As part of our continual efforts to exploit ‘Tujia Ethnomedicine’ for their pharmacophoric functionalities, we herein investigated Kadsura heteroclita collected from a deep Wulin mountain area in northern Hunan province. The current study resulted in the isolation of three new sesquiterpenes: 6α,9α,15-trihydroxycadinan-4-en-3-one (1), (+)-3,11,12-trihydroxycalamenene (2), (–)-3,10,11,12-tetrahydroxy-calamenene (3), along with four known sesquiterpenes (4–7), and a cytochalasin H (8). Their chemical structures were elucidated by 1D-, and 2D-NMR spectroscopy, and HRESI-MS, CD spectrometry. The antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities of the compounds were evaluated. Compound 8 exhibited a strong antioxidant effect with an IC₅₀ value of 3.67 µM on isolated human polymorphonuclear cells or neutrophils.

The tuberous roots of Potentilla anserina (Pan), which are called silverweed cinquefoil roots, serve as a source of starch for the inhabitants of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. They are also regarded as a valuable tonic food and herbal medicine in the ethnic medicine system. Starch plays a crucial part in the plant's life cycle, particularly during the growth stage and in response to abiotic stress. Moreover, numerous biological processes and regulatory networks are involved in the synthesis and accumulation of starch. In this research, a combination of transcriptome and metabolomics approaches were employed to analyze the genes related to starch synthesis and degradation in Pan. The crucial genes involved in starch metabolism were identified, and the response characteristics of these genes to drought and low temperature treatments were investigated. Seven AMYs (Alpha-amylases) and 18 BAMs (Beta-amylases) were identified from the genome of Pan. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of AMYs and BAMs derived from 11 species of rosids were conducted respectively. AMYs of Pan and other species were clustered into 3 groups, whereas BAMs were classified into 4 groups. In the tuberous roots, when compared with the control conditions, 2 AMYs and 4 BAMs were upregulated, while 3 BAMs were downregulated, meanwhile, the contents of maltose and glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) were decreased, while the content of glucose-1-phosphate (G1P) was increased under drought treatment. In the tuberous roots under low temperature treatment, 1 BAM was upregulated, while 2 AMYs and 4 BAMs were downregulated compared with control. The response characteristics of AMYs and BAMs to drought and low temperature treatments were further verified through qPCR analysis. In this research, the genes associated with starch synthesis in Pan were characterized, and the functions of AMYs and BAMs in abiotic stress treatments were elucidated. An overview of evolution of AMY and BAM gene families within rosids was also provided.

The tuberous roots of Potentilla anserina (Pan) are an edible and medicinal resource in Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China. The triterpenoids from tuberous roots have shown promising anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we carried out phylogenetic analysis of squalene synthases (SQSs), squalene epoxidases (SQEs), and oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs) in the pathway of triterpenes. In total, 6, 26, and 20 genes of SQSs, SQEs, and OSCs were retrieved from the genome of Pan, respectively. Moreover, 6 SQSs and 25 SQEs genes expressed in two sub-genomes (A and B) of Pan. SQSs were not expanded after whole-genome duplication (WGD), and the duplicated genes were detected in SQEs. Twenty OSCs were divided into two clades of cycloartenol synthases (CASs) and β-amyrin synthases (β-ASs) by a phylogenetic tree, characterized with gene duplication and evolutionary divergence. We speculated that β-ASs and CASs may participate in triterpenes synthesis. The data presented act as valuable references for future studies on the triterpene synthetic pathway of Pan.