Introduction: Environmental changes have led to changes in the suitable areas for growing certain medicinal plants, which might lead to changes in cultivation areas and quality of medicinal materials. Polygonatum kingianum is a commonly used medicinal plant and, with its growing demand, the sustainable development of P. kingianum is particularly important.Methods: Therefore, this study comprehensively considered environmental variables, such as climate, soil, and topography, collected 181 valid distribution records, and used the MaxEnt to predict and evaluate the changes and potential distribution of P. kingianum.Results: The results showed that the current high-suitability areas (31,534.60 km²) for this medicinal plant are mainly distributed in the Southern part of Yunnan Province, western part of Guangxi Province, and Southwestern part of southwestern Guizhou Province. Under a future climate change scenario, the area of suitable habitats showed a trend of first expansion and then contraction, but the overall trend still expanded. The medicinal plant’s migration trend to the northwest of Guizhou Province and northeast of Yunnan Province was more clear. At the Chinese scale, temperature and precipitation were the important factors affecting the medicinal plant’s distribution. At the national scale, Bio7, Bio12, Bio17, Bio11, S_USDA_TEX_CLASS, and Elevation were key variables affecting P. kingianum distribution, whose cumulative value of percent contribution was 93.6%. At a more precise scale, precipitation, soil variables, and altitude became the key factors affecting its distribution. Among them, S_USDA_TEX_CLASS has the highest contribution rate.Discussion: Overall, the results of this study provided a reference for the determination of suitable planting areas of P. kingianum in China.

The root of Panax notoginseng (Burk.), in which saponins are the major active components, is a famous traditional Chinese medicine used to stop bleeding and to decrease inflammation and heart disease. Inflorescence removal increases the yield and quality of P. notoginseng, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Here, the differences between inflorescence-removal treatment and control groups of P. notoginseng were compared using transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses. Illumina sequencing of cDNA libraries prepared from the rhizomes, leaves and roots of the two groups independently identified 6,464, 4,584, and 7,220 differentially expressed genes (DEG), respectively. In total, 345 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs), including MYB and WRKY family members, were induced by the inflorescence-removal treatment. Additionally, 215 DEGs involved in saponin terpenoid backbone biosynthetic pathways were identified. Most genes involved in the mevalonic acid (MVA) and methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways were activated by inflorescence removal. The co-expression analysis showed that the low expression levels of flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes (e.g., C4H and F3H) decreased the biosynthesis and accumulation of some flavonoids after inflorescence removal. The results not only provide new insights into the fundamental mechanisms underlying the poorly studied inflorescence-removal process in P. notoginseng and other rhizome crops, but they also represent an important resource for future research on gene functions during inflorescence-removal treatments and the reproductive stage.

Notoginseng saponin R1; ginsenosides Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd; the sum of the five saponins; and underground-part fresh weight (UPFW) of single plants were used as quality evaluation indices for Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen (P. notoginseng). Comprehensive evaluation of P. notoginseng samples from 30 production areas was performed using that MaxEnt model. Spatial pattern changes in suitable P. notoginseng habitats were predicted for current and future periods (2050s, 2070s, and 2090s) using SSP126 and SSP585 models. The results revealed that temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation were important environmental variables. Suitable habitats were located mainly in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan Provinces. The distribution core of P. notoginseng is predicted to shift southeast in the future. The saponin content decreased from the southeast to the northwest of Yunnan Province, which was contrary to the UPFW trend. This study provides the necessary information for the protection and sustainable utilization of P. notoginseng resources, and a theoretical reference for its application in the quality evaluation of Chinese medicinal products.

Geographical environmental factors affect the secondary metabolism of plants and regulate rhizosphere microorganisms. However, the metabolite characteristics and rhizosphere microbial composition of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L., AG) from different sources remain unclear. In this study, high-throughput sequencing technology and metabolomics technology were used to analyze the microbial community structure and metabolite content in the rhizosphere soil of AG from different habitats, and the relationships between soil microorganisms and metabolites were analyzed. The results revealed that the diversity of rhizospheric soil bacterial and fungal communities in different habitats was unusual and affected the metabolite content. The bacterial genera strongly correlated with the triterpenoid saponins of AG included Bradyrhizobium and Pseudoxanthomonas. Among these, Bradyrhizobium was strongly negatively correlated with ginsenoside Rg1 (P < 0.001, r = − 0.8204), and Pseudoxanthomonas was strongly positively correlated with (PPD -2 H)-Glc-Glc-malonyl (P < 0.01, r = 0.6305). The fungal genera included Alternaria and Colletotrichum. Alternaria was strongly negatively correlated with ginsenoside F1 (P < 0.001, r = − 0.7434), and Colletotrichum was also strongly negatively correlated with ginsenoside F1 (P < 0.001, r = − 0.7106). The results revealed a complex correlation between rhizosphere-dominant microorganisms and the saponin content of AG, providing a theoretical basis for guiding rational cultivation planning and designing microbial fertilizers to enhance AG quality.

This review systematically bridges a critical gap in existing scholarship by re-examining plant interaction principles articulated in ancient Chinese agrarian texts through the lens of contemporary allelopathy research. While prior studies have explored allelochemical mechanisms and molecular interactions, this synthesis uniquely focuses on how classical Chinese theories of “mutual engenderment and restraint” offer actionable insights for sustainable agriculture—a dimension underdeveloped in both historical and modern scientific discourse. By cross-referencing ancient documentation of crop interplanting and weed management strategies with current allelopathic research frameworks, this work identifies synergies between traditional ecological wisdom and cutting-edge phytochemical studies. This dual perspective not only validates the empirical foundations of ancient practices but also uncovers innovative solutions for pest suppression, soil health, and yield optimization in resource-constrained agricultural systems. Unlike conventional reviews that compartmentalize historical and scientific analyses, this study demonstrates the translational potential of cultural heritage by modeling a hybrid research methodology that integrates textual philology, ethnobotany, and molecular ecology. This synthesis repositions ethnobotanical heritage as a dynamic resource for harmonizing productivity with ecological balance.

Medicine was one of the articles of tribute paid by other countries and kingdoms to the imperial court of the Qing dynasty (1644–1912). The act of paying tributes and the rituals associated with it enhanced communication and helped establish relationships between ancient China and other nations or territories. The imperial court was generous in return, which attracted many countries to pay tributes. This paper analyzes how medicines as tributes played an important role in consolidating the dominant status of ancient China, and in promoting the exchange of knowledge between Chinese and Western medicine.