This article systematically analyzes the historical evolution of the name， medicinal parts， origin， harvesting， processing and other aspects of Houttuyniae Herba（HH） by referring to the medical books， prescription books and other documents of the past dynasties， combined with the research materials related to modern and contemporary times， in order to provide a basis for the development of famous classical formulas containing this herb. In ancient literature， HH was often referred to as "Ji" and "Jicai"， the name of "Ji" was first recorded in Mingyi Bielu during the Han and Wei dynasties， and the name of Yuxingcao was first seen in Lyuchanyan Bencao during the southern Song dynasty and has continued to this day. The origin of HH used throughout history is consistent， all of which are the whole herb or aboveground parts of Houttuynia cordata in Saururaceae family. HH recorded throughout history has a wide range of production areas， mostly self-produced self-marketing. In ancient times， fresh HH was often used as medicine by pounding its juice without involving any processing steps. Both fresh and dried products can be used as medicine， the fresh products uses the whole plant， while the dried products uses the aboveground parts， which are cleaned， selected and processed before use. Fresh products are harvested regardless of season， while dried products are harvested in both summer and autumn， with summer as the best. In ancient times， there were no specific requirements for the quality of HH， while in modern times， "intact stems and leaves with a strong fishy smell" are preferred. In addition， the medicinal properties of HH have undergone significant changes from ancient to modern times. In the early period， it was believed that its medicinal property was slightly warm， until the 1977 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia officially changed it to slightly cold. Both ancient and modern literature states that HH can be used for the treatment of carbuncle and malignant sores， Lyuchanyan Bencao for the first time introduced HH fresh juice can relieve summer heat， since Diannan Bencao recorded that it can be used for lung carbuncle， and gradually developed into the first choice for the treatment of lung carbuncle. Based on the research results， it is suggested that fresh herb or dried aboveground parts of H. cordata are used as medicine when developing famous classical formulas.

Background:Optimizing cultivation techniques for traditional Chinese medicine has become a crucial means to improve the quality of medicinal materials.Microbial agents,as environmentally friendly and efficient plant growth promoters and soil conditioners,have increasingly attracted attention in eco-agriculture research.Objective:Our understanding remains limited regarding how the application of microbial agents,alone or in combination,affects changes in the rhizosphere microbiome and its association with the bioactive components of medicinal materials.Methods:In this study,Epimedium pubescens Maxim.was employed as a model plant to examine the effects of 2 microbial agents(Paenibacillus mucilaginosus and Bacillus subtilis)applied individually and in combination on plant growth and the accumulation of bioactive components.Additionally,this study explored the relationship between the rhizosphere microbiome and plant development.Results:The application of microbial agents increased the yield of E.pubescens leaves by 20.30％to 33.66％and enhanced the total flavonol glycosides content by 11.40％to 29.94％.Meanwhile,microbial treatments reshaped the rhizosphere microbiome,promoted the enrichment of beneficial microorganisms(e.g.,Frankia and Paenibacillus),suppressed phytopathogenic fungi such as Didymella and Scytalidium,and enhanced the stability of the soil microbial co-occurrence network.The partial least squares path model suggested that microbial agents not only directly impact the quality of medicinal herbs but also indirectly alter the accumula-tion of bioactive components by modulating the soil microbiome.Conclusion:These findings deepen our understanding of the relationship between medicinal plant quality and rhizosphere micro-biomes as mediated by microbial agents.They also provide a basis for designing and manipulating synthetic microbial communities to promote sustainable development in eco-agriculture.

Background: Optimizing cultivation techniques for traditional Chinese medicine has become a crucial means to improve the quality of medicinal materials. Microbial agents, as environmentally friendly and efficient plant growth promoters and soil conditioners, have increasingly attracted attention in eco-agriculture research. Objective: Our understanding remains limited regarding how the application of microbial agents, alone or in combination, affects changes in the rhizosphere microbiome and its association with the bioactive components of medicinal materials. Methods: In this study, Epimedium pubescens Maxim. was employed as a model plant to examine the effects of 2 microbial agents(Paenibacillus mucilaginosus and Bacillus subtilis) applied individually and in combination on plant growth and the accumulation of bioactive components. Additionally, this study explored the relationship between the rhizosphere microbiome and plant development. Results: The application of microbial agents increased the yield of E. pubescens leaves by 20.30% to 33.66% and enhanced the total flavonol glycosides content by 11.40% to 29.94%. Meanwhile, microbial treatments reshaped the rhizosphere microbiome, promoted the enrichment of beneficial microorganisms (e.g., Frankia and Paenibacillus), suppressed phytopathogenic fungi such as Didymella and Scytalidium, and enhanced the stability of the soil microbial co-occurrence network. The partial least squares path model suggested that microbial agents not only directly impact the quality of medicinal herbs but also indirectly alter the accumulation of bioactive components by modulating the soil microbiome. Conclusion: These findings deepen our understanding of the relationship between medicinal plant quality and rhizosphere microbiomes as mediated by microbial agents. They also provide a basis for designing and manipulating synthetic microbial communities to promote sustainable development in eco-agriculture.

