Blumea balsamifera, also named Ainaxiang, is widely used as an ancient medicinal herb in tropical and subtropical Asia. It is rich in essential oils. In this work the essential oils of B. balsamifera from different plant organs and in different months were extracted, and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that essential oil yield of young leaves was the highest (0.65 mL/100 g), followed by mature leaves (0.57 mL/100 g), and the oil yield was higher in October (0.47 mL/100 g) than other months. A total of 44 compounds were identified, representing 92.64%–96.71% of the oil. Eighteen common chemical components were found among the six plant organs, representing >80% of the oil constituents. l-borneol was the main ingredient in leaves, and its content was the highest in senescent leaves and in December. In the essential oils of young shoots and young stems, the main component was dimethoxydurene. Antioxidant activity was also determined using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and β-carotene bleaching (BCB) assays. The results indicated that the β-carotene bleaching activity was far stronger than the DPPH radical-scavenging capacity, and the young leaves and young shoots showed stronger antioxidant activity. Dimethoxydurene, β-caryophyllene, and α-caryophyllene play a positive role in good antioxidant activity, while β-eudesmol, phytol, and tetradecanal play a negative role. The antioxidant activity revealed in this study might help in developing this promising bioresource for use in the medicinal and cosmetic industries.

The genus Blumea is one of the most economically important genera of Inuleae (Asteraceae) in China. It is particularly diverse in South China, where 30 species are found, more than half of which are used as herbal medicines or in the chemical industry. However, little is known regarding the phylogenetic relationships and molecular evolution of this genus in China. We used nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) trnL-F sequences to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationship and estimate the divergence time of Blumea in China. The results indicated that the genus Blumea is monophyletic and it could be divided into two clades that differ with respect to the habitat, morphology, chromosome type, and chemical composition of their members. The divergence time of Blumea was estimated based on the two root times of Asteraceae. The results indicated that the root age of Asteraceae of 76–66 Ma may maintain relatively accurate divergence time estimation for Blumea, and Blumea might had diverged around 49.00–18.43 Ma. This common ancestor had an explosive expansion during the Oligocene and Miocene and two major clades were differentiated during these epochs 29.60 Ma (17.76–45.23 Ma 95% HPD (Highest Posterior Density). Evidence from paleogeography and paleoclimate studies has confirmed that Blumea experienced differentiation and an explosive expansion during the Oligocene and Miocene.

Nanomedicine development is constrained less by a shortage of candidate materials than by weak coupling among formulation design, reproducible manufacturin

Smilax glabra , a perennial vine with high pharmaceutical value, exhibits seed dormancy under natural conditions that severely restricts artificial propagation and industrial-scale cultivation. This study aims to systematically investigate the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying temperature-stratification-induced (25 °C/4 °C) dormancy release in S. glabra seeds, providing a scientific basis for optimizing seed propagation protocols. In this study, ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV) was employed to monitor the dynamic variations in soluble sugars, starch, soluble protein content, and enzymatic activities (including phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH)) during temperature stratification (25 °C/4 °C) of S. glabra seeds. Additionally, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and RNA-seq were integrated to systematically characterize the phytohormone metabolic profiles and molecular biological mechanisms underlying seed stratification. The results demonstrated that alternating temperatures of 25 °C/4 °C effectively broke seed dormancy. During the dormancy release process, seeds consumed soluble proteins and starch, while starch-degrading genes ( AMY and BAM ) were significantly upregulated to drive starch conversion into soluble sugars. Meanwhile, PGI activity exhibited a marked decrease, while MDH and G6PDH activities showed overall upward trends. At the hormone metabolism level, downregulation of NCED and upregulation of CYP707A synergistically reduced ABA levels, while upregulation of GA20ox and KAO promoted GA biosynthesis; downregulation of DELLA protein-encoding genes relieved GA signal suppression, collectively forming the “ABA decline-GA rise” hormonal balance shift that drives seed germination. Simultaneously, JA biosynthesis genes LOX2 and AOS were upregulated, leading to OPDA accumulation, but OPDA was not converted into JA. Furthermore, the upregulation of the negative regulator JAZ blocked JA signal transduction, thereby relieving JA-mediated inhibition of germination. This study reveals the molecular mechanisms underlying 25 °C/4 °C temperature-stratification-mediated dormancy release in S. glabra seeds through integrated physiological, metabolic, and transcriptional analyses.

Immunosenescence is a major contributor to age-associated morbidity, yet microbiota-directed strategies capable of restoring immune homeostasis remain insufficiently validated. Medicinal plant polysaccharides (MPPs) are structurally diverse macromolecules that often resist host digestion and undergo microbial transformation in the colon, but their effects cannot be interpreted as those of a homogeneous intervention class. In this structured narrative review, we critically synthesize evidence across structural carbohydrate biology, microbial ecology, metabolite signaling, and immune aging and propose a structure–microbiota–metabolite–immunity framework for evaluating how MPPs may influence immunosenescence. Monosaccharide composition, glycosidic linkages, molecular-weight distribution, branching, uronic acid content, chemical substitutions, and higher-order conformation can shape microbial carbohydrate-active enzyme activity, polysaccharide utilization, and ecological cross-feeding. The resulting changes in short-chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids, tryptophan-derived indoles, and other metabolites may affect epithelial barrier integrity, regulatory T-cell/T helper 17-cell (Treg/Th17) balance, macrophage polarization, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling, NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, and systemic inflammatory tone. However, evidence from in vitro systems and young disease models primarily supports mechanistic plausibility and should not be treated as direct evidence of immunosenescence modification. Translation will require structurally defined preparations, causal validation in aging-relevant models, comparison with established fermentable fibers, identification of responder phenotypes, and adequately powered trials in older adults.

Bacterial wound infections remain a significant clinical challenge, requiring dressings that simultaneously provide durable antibacterial activity and controlled drug release. In this study, Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. residue was upcycled into a cellulose-based hydrogel (BBR-CH), and its potential as a drug delivery platform was assessed using total flavonoids (BFTs) derived from the same plant as a model drug. The resulting BFT@BBR-CH hydrogel exhibited pH-responsive, first-order sustained drug release kinetics, potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, strong antioxidant capacity (IC₅₀ = 0.056 mg/mL), and cytocompatibility exceeding 90%. In infected full-thickness rat wounds, BFT@BBR-CH achieved more than 94% wound closure by day 14, accompanied by enhanced collagen deposition and reduced inflammation. Mechanistically, BFT@BBR-CH downregulated TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, while modulating EGFR/AKT1/HIF-1α/VEGF-A signaling and inhibiting FOXO3/Caspase-3-mediated apoptosis. Collectively, this work establishes BBR-CH as a sustainable and versatile drug delivery platform, providing a waste-to-wealth strategy for the development of advanced wound care materials.