This study selected 6 529 plant-based Chinese materia medica(PCMM) from Chinese Materia Medica as research subjects and applied a random permutation test to explore the overall correlation characteristics between nature and flavor, as well as the correlation characteristics after distinguishing different medicinal parts and harvest seasons. The results showed that the overall correlation characteristics between nature and flavor in PCMM were significantly associated in the following pairs: cold and bitter, cool and bitter, cool and astringent, cool and light, neutral and sweet, neutral and astringent, neutral and light, neutral and sour, hot and pungent, and warm and pungent. When analyzing the data by distinguishing medicinal parts and/or harvest seasons, new correlation patterns emerged, characterized by the disappearance of some significant correlations and the emergence of new ones. When analyzing by medicinal parts alone, significant correlations were found in the following cases: cold and light in leaves, cold and salty in barks, cool and sweet in fruits and seeds, neutral and pungent in whole herbs, neutral and salty in stems, and warm and salty in flowers. However, no significant correlations were found between cool and bitter in stems and other types of herbs, cool and astringent in fruits, seeds, flowers, and other types of herbs, cool and light in leaves, fruits, seeds, barks, flowers and other types of herbs, neutral and sweet in barks, neutral and astringent in whole herbs and stems, neutral and light in leaves, fruits, seeds, and flowers, neutral and sour in whole herbs, stems, barks, flowers, and other types of herbs, and hot and pungent in whole herbs, stems, flowers, and other types of herbs. When analyzing by harvest season alone, significant correlations were found in the following cases: cold and salty, and cool and sour in herbs harvested in winter, and neutral and salty in herbs harvested year-round. However, no significant correlation was found between cool and light in herbs harvested in winter. When considering both medicinal parts and harvest seasons, compared to the independent influence of medicinal parts, 14 new significant correlations emerged(e.g., the correlation between cool and bitter in stems harvested in spring), while 53 previously significant correlations disappeared(e.g., the correlation between cool and bitter in barks harvested in summer). Compared to the independent influence of harvest seasons, 11 new significant correlations appeared(e.g., the correlation between cold and light in barks harvested in autumn), while 50 previously significant correlations disappeared(e.g., the correlation between hot and pungent in leaves harvested in winter). This study is the first to reveal the influence of medicinal parts and harvest seasons on the correlation between nature and flavor in PCMM, which highlights that these two factors can interact and jointly affect nature-flavor correlations. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms. This study provides a deeper understanding of the inherent scientific connotations of herbal properties and offers a theoretical foundation for the cultivation and harvesting of PCMM.
Seasons ; Plants, Medicinal/growth & development* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Taste

As a Chinese saying goes， "good Chinese medicinal material makes good medicine"， the quality of Chinese herbal medicines is related to the development prospect of Chinese medicine industry in China. With the rapid development of new technologies such as traceability methods and monitoring instruments， it is imperative to integrate and innovate traditional Chinese herbal medicines with new-generation information technology in view of the quality problems existing in the current production and circulation of Chinese herbal medicines， and it is of great significance for the construction of traceability system to ensure the quality and safety of Chinese herbal medicines and to promote the industry of Chinese herbal medicines to move towards high-quality development. This paper reviews the development history of the traceability system of Chinese herbal medicines in China， takes the influencing factors of the quality of Chinese herbal medicines as the entry point， and proposes that the construction of the traceability system should satisfy the traceability requirements of the characteristics of Chinese herbal medicines and their traditional medication experience. By analyzing the influencing factors of the quality of Chinese herbal medicines， it is pointed out that focusing on the influencing factors to build a traceability system is of great significance for targeting the problematic links at a later stage and exploring the interrelationship between environmental factors and the quality of Chinese herbal medicines. Based on the previous explorations， the author summarizes the system framework， functional modules and practical applications of the traceability system of Chinese herbal medicines， and looks forward to the development of a traceability system with risk early warning function and expert decision-making function in its functional development. Finally， based on the factors affecting the quality of Chinese herbal medicines， the author puts forward several thoughts on construction of the traceability system， and makes an in-depth analysis and puts forward a solution for the current situation that a unified， standardized and universal traceability system has not yet been built， with a view to providing ideas and references for the construction of traceability system of Chinese herbal medicines.