Background:Optimizing cultivation techniques for traditional Chinese medicine has become a crucial means to improve the quality of medicinal materials.Microbial agents,as environmentally friendly and efficient plant growth promoters and soil conditioners,have increasingly attracted attention in eco-agriculture research.Objective:Our understanding remains limited regarding how the application of microbial agents,alone or in combination,affects changes in the rhizosphere microbiome and its association with the bioactive components of medicinal materials.Methods:In this study,Epimedium pubescens Maxim.was employed as a model plant to examine the effects of 2 microbial agents(Paenibacillus mucilaginosus and Bacillus subtilis)applied individually and in combination on plant growth and the accumulation of bioactive components.Additionally,this study explored the relationship between the rhizosphere microbiome and plant development.Results:The application of microbial agents increased the yield of E.pubescens leaves by 20.30％to 33.66％and enhanced the total flavonol glycosides content by 11.40％to 29.94％.Meanwhile,microbial treatments reshaped the rhizosphere microbiome,promoted the enrichment of beneficial microorganisms(e.g.,Frankia and Paenibacillus),suppressed phytopathogenic fungi such as Didymella and Scytalidium,and enhanced the stability of the soil microbial co-occurrence network.The partial least squares path model suggested that microbial agents not only directly impact the quality of medicinal herbs but also indirectly alter the accumula-tion of bioactive components by modulating the soil microbiome.Conclusion:These findings deepen our understanding of the relationship between medicinal plant quality and rhizosphere micro-biomes as mediated by microbial agents.They also provide a basis for designing and manipulating synthetic microbial communities to promote sustainable development in eco-agriculture.

In order to provide basic information for the utilization and development of famous classical formulas containing Bletillae Rhizoma， this article systematically analyzes the historical evolution of the name， origin， harvesting and processing of Bletillae Rhizoma by reviewing the ancient materia medica， prescription books， medical books and modern literature. The research results showed that Baiji（白及） was the main name， some scholars took Baiji（白芨） as its main name， and there were many other names such as Baiji（白给）， Baigen（白根）， Baiji（白苙）. The mainstream source of Bletillae Rhizoma was the tubers of Bletilla striata， and drying， large， white， solid， root-free and skin removed completely were the good quality standards. With the promotion of wild to cultivated medicinal materials， there were certain differences between their traits， and the quality evaluation indexes should be adjusted accordingly. The origin of records in the past dynasties was widely distributed， with Guizhou and Sichuan having high production and good quality in modern times. The harvesting period is mostly in spring and autumn， and harvested in autumn was better. The processing and processing technology is relatively simple， and it was used fresh or powdered in past dynasties， while it is mainly sliced for raw use in modern times. Based on the results， it is suggested that the tubers of Bletilla striata of Orchidaceae should be used in the famous classical formulas， and it should be uniformly written as Baiji（白及）. And if the original formula indicates the requirement of processing， it should be operated according to the requirement， if the requirement of processing is not indicated， it can be used in raw form as medicine.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the comprehensive quality of Houttuynia cordata from different producing areas. METHODS Using total flavonoids， water-soluble extract， moisture， total ash and acid-insoluble ash as indicators， the entropy weight method was used to objectively weigh each indicator， and the relative correlation degree （r）i calculated by grey correlation method was used as a measure to comprehensively evaluate the quality of H. cordata. RESULTS The weights of total flavonoids， total ash， moisture， acid-insoluble ash， and water-soluble extract were 0.295 5， 0.227 3， 0.188 7， 0.145 1， and 0.143 4， respectively. The weights of total flavonoids and total ash were relatively large. The ri of 30 batches of H. cordata ranged from 0.233 2 to 0.673 9； the average ri of samples from Quanzhou County and Ziyuan County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were the highest， which were 0.638 3 and 0.598 7， respectively， followed by samples from Lingchuan County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region （0.556 1） and Jianshui County of Yunnan Province （0.452 8）. The quality of medicinal materials produced in the above producing areas was generally good and stable. CONCLUSIONS Entropy weight method combined with the grey correlation method can be used to comprehensively evaluate the quality of H. cordata. The overall quality of H. cordata produced in Quanzhou County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is the best.

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.

