The WRKY gene family is an important inducible regulatory factor in plants, which has been extensively studied in many model plants. It has progressively become the focus of investigation for the secondary metabolites of medicinal plants. Currently, there is no systematic analysis of the WRKY gene family in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. For this study, a systematic and comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of the WRKY gene family was conducted based on the genomic data of S. baicalensis. A total of 77 WRKY members were identified and 75 were mapped onto nine chromosomes, respectively. Their encoded WRKY proteins could be classified into three subfamilies: Group I, Group II (II-a, II-b, II-c, II-d, II-e), and Group III, based on the characteristics of the amino acid sequences of the WRKY domain and genetic structure. Syntenic analysis revealed that there were 35 pairs of repetitive fragments. Furthermore, the transcriptome data of roots, stems, leaves, and flowers showed that the spatial expression profiles of WRKYs were different. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that 11 stress-related WRKYs exhibited specific expression patterns under diverse treatments. In addition, sub cellular localization analysis indicated that SbWRKY26 and SbWRKY41 were localized in nucleus. This study is the first to report the identification and characterization of the WRKY gene family in S. baicalensis, which is valuable for the further exploration of the biological function of SbWRKYs. It also provides valuable bioinformatics data for S. baicalensis and provides a reference for assessing the medicinal properties of the genus.

Aconitum carmichaeli Debx. (Ranunculaceae) is a potential source of an important herbal drug named “Fuzi”, which is derived from the lateral root of the plant. Increased therapeutic usage resulted in the great demand for artificial cultivation of A. carmichaeli, however, the obstacles caused by continuous cropping is a serious problem. Continuous cropping has shown to affect the soil biological and non-biological factors. The current study attempted to discover the variations of microbial communities and soil properties in short-term continuous cropping of A. carmichaeli. An experimental procedure with A. carmichaeli planted two years continuously was established. The variation of the soil microbial community, disease incidence, soil properties, and the correlation between soil microbe and disease incidence were investigated. The disease incidence increased during the continuous cropping of A. carmichaeli. The PCoA and LefSe results indicated that fungal communities in rhizosphere soil were altered during the short-term continuous croppingand the bacterial community was disturbed by the cultivation of A. carmichaeli, however, in the following two years of continuous cropping period, the soil bacterial community has not changed obviously. Proportions of some fungal and bacterial genera were varied significantly (p < 0.05), and some genera of microflora showed a significant correlation with adisease incidence of A. carmichaeli. Microorganisms contributing to community composition discrepancy were also elucidated. Continuous cropping of A. carmichaeli disturbed the rhizosphere soil microbial community and altered the soil chemical parameters and soil pH. These variations in soil may be related to the occurrence of plant diseases. The current study will not only provide theoretical and experimental evidence for the A. carmichaeli continuous cropping obstacles but will also contribute to A. carmichaeli agricultural production and soil improvement.

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), an autoimmune astrocytopathic disease associated with the anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody, is characterized by extensive necrotic lesions primarily located on the optic nerves and spinal cord. Tanshinone IIA (TSA), an active natural compound extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has profound immunosuppressive effects on neutrophils. Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of TSA on NMOSD mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. Mice were initially administered TSA (pre-TSA group, n = 20) or vehicle (vehicle group, n = 20) every 8 h for 3 days, and then NMOSD model was induced by intracerebral injection of NMOSD-immunoglobulin G (NMO-IgG) and human complement (hC). In addition, post-TSA mice (n = 10) were administered equal dose of TSA at 8 h and 16 h after model induction. At 24 h after intracerebral injection, histological analysis was performed to assess the inhibitory effects of TSA on astrocyte damage, demyelination, and neuroinflammation in NMOSD mice, and western blotting was conducted to clarify the effect of TSA on the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Furthermore, flow cytometry and western blotting were conducted to verify the proapoptotic effects of TSA on neutrophils in vitro. Results: There was a profound reduction in astrocyte damage and demyelination in the pre-TSA group and post-TSA group. However, prophylactic administration of TSA induced a better effect than therapeutic treatment. The number of infiltrated neutrophils was also decreased in the lesions of NMOSD mice that were pretreated with TSA. We confirmed that prophylactic administration of TSA significantly promoted neutrophil apoptosis in NMOSD lesions in vivo, and this proapoptotic effect was mediated by modulating the caspase pathway in the presence of inflammatory stimuli in vitro. In addition, TSA restricted activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in vivo. Conclusion: Our data provide evidence that TSA can act as a prophylactic agent that reduces NMO-IgG-induced damage in the mouse brain by enhancing the resolution of inflammation by inducing neutrophil apoptosis, and TSA may serve as a promising therapeutic agent for neutrophil-associated inflammatory disorders, such as NMOSD.

Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus (SSF), the dry ripe fruit of Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils., is a traditional Chinese medicine with wide application potential. The quality of SSF indicated by the composition and contents of secondary metabolites is closely related to environmental factors, such as regional climate and soil conditions. The aims of this study were to predict the distribution patterns of potentially suitable areas for S. sphenanthera in China and pinpoint the major environmental factors influencing its accumulation of medicinal components. An optimized maximum entropy model was developed and applied under current and future climate scenarios (SSP1-RCP2.6, SSP3-RCP7, and SSP5-RCP8.5). Results show that the total suitable areas for S. sphenanthera (179.58×10⁴ km²) cover 18.71% of China’s territory under the current climatic conditions (1981–2010). Poorly, moderately, and highly suitable areas are 119.00×10⁴ km², 49.61×10⁴ km², and 10.98×10⁴ km², respectively. The potentially suitable areas for S. sphenanthera are predicted to shrink and shift westward under the future climatic conditions (2041–2070 and 2071–2100). The areas of low climate impact are located in southern Shaanxi, northwestern Guizhou, southeastern Chongqing, and western Hubei Provinces (or Municipality), which exhibit stable and high suitability under different climate scenarios. The contents of volatile oils, lignans, and polysaccharides in SSF are correlated with various environmental factors. The accumulation of major secondary metabolites is primarily influenced by temperature variation, seasonal precipitation, and annual precipitation. This study depicts the potential distribution of S. sphenanthera in China and its spatial change in the future. Our findings decipher the influence of habitat environment on the geographical distribution and medicinal quality of S. sphenanthera, which could have great implications for natural resource conservation and artificial cultivation.

Pestalafuranones A–E (compounds 1–5), five new 2(5H)-furanones, have been isolated from cultures of an isolate of Pestalotiopsis besseyi. The structures of these compounds were elucidated mainly by analysis of their NMR spectroscopic data and HRESIMS experiments. Pestalafuranones A–C (compounds 1–3) displayed weak inhibitory effects against HIV-1 replication in C8166 cells, whereas pestalafuranones D (4) and E (5) showed moderate antifungal activity against the plant pathogens Verticillium dahiae and Alternaria longipes.