Agarwood is the fragrant resin-infused wood derived from the wounded trees of Aquilaria species. It is a valuable non-timber forest product used in fragrances and as medicine. Reforestation for Aquilaria trees in combination with artificial agarwood-inducing methods serves as a way to supply agarwood and conserve of wild Aquilaria stock. However, the existing agarwood-inducing methods produce poor-quality agarwood at low yield. Our study evaluated a novel technique for producing agarwood in cultivated Aquilaria trees, called the whole-tree agarwood-inducing technique (Agar-Wit). Ten different agarwood inducers were used for comparison of Agar-Wit with three existing agarwood-inducing methods. For Aquilaria trees treated with these ten inducers, agarwood formed and spread throughout the entire tree from the transfusion point in the trunk to the roots and branches of the whole tree. Agarwood yield per tree reached 2,444.83 to 5,860.74 g, which is 4 to 28 times higher than that by the existing agarwood-inducing methods. Furthermore, this agarwood derived from Agar-Wit induction was found to have a higher quality compared with the existing methods, and similar to that of wild agarwood. This indicates Agar-Wit may have commercial potential. Induction of cultivated agarwood using this method could satisfy the significant demand for agarwood, while conserving and protecting the remaining wild Aquilaria trees.

Morindae Officinalis Radix (MOR) and Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus (AOF) have been widely used as dietary supplements and traditional herbal medicines for centuries. Fungal and mycotoxin contamination in MOR and AOF has been reported recently. In this study, fungi in MOR and AOF are first investigated using DNA metabarcoding, and the differences in fungal microbiome between moldy and non−moldy samples are analyzed. The results show that Ascomycota is the most prevailing fungus at the phylum level in MOR and AOF with relative abundances of 49.53–94.32% and 14.81–81.85%, respectively. Penicillium (1.86–76.14%), Cladosporium (1.82–56.65%), and Trichoderma (0.12–19.71%) are the dominant genera in MOR. Penicillium (0.27–56.06%), Papiliotrema (0.04–51.71%), and Cladosporium (3.08–44.41%) are the dominant genera in AOF. Two potential toxigenic fungi were detected, namely, Trichoderma atroviride and Fusarium equiseti. Moreover, the differences in fungal communities between moldy and non−moldy samples were monitored. In conclusion, DNA metabarcoding can be used to assess the fungal microbiome in edible medicinal herbs, thereby providing a basis for ensuring food safety and drug efficacy.

Introduction: Agarwood, a prized aromatic resin from Aquilaria sinensis, is formed as a defensive response to injury or fungal infection. However, the factors influencing its chemical composition remain poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the relationship between endophytic fungal communities and volatile oil content in ordinary-type and Qinan-type A. sinensis.Methods: Using high-throughput sequencing, we analyzed the fungal composition in both the healthy wood and agarwood layers of different A. sinensis germplasms. Additionally, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to quantify the volatile oil content.Results: The results revealed that the fungal community composition in the agarwood layer differed between the two types of A. sinensis, with Fusarium, Hermatomyces, and Rhinocladiella linked to sesquiterpene production (r>0.8, p0.8, p<0.01). Furthermore, the volatile oil content in Qinan-type agarwood was significantly higher than that in ordinary-type agarwood, with distinct chemical profiles observed in each germplasm.Discussion: These findings provide critical insights into the role of endophytic fungi in shaping agarwood's chemical composition and have practical implications for enhancing agarwood production in the industry. Consequently, this research has significant implications for the agarwood industry, as it enhances our understanding of how fungi influence resin quality and paves the way for improving the efficiency of agarwood induction, ultimately leading to higher-quality and more sustainable production.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the culturable endophytic fungi in the sapwood and heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera , to screen fungi that can promote heartwood formation, and analysis of components involved in the formation of heartwood of D. odorifera induced by Lasiodiplodia theobromae. Methods: Fungi were isolated by tissue culture method, identified based on morphological characteristics and ITS sequence analysis, and their induction effect was confirmed by thin-layer chromatography. Non-targeted metabolomics was used to analyze the induced heartwood. Results: A total of 109 endophytic fungal strains were isolated and identified from the six samples. Most isolates (71.56%) came from the heartwood, and other isolates (28.44%) came from the sapwood wood. A strain P3BM2 identified as L. theobromae , isolated from the heartwood of D. odorifera , has the best effect in inducing the formation of heartwood. Thin-layer chromatography confirmed that the induced heartwood met pharmacopeial standards, and its dimensions exceeded those of the control group. Compared to the control, L. theobromae inoculation activated specific differential metabolic pathways. Discussion: Endophytic fungi are involved in the heartwood formation of D. odorifera . In this study, we isolated and identified the culturable endophytic fungi from D. odorifera , and demonstrated that L. theobromae can promote heartwood formation in this species. This research provides a theoretical basis for the fungal-mediated induction of high-quality heartwood formation in D. odorifera .

Agarwood formation is available only when agarwood-producing trees are wounded. As already evidenced, this process may be sped up when some fungi or their cultural metabolites are injected into these trees. In the present study, we developed a novel method called Trunk Surface Agarwood-Inducing Technique (Agar-Tst) to produce agarwood with fungi in two steps: uncover the bark, then spray or smear fungi suspension over the trunk surface. We used Agar-Tst to treat Aquilaria sinensis trees with two kinds of fungi, and evaluated agarwood formation after 6 months. Compared with the high-grade naturally formed agarwood as well as the 6,7-Dimethoxy-2-(2-phenylethyl) chromone standard, the agarwood produced by this technique showed similar spots in the thin layer chromatography assay. The agarwood yield was about 1100-1172 g per tree (eight-year old), with alcohol soluble extract content up to 37.3% and 38.9%, respectively, both above the requirement listed in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (10%). The six characteristic compounds of agarwood specified in Chinese Pharmacopoeia were also detected, and sesquiterpenes were determined by GC-MS to be the main compound in the essential oil of the produced agarwood. With the advantages of high yield, good quality and easy collection, especially no need to thoroughly destroy trees, the Agar-Tst method has been widely used for agarwood production in Hainan Province, China.