Background: Pleuropterus multiflorum Thunb. cv. “Heshouwu”(HSW) has been used as a classical material for both medicine and food in China for millennia. Recently, the cultivation region of HSW has shifted from Guangdong to Sichuan, Guizhou, and other regions. The investigation of geographic variation in bioactive metabolite contents and their relationship with soil mineral elements holds academic significance. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the variations in the distribution of active components in HSW across diverse planting regions and their relationship with soil mineral elements. Methods: A reliable quantitative analysis based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QQQ-MS) was developed to assess the levels of 15 bioactive metabolites in 60 HSW samples collected from 4 distinct regions. A total of 43 soil mineral elements in corresponding 60 soil samples were quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), heatmap analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and random forest (RF) regression were conducted based on the above quantitative data. Results: The content of stilbene glycosides displayed a wider range of variation compared with emodin and physcion among different regions. Eight compounds were screened as the differential metabolites in HSW samples from various sources using the supervised OPLS-DA analysis. Among these, 2 important functional compounds including physcion and 2, 3, 5, 4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-(6″-O-ace-tyl)-glucoside (THSG-5) are the most abundant in HSW samples from Deqing, a geographical indicative production region. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that the impact of soil mineral elements on the levels of stilbene glycosides is greater compared to that on anthraquinones. A negative correlation was observed between the levels of elements Na, Zn, Ba, Ti, and 2, 3, 5, 4′-tetrahydroxysilbene 2-O-glucoside (THSG-1). Conversely, a positive correlation was found between the contents of elements Na, Ce, Ti, and physcion and THSG-5, 2 components that exhibited higher levels in Deqing. Furthermore, an RF algorithm was employed to establish an interrelationship model, effectively forecasting the abundance of the majority of differential metabolites in HSW samples based on the content data of soil mineral elements. Conclusions: The variation of stilbene glycosides is wider than emodin and physcion in HSW. The levels of metabolites in HSW samples are influenced by soil mineral elements, with stilbene glycosides being more susceptible to such influences compared to anthraquinones. Specifically, THSG-1 shows a negative association withmost soil mineral elements, notably Na, Zn, Ba, and Ti, whereas the content of physcion displays a positive correlation.

ObjectiveTo establish a method for the analysis of oligosaccharides in Atractylodes lancea rhizome based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） and a method for the quantification of oligosaccharides in A. lancea rhizome based on UPLC-evaporative light scattering detector （ELSD）， and to investigate the oligosaccharide characteristics of A. lancea rhizome from different habitats. MethodUPLC-Q-TOF-MS was used to identify the oligosaccharides in A. lancea rhizome with the mobile phase of 0.1% ammonia acetonitrile solution （A）-0.1% ammonia solution （B） for gradient elution （0-0.5 min， 98%A； 0.5-2.0 min， 98%-89%A； 2.0-2.5 min， 89%-86%A； 2.5-5.5 min， 86%-80%A； 5.5-6.5 min， 80%-72%A； 6.5-9.5 min， 72%-63%A； 9.5-14.0 min， 63%-50%A； 14.0-16.0 min， 50%A； 16.0-16.5 min， 50%-98%A； 16.5-20 min， 98%A）， the column temperature of 60 ℃ and the flow rate of 0.2 mL·min^-1. Electrospray ionization （ESI） was used to collect data in negative ion mode and the detection range was m/z 50-1 500. The qualitative analysis of oligosaccharides was accomplished by retention time， relative molecular weight， primary and secondary MS information of characteristic fragment ions in combination with reference substance information. UPLC-ELSD was employed to determine the contents of nine oligosaccharides in A. lancea rhizome with the mobile phase of 0.1% ammonia acetonitrile solution （A）-0.1% ammonia solution （B） for gradient elution （0-1 min， 98%-75%A； 1-7 min， 75%-70%A； 7-18 min， 70%-55%A； 18-23 min， 55%A； 23-23.5 min， 55%-98%A； 23.5-28 min， 98%A）， the drift tube temperature of ELSD was set at 50 ℃. Principal component analysis （PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） were used to analyze the classification and differential components between A. lancea rhizome from different habitats. ResultA total of 24 oligosaccharides， containing 11 pairs of isomers， were identified from A. lancea rhizome. Among them， compared with samples from Anhui， Chongqing， Nanjing and Shaanxi， the contents of kestose（GF2）， 1F-fructofuranosylnystose （GF4）， kestohexose （GF5）， fructo-oligosaccharide DP10 （GF9） in samples from Maoshan were statistically significant （P<0.05）， and the total mass fraction of sucrose （GF1）-GF9 reached 16.47%. The peak area ratio of fructose-fructose oligosaccharide to its isomer sucrose-fructose oligosaccharide was greater than 1 in samples from Maoshan. ConclusionThe types and contents of oligosaccharides in A. lancea rhizome vary greatly among different habitats， and the peak area ratio of fructose-fructose oligosaccharide to sucrose-fructose oligosaccharide >1 may be one of the geoherb characteristics of A. lancea rhizome， which can provide a reference for the development， utilization and quality control of this herb.