Root rot of Paris polyphylla has received widespread attention due to its threat to yield and leads to serious economic losses. However, the relationship among the rhizosphere microbial community, metabolites and root rot disease remained largely unexplored. Herein, we used integrated 16S rRNA, ITS, RNA sequencing and UPLC-MS/MS to systematically investigate the differences between healthy and diseased P. polyphylla. We found that root rot reduced the microbial diversity in the diseased P. polyphylla compared with the healthy control. The relative abundance of the bacterial phylum Actinobacteria increased in the diseased rhizome of P. polyphylla. For the fungal community, root rot disease contributed to an increased relative abundance of Ascomycota and decreased Glomeromycota at the phylum level. The transcriptomic results showed that the differently expressed genes were significantly enriched in the “Biosynthesis of various alkaloids”, “flavonoid biosynthesis” and “isoflavonoid biosynthesis” and “Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis” was dramatically enriched in healthy P. polyphylla compared with that in diseased P. polyphylla. Likewise, the metabolomic results showed that the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and metabolic pathways was found to be significantly enriched by differential metabolites. Taken together, the study of combining metabolomics with microbiomes can help us enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of plant resistance to root rot disease, thereby discovering specific metabolites and microorganisms that can resist pathogen infection in P. polyphylla.

To elucidate the morphological diversity and genetic characteristics of the pollen of Polygonatum species, this study utilized a total of 46 samples encompassing six species and one variety of Polygonatum. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to examine the morphological traits of the pollen and to analyze the evolutionary patterns and genetic relationships among Polygonatum species. The results indicate that the pollen grains of the 46 Polygonatum germplasm are uniformly characterized as monads, heteropolar, bilaterally symmetrical, atreme, and possess a mono-sulcus. They were peroblate (P/E-ratio = 0.36–0.42) in shape and medium to large (P = 18.17–27.15 μm, E = 44.11–67.07 μm) in size. And there are four types of exine ornamentation: reticulate, reticulate–perforate, reticulate–rugulate, and reticulate–verrucate. The 46 germplasm resources were classified into four clusters based on the results of a pollen morphology clustering analysis: P. cyrtonema and P. macropodum were grouped into cluster I, P. filipes and P. odoratum into cluster II, P. kingianum and P. kingianum var. grandifolium into cluster III, and P. alternicirrhosum was classified as cluster IV, standing alone. This study tentatively suggests that pollen morphology, particularly pollen size and exine ornamentation, can serve as a valuable reference for the classification, genetic relationship, and evolutionary patterns of the genus Polygonatum.

Introduction: Optimizing the cultivation of Polygonatum cyrtonema requires a comprehensive understanding of how intercropping influences both its quality and the rhizosphere microenvironment. Methods: This study conducted a comparative analysis between monoculture cultivation of P. cyrtonema (PC) and two intercropping systems: P. cyrtonema with Paris polyphylla (PCPP) and with Ganoderma lucidum (PCG). The investigation assessed the influence of these cultivation systems on yield, quality attributes, soil physicochemical characteristics, and rhizosphere microbial communities. Results: Both intercropping systems significantly enhanced nutrient accumulation in the rhizosphere. Specifically, the PCG system increased available potassium by 72.76%, while the PCPP system elevated alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen and total nitrogen by 7.19% and 7.02%, respectively, relative to PC. Additionally, both intercropping systems increased the relative abundance of microbial taxa such as Furcasterigmium and unclassified_f__Mortierellaceae . The PCPP system additionally promoted the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms, including Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia, Rhodomicrobium , and norank_c_AD3 . Available potassium and phosphorus were identified as key factors driving alterations in the rhizosphere microbial community structure. Although intercropping did not significantly affect P. cyrtonema yield, the PCPP system improved water-soluble extract content by 2.8% and polysaccharide content by 12.1% compared to monoculture. Discussion: These findings indicate that intercropping modulates P. cyrtonema quality through synergistic interactions between soil nutrients and microbial community composition, with the PCPP system recommended as an optimal approach for integrated forest-based cultivation.

Mesona chinensis Benth is a significant botanical resource utilized for both medicinal and dietary purposes, and the Xiaoye variety (XY) exhibited the highest antioxidant activity among the varieties. Despite its importance, metabolic information regarding its medicinal and nutritional properties remains sparse. This study examined the secondary metabolites of four M. chinensis Benth varieties using UHPLC-MS/MS and identified 102, 105, and 286 metabolites exhibiting differential accumulation in the XY variety compared to the Taiwan variety (TW), Minxuan variety (MX), and Zengcheng variety (ZC), respectively, among the 1287 metabolites identified. These metabolites are predominantly involved in secondary metabolic pathways such as “Tropane, Piperidine, and Pyridine Alkaloid Biosynthesis” and “Flavone and Flavonol Biosynthesis”. In addition, we identified the ten most significant differential metabolites that influence antioxidant activity, with flavonoids recognized as the primary contributors to the variation in antioxidant activities. In this study, we have outlined the metabolic landscape of M. chinensis Benth. These findings may aid in elucidating the mechanism behind the antioxidant activity of XY, which provides valuable insights for breeding, quality assurance, and product innovation related to M. chinensis Benth.

The production of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua is currently encountering substantial challenges due to root rot disease, primarily caused by the pathogen Fusa