italic>Lamiophlomis rotata is an important medicinal plant species endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, which is prone to strong climate change impacts on its habitable range due to the high sensitivity of the Tibetan Plateau to climate change. Accurate quantification of species vulnerability to climate change is essential for assessing species extinction risk and developing effective conservation strategies. Therefore, we carried out the α-shape analysis to determine the habitat of L. rotata. We then carried out the climate-niche factor analysis (CNFA) to assess the vulnerability of L. rotata to climate change based on five climate variables (i.e., mean diurnal range, temperature seasonality, mean temperature of warmest quarter, precipitation of driest month and precipitation of warmest quarter) in the context of two shared socioeconomic pathways (i.e., SSP126 and SSP585) and three global climate models (CMCC-ESM2: Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici-Earth System Model version 2; HadGEM3-GC31-LL: Hadley Global Environment Model version 3-Global Coupled configuration 3.1; IPSL-CM6A-LR: Institut Pierre Simon Laplace-Climate Model version 6) during two different periods (2041-2060 and 2081-2100). The vulnerability of L. rotata to climate change was calculated by integrating the sensitivity and exposure indices of L. rotata to five climate variables. The results showed that L. rotata had the highest vulnerability to the precipitation of warmest quarter. Its vulnerability within its habitat range generally showed a spatial pattern of high value in the southern region and low in the northern region, high in the western region and low in the eastern region. In general, the vulnerability of L. rotata under the SSP585 scenario was higher than that under the SSP126 scenario. The climate data of different global climate models have some influence on the results, while the resulted uncertainty can be reduced by data integration methods. As a result of climate change, the pressure on the survival of L. rotata in the future will be intensified in the low-altitude areas such as the Yarlung Zangbo River, Yigongzangbu River, Zayu River, and Jiaomuzu River, etc., while the highly weathered scree flats or stony alpine meadows in the high-altitude zones, such as the eastern Tanggula Mountain Range, the northern part of Hengduan Mountain Range, and the western part of the Qinling Mountains, may become its refuge. It is necessary to focus on and strengthen the protection and management of L. rotata resources in these vulnerble and critical areas.

ObjectiveIn recent years， with the sharp decline of wild resources in Arisaematis Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma and the immaturity of medicinal cultivation technology， their adulterants have appeared frequently in the market， and the main identifying characteristics have mostly disappeared in the circulation of medicinal materials. Therefore， there is an urgent need to establish a molecular identification method that can quickly and effectively identify the specificity of Arisaematis Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma. MethodAfter comparison of the rbcL sequences of Arisaematis Rhizoma，Pinelliae Rhizoma， and their adulterants， the specific enzyme cleavage sites Hae Ⅲ and Dra Ⅰ of Arisaematis Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma， respectively， were selected and identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism（PCR-RFLP）. The main system conditions of PCR-RFLP reaction were established and optimized， and their durability and the ability to detect genuine， adulterants， and mixed counterfeits were investigated. ResultThe PCR-RFLP identification method of Arisaematis Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma was established. After specific primer amplification， Arisaematis Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma could be digested by Hae Ⅲ and Dra Ⅰ-restricted endonucleases respectively， at annealing temperature of 54 ℃， the number of cycles of 35， and the amount of DNA template of 3-30 ng， producing two fragments or small cut fragments with a single band between 100-250 bp， whereas the mixed counterfeits were not cleaved and both showed a band at 250 bp. The method is highly accurate in identifying adulterants and mixed counterfeits of Arisaematis Rhizoma or Pinelliae Rhizoma. ConclusionThe PCR-RFLP method developed in this study allows for the rapid identification of Arisaematis Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma.

