Abstract

BackgroundZiziphora bungeana Juz. is a folk medicine from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The herb or the aerial parts of it have been used to medicinally treat cardiovascular diseases. Flavonoids are the main pharmacologically active ingredients in Z. bungeana. Identification of the tissue-specific distribution of flavonoids in Z. bungeana is crucial for effective and sustainable medicinal use of the plant. Furthermore, understanding of the biosynthesis pathways of these flavonoids in Z. bungeana is of great biological significance.MethodsThe flavonoids from different tissues of Z. bungeana were identified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The full-length transcriptome of Z. bungeana was determined using a strategy based on a combination of Illumina and PacBio sequencing techniques. The functions of differentially expressed unigenes were predicted using bioinformatics methods and further investigated by real-time quantitative PCR and phylogenetic relationship analysis.ResultsAmong the 12 major flavonoid components identified from Z. bungeana extracts, linarin was the most abundant component. Nine flavonoids were identified as characteristic components of specific tissues. Transcriptome profiling and bioinformatic analysis revealed that 18 genes were putatively involved in flavonoid biosynthesis. The gene expression and phylogenetic analysis results indicated that ZbPALs, Zb4CL3, ZbCHS1, and ZbCHI1 may be involved in the biosynthesis of the main flavonoid intermediate. ZbFNSII, ZbANS, and ZbFLS may be involved in the biosynthesis of flavones, anthocyanins, and flavonols, respectively. A map of the biosynthesis pathways of the 12 major flavonoids in Z. bungeana is proposed.ConclusionsThe chemical constituent analysis revealed the compositions of 9 characteristic flavonoids in different tissues of Z. bungeana. Linarin can be hydrolysed into acacetin to exert a pharmaceutical role. Apigenin-7-O-rutinoside is hypothesised to be the precursor of linarin in Z. bungeana. There was greater content of linarin in the aerial parts of the plant than in the whole herb, which provides a theoretical basis for using the aerial parts of Z. bungeana for medicine. These results provide a valuable reference for further research on the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways of Z. bungeana and will be significant for the effective utilisation and ecological protection of Z. bungeana.

Highlights

  • Ziziphora bungeana Juz. is a folk medicine from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

  • *Correspondence: ymma@implad.ac.cn; guanli@xju.edu.cn 1 College of the Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, No.666, Shengli Road, Tianshan District, Urumqi 830046, China 3 Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China Full list of author information is available at the end of the article. He et al Chin Med (2020) 15:73 medicine. These results provide a valuable reference for further research on the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways of Z. bungeana and will be significant for the effective utilisation and ecological protection of Z. bungeana

  • Major contributions to resource protection and drug development Our results showed the tissue-specific distribution of flavonoids in Z. bungeana, which supported the use of the aerial parts of the plant for medicine but not for including roots

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Summary

Introduction

Ziziphora bungeana Juz. is a folk medicine from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Flavonoids are the main pharmacologically active ingredients in Z. bungeana. Ziziphora bungeana Juz. is a perennial semi-shrub. It is a subspecies of Z. clinopodioides Lam. and belongs to the genus Ziziphora L. in the Labiatae family. In China, it only grows in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and has long been used as a folk medicine to treat diseases such as cardiopathy, hypertension, fever, headache, insomnia, and cardiopalmus [2, 3]. The main active constituents of Z. bungeana are flavonoids and essential oils [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The essential oils of Z. bungeana have antioxidant and antimicrobial activities [1, 4]. The flavonoids of Z. bungeana have significant protective functions for vascular endothelial cells [5,6,7,8]

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