Swertia mussotii is an important medicinal plant that has great economic and medicinal value and is found on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau. The complete chloroplast (cp) genome of S. mussotii is 153,431 bp in size, with a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 25,761 bp each that separate an large single-copy (LSC) region of 83,567 bp and an a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,342 bp. The S. mussotii cp genome encodes 84 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The identity, number, and GC content of S. mussotii cp genes were similar to those in the genomes of other Gentianales species. Via analysis of the repeat structure, 11 forward repeats, eight palindromic repeats, and one reverse repeat were detected in the S. mussotii cp genome. There are 45 SSRs in the S. mussotii cp genome, the majority of which are mononucleotides found in all other Gentianales species. An entire cp genome comparison study of S. mussotii and two other species in Gentianaceae was conducted. The complete cp genome sequence provides intragenic information for the cp genetic engineering of this medicinal plant.

High-throughput sequencing of chloroplast genomes has been used to gain insight into the evolutionary relationships of plant species. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genomes of four species in the Meconopsis genus: M. racemosa, M. integrifolia (Maxim.) Franch, M. horridula and M. punicea. These plants grow in the wild and are recognized as having important medicinal and ornamental applications. The sequencing results showed that the size of the Meconopsis chloroplast genome ranges from 151864 to 153816 bp. A total of 127 genes comprising 90 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes were observed in all four chloroplast genomes. Comparative analysis of the four chloroplast genomes revealed five hotspot regions (matK, rpoC2, petA, ndhF, and ycf1), which could potentially be used as unique molecular markers for species identification. In addition, the ycf1 gene may also be used as an effective molecular marker to distinguish Papaveraceae and determine the evolutionary relationships among plant species in the Papaveraceae family. Futhermore, these four genomes can provide valuable genetic information for other related studies.

Swertia mussotii is an important medicinal plant found on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau that has great economic and medicinal value. This plant has enjoyed a long history of use as a curative for hepatitis. The biological activity of secoiridoids, including gentiopicroside and swertiamarin, has been mainly tested for its anti-hepatitis effects. Here, we identify two candidate genes (SmIS1 and SmIS2) that are homologues of iridoid synthase and that are components of the secoiridoid pathway in S. mussotii. Using sequencing and phylogenetic analyses, we confirm that SmIS1 and SmIS2 contain six conserved short-chain dehydrogenases/reductase (SDR) motifs and thus belong to the P5βRs group. The two purified Escherichia coli-expressed proteins reduced 8-oxogeranial to both nepetalactol and iridodials. A comparison of the kinetic parameters of SmIS1 and SmIS2 recombinant proteins revealed that SmIS2 has a lower affinity than SmIS1 for 8-oxogeranial. Transcript levels of the two genes were analysed in three different tissues of S. mussotii using semi-quantitative RT-PCR and RT-qPCR. SmIS1 and SmIS2 expression levels were more abundant in leaves and stems. This investigation adds to our knowledge of P5βRs genes in the secoiridoid synthesis pathway and provides candidate genes for genetically improving S. mussotii by enhancing secondary metabolite production.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological disease with memory loss and cognitive decline, which affects a large proportion of the aging population. Regrettably, there are no drug to reverse or cure AD and drug development for the primary theory of amyloid beta deposition has mostly failed. Therefore, there is an urgent need to investigate novel strategies for preventing AD. Recent studies demonstrate that imbalance of mitochondrial homeostasis is a driver in Aβ accumulation, which can lead to the occurrence and deterioration of cognitive impairment in AD patients. This suggests that regulating neuronal mitochondrial homeostasis may be a new strategy for AD. We summarize the importance of mitochondrial homeostasis in AD neuron and its regulatory mechanisms in this review. In addition, we summarize the results of studies indicating mitochondrial dysfunction in AD subjects, including impaired mitochondrial energy production, oxidative stress, imbalance of mitochondrial protein homeostasis, imbalance of fusion and fission, imbalance of neuronal mitochondrial biogenesis and autophagy, and altered mitochondrial motility, in hope of providing possible therapeutic approaches for AD.

Portulaca oleracea is an important and widely distributed medicinal and edible plant that has great economic value in the medical and food industries. We sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of P. oleracea,whichis156,533 bp in length, including a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,501 bp separated by a large single copy (LSC) region of 87,436 bp and a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,095 bp. The genome contains 85 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. There are 40 repeat units and 111 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in the genome. We also carried out complete cp genome comparison with other Caryophyllales species. The size, gene content, and structural organisation of P. oleracea are relatively conserved, but the genes ycf1 and ycf2 have larger introns. The simple sequence repeats (SSR) in the introns of ycf3, ycf1, atpB, rrn23 and ndhH have significant polymorphism. Comparisons of IR boundaries among 8 Caryophyllales species showed contraction and expansion. The complete cp genome sequence will contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary mode of the cp genome and to the development of new markers for Caryophyllales classification.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a major problem that can happen to people of all ages, leading to psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression. Topical Shen Bai hair growing decoction (TSBHGD) is based on the pathogenesis of AGA, combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, improved by the Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital according to its clinical treatment experience. This study was designed to demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of TSBHGD against AGA, analyze the chemical components of TSBHGD as well as the skin-retained and blood-retained components in mice after topical administration of TSBHGD, and clarify the mechanism of its therapeutic efficacy. It was demonstrated that TSBHGD could suppress TNF-α and IL-6 levels and improve pathological phenomena such as hair loss, reduced follicle density, and dermal thickness caused by testosterone solution. Totally 35 components were identified in TSBHGD extracts, 12 skin-retained components were identified in drug-containing skin, and 7 blood-retained components were identified in drug-containing plasma, according to ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Transcriptomic sequencing revealed that some of the genes in AGA mice had altered expression patterns, which could be reversed by TSBHGD. Through network pharmacology analysis, it was found that TSBHGD mainly regulated eight signaling pathways, among which the apoptosis signaling pathway ranked first with a significance of 0.00149. Finally, both Bcl-2 and Caspase family proteins in the apoptosis signaling pathway were examined by Western blot. It was confirmed that TSBHGD could inhibit the apoptosis level in AGA mice’s skin tissue to exert an anti-AGA effect. This will facilitate the development of new-generation herbal compound formulas with precise efficacy and provide novel ideas for AGA therapy.