Objective ： To study the effect of temperature and light intensity on photosynthetic fluorescence parameters, volatile oil content, and growth of Atractylodes lancea and provide reference for the rational selection of cultivation environment for A. lancea. MethodWe determined the photosynthetic indexes (such as net photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency, and carboxylation rate), light response curve, CO₂ response curve, fluorescence parameters, and the content of four volatile oils in A. lancea under two temperature treatments (32 °C and 22 °C) and two light treatments (full light and shade). ResultThe net photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency of A. lancea under high temperature + strong light were significantly higher than those under high temperature + weak light and low temperature + strong light. The ability of A. lancea to use weak light at low temperature was the strongest, while the utilization rate of weak light under strong light significantly reduced. The photosynthetic rate of A. lancea at low temperature was more susceptible to light intensity and CO₂ concentration than that at high temperature. The maximum photosynthetic rate and apparent quantum efficiency under weak light were significantly higher than those under strong light. The photoreaction efficiency at high temperature was higher than that at low temperature. The total amount of volatile oil in A. lancea treated with high temperature + weak light was the highest, reaching 4.582%. Compared with high temperature + strong light, high temperature + weak light significantly increased the content of hinesol and β-eudesmol in A. lancea by 91.7% and 35.7%, respectively, and low temperature + strong light significantly increased the content of hinesol by 87.5%. The content of β-eudesmol in low temperature + weak light treatment was significantly lower than that in high temperature + weak light treatment. ConclusionTThe growth of A. lancea was affected by the interaction between temperature and light. The light and temperature conditions required for the accumulation of volatile oil were not consistent with those suitable for the growth and development of A. lancea. A. lancea responded to the changes of light and temperature conditions by regulating the synthesis and accumulation of volatile oil.

Ecological agriculture is a crucial way for agriculture of Chinese materia medica, which emphasizes the application of ecological principles in the cultivation of traditional Chinese medicine. While long-term intensive farming and modern chemical agriculture have threatened soil health, the sustainable development of ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica is constrained. No-til-lage can reduce both frequency and intensity of tillage. Compared with conventional agriculture, no-tillage can reduce soil disturbance, maintain no-tillage for a long or permanent period and keep mulching. The application of no-tillage has a long history. More and more studies have shown that no-tillage has many advantages over conventional tillage, and the ecological and economic benefits of no-tillage are particularly outstandingin long-term. The cultivation of Chinese medicinal materials adheres to the principle of not grabbing land from farmland, making full use of the soil resources under forests, mountains and wasteland. Reducing the risk of soil loss and sustai-nable utilization are the core issues in the process of new land cultivation. No-tillage application, which not only inherits the traditional Chinese concept of natural farming, but also integrates the laws of ecological agriculture, will become the core strategies of sustainable development of Chinese materia medica ecological agriculture. This study will introduce the basic concepts and development process of no-tillage, analyze their ecological benefits in ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica, and put forward their application strategies.
Agriculture ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Materia Medica ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Sustainable Development

Weeds is one of the important parts of agricultural ecosystem of Chinese materia medica. Weeds is a double-edged sword with advantages and disadvantages for the cultivated medicinal plants. In this study, we firstly analyzed the positive and negative effects of weeds on the yield and quality of Chinese materia medica. We then explored the possible mechanisms for the weeds' positive effects from the aspects of interspecific relationship, soil microecological environment, light environment, natural control of pests and so on. We also summarized three basic principles of weed control, that is, "making medicinal plants and weeds coexist harmoniously, achieving the overall optimum growth of medicinal plants", "prevention first, integrated control" and "preserving beneficial weeds and increasing their beneficial effects, removing harmful weeds and control their adverse effects". Finally, we introduced several common weed ecological control technology in field of the cultivated medicinal plants in China, including technology of controlling weeds by no-tillage, stral mulch, rotation, alternative herbs, competitive crops, and allelopathy. This study is aimed to apply the ecology theory to guide weed management and control, so as to achieve the goal of advantages promotion and disadvantages elimination of weeds to cultivated medicinal plants, making weeds into treasure and to promote the sustainable and healthy development of Chinese medicinal materials production and the protection of weed diversity.
Agriculture ; China ; Ecosystem ; Materia Medica ; Plants, Medicinal

