Abstract
Dioscorea zingiberensis is an important source of diosgenin. However, the low environmental adaptability of plants producing bioactive components impedes their industrial development. In this study, D. zingiberensis rhizomes were collected from 20 populations covering a wide geographical area from northwestern to southwestern China. Variations in metabolites of steroid saponins biosynthesis pathway (steroid saponins, diosgenin and phytosterols) and fatty acids were determined. Spearman analysis showed that fatty acids were strongly correlated with steroid saponins. Furthermore, the specialized metabolites showed regional variations across a large geographical scale. Redundancy analysis illustrated that environmental variables had a profound impact on specialized metabolites. Among all environmental variables evaluated, latitude was the factor that contributed the most to the variation of metabolites in steroid saponins biosynthesis, while sunshine duration and mean annual temperature contributed the most to the variation in fatty acids. This study provides valuable information for understanding the effects of environmental factors on the production of bioactive chemicals by medicinal crops.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
