Dendrobium officinale is a valuable traditional Chinese herbal plant that is both medicinal and edible. However, the yield of wild Dendrobium officinale is limited. Adverse stress affects the growth, development, and yield of plants, among which low temperature is the primary limiting factor for introducing Dendrobium officinale to high-latitude areas and expanding the planting area. Therefore, this study aims to explore the variations in growth ability, cold resistance, and contents of bioactive compounds among different Dendrobium officinale strains. Four strains of Dendrobium officinale were selected as experimental materials and were subjected to low-temperature stress (4 °C). The agronomic traits, physiological indices, as well as the expressions of cold resistance-related genes (HSP70, DcPP2C5, DoCDPK1, and DoCDPK6) in the roots and leaves of Dendrobium officinale, were determined. The contents of bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, flavonoids, and phenols were also measured. Compared with the other strains, Xianju had the highest seed germination and transplantation-related survival rates. Under low-temperature stress, Xianju exhibited the strongest cold resistance ability, as revealed by the changes in water contents, chlorophyll levels, electrical conductivities, enzyme activities, and expressions of the cold resistance-related genes. Additionally, the polysaccharide content of Xianju increased the most, while the stem flavonoid and leaf phenol contents were elevated in all four strains under cold treatment. Therefore, selecting excellent performing strains is expected to expand the planting area, improve the yield, and increase the economic benefits of Dendrobium officinale in high latitude areas with lower temperatures.

Dendrobium officinale Kimura & Migo (D. officinale) is a well-recognized traditional Chinese medicinal herb that is both medicinal and edible. Contemporary pharmacological studies have revealed that D. officinale contains abundant bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids, and dendrobine, exhibiting diverse pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. However, the industrial application of D. officinale faces many problems, such as the scarcity of wild resources, low natural reproduction rate, and slow growth rate as well as the lack of relevant industrial standards. Nevertheless, substantial advancements, including the exploitation of artificial propagation techniques and breeding of new varieties, have been achieved in recent years. These developments have effectively addressed the challenges associated with its low natural reproduction rate and the scarcity of wild resources. This review summarizes the progress in the industrial development, seedling cultivation, and pharmacological exploration of D. officinale in recent years. Furthermore, it analyzes current research inadequacies and offers strategic solutions to enhance its application in healthcare and medicine.

With the rapid expansion of industrial activities, the accumulation of heavy metals in the environment has become a serious threat to ecological security and public health. Rhizosphere microorganisms play a crucial role in supporting the growth and quality of medicinal plants by facilitating nutrient uptake and regulating hormonal balance. However, medicinal plants can absorb heavy metals from contaminated soils during growth, resulting in toxic metal accumulation in plant tissues and reduced efficacy of active compounds. At the same time, excessive heavy metal levels suppress rhizosphere microbial growth and activity, disrupt community structure and function, and weaken their beneficial interactions with plants. These processes collectively lead to soil fertility decline, hindered plant development, and compromised safety and quality of medicinal materials. This review systematically summarizes the mechanisms by which heavy metals affect medicinal plants and their rhizosphere microbiota, and highlights that future research should focus on elucidating these interactions, developing advanced remediation technologies, and establishing comprehensive monitoring systems for the quality and safety of medicinal plants, thereby providing a scientific basis for their safe utilization and quality improvement.

With increasing industrialization, heavy metal contamination poses a growing threat to ecosystem stability and human health. Cadmium (Cd) is taken up by medicinal plants through the soil–plant continuum, altering rhizosphere microbial communities and thereby affecting plant metabolism and bioactive compound accumulation. In this study, Dendrobium officinale Kimura & Migo (D. officinale) was used as a model medicinal plant to investigate the effects of Cd exposure on plant quality and rhizosphere microbial community composition. The results show that different D. officinale strains exhibited significant differences in growth traits and Cd accumulation under Cd exposure. Under the 0.9 mg·kg⁻¹ Cd treatment, mean Cd concentrations in the strain with the highest Cd accumulation (Strain 2) reached 6.42, 1.08, and 1.70 mg·kg⁻¹ DW in roots, stems, and leaves, respectively, compared with 2.13, 0.73, and 0.66 mg·kg⁻¹ DW in the strain with the lowest Cd accumulation (Strain 1), corresponding to approximately 3.0-, 1.5-, and 2.6-fold higher accumulation. Cd exposure was associated with strain-specific changes in metal transport-related gene expression, antioxidant responses, bioactive constituent accumulation, and rhizosphere microbial community composition. Together, these changes highlight the complex relationship between Cd accumulation, plant physiological responses, and medicinal quality. These findings provide a theoretical reference for the selection of elite D. officinale strains and for the safe cultivation of this medicinal plant.