BACKGROUND: Bendamustine was approved in China on May 26th, 2019 by the National Medical Product Administration for the treatment of indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The current study was the registration trial and the first reported evaluation of the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of bendamustine in Chinese adult patients with indolent B-cell NHL following relapse after chemotherapy and rituximab treatment. METHODS: This was a prospective, multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase 3 study (NCT01596621; C18083/3076) with a 2-year follow-up period. Eligible patients received bendamustine hydrochloride 120 mg/m2 infused intravenously on days 1 and 2 of each 21-day treatment cycle for at least six planned cycles (and up to eight cycles). The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR); and secondary endpoints were duration of response (DoR), progression-free survival (PFS), safety, and pharmacokinetics. Patients were classified according to their best overall response after initiation of therapy. Proportions of patients in each response category (complete response [CR], partial response [PR], stable disease, or progressive disease) were summarized along with a two-sided binomial exact 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the ORR. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients were enrolled from 20 centers between August 6th, 2012, and June 18th, 2015. At the time of the primary analysis, the ORR was 73% (95% CI: 63%-81%) per Independent Review Committee (IRC) including 19% CR and 54% PR. With the follow-up period, the median DoR was 16.2 months by IRC and 13.4 months by investigator assessment; the median PFS was 18.6 months and 15.3 months, respectively. The most common non-hematologic adverse events (AEs) were gastrointestinal toxicity, pyrexia, and rash. Grade 3/4 neutropenia was reported in 76% of patients. Serious AEs were reported in 29 patients and five patients died during the study. Pharmacokinetic analysis indicated that the characteristics of bendamustine and its metabolites M3 and M4 were generally consistent with those reported for other ethnicities. CONCLUSION: Bendamustine is an active and effective therapy in Chinese patients with relapsed, indolent B-cell NHL, with a comparable risk/benefit relationship to that reported in North American patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT01596621; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01596621.
Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Bendamustine Hydrochloride/therapeutic use* ; China ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/drug therapy* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy* ; Prospective Studies ; Rituximab/therapeutic use*

It is of great significance to carry out scientific investigation of threatened species and assess their in-situ conservation status in order to guide the conservation and management of these species within a region. In this study, we explored and assessed the biodiversity and in-situ conservation status of the threatened medicinal vascular plants(TMVPs) in central China. The results showed that there were 276 TMVPs in central China, including 18 critically endangered(CR), 77 endangered(EN), and 181 vulnerable(VU) species. Of which, 222 TMVPs were distributed in 49 national nature reserves, with an in-situ conservation rate of 80.43%. And the in-situ conservation rate of CR, EN and NR species were 83.33%, 77.92% and 81.22%, respectively. The complementary algorithm was used to select the nine national nature reserves with the highest protection and complementary contribution to the TMVPs. The cumulative protection contribution rate of these nine nature reserves was 81.98%. Fifty-four TMVPs were distributed outside of national nature reserves, while mainly distributed within 10 hotspot counties including Badong county, Hubei province, Sangzhi county, Hunan province, Jianghua Yao Autonomous county, Hunan province and so on. In general, TMVPs are well protected by the national nature reserves in central China. However, there are still some conservation gaps. It is necessary to carry out further field investigation on the species with conservation gaps and identify the gap areas, so as to provide scientific guidance for the optimization of the conservation of TMVPs in this region.
Biodiversity ; China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Endangered Species ; Plants, Medicinal ; Tracheophyta

Rhizosphere bacteria play a vital role in plant nutrition absorption,growth and disease resistance. In this study,high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the rhizosphere bacterial communities of Salvia miltiorrhiza and S. miltiorrhiza f. alba. Moreover,the function of dominant rhizosphere bacterial communities was analyzed. We found that Sphingobacteriales,Sphingomonadales and Nitrosomonadaceae were both dominant and specific bacteria in the rhizosphere of S. miltiorrhiza. The main functions of dominant rhizosphere bacteria communities in both species include promoting transformation of soil nutrients,improving plant immunity and ability of stress tolerance. This study was the first to compare rhizobacterial communities structure and function of S. miltiorrhiza and S. miltiorrhiza f. alba,which provided a new theoretical reference for studing the rhizosphere mechanism of healthy S. miltiorrhiza planting in the future.
Bacteria ; classification ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Rhizosphere ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; microbiology ; Soil Microbiology