acids, are highly abundant among T. chinensis and are responsible for antiviral, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities. The flower additionally harbors trace amounts of volatile oil, polysaccharides, and other bioactive compounds. The active ingredients of the flower have fewer side effects, and it is used in children because of its minimal side effects, which has great research potential. These findings validate the traditional uses of T. chinensis and lay the groundwork for further scientific exploration. The sources utilized in this study encompass Web of Science, Pubmed, CNKI site, classic monographs, Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Chinese Medicine Dictionary, and doctoral and master’s theses.