Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs

Study on organ-specific action preference of Salvia miltiorrhiza in treatment of heart failure under theory of meridian tropism based on multi-tissue eQTL-MR

Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs. 2026, 57(16): 6450-6458.

Objective Based on the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory of meridian tropism, this study aimed to systematically elucidate the organ-specific therapeutic preference of Salvia miltiorrhiza in heart failure (HF) and its key molecular mechanisms by integrating multi-level evidence from genetic regulation, causal inference, and transcriptomics. Methods Major active components of S. miltiorrhiza were screened through TCMSP, ETCM, HERB, and document literature, and potential target genes were predicted. Genotype-tissue expression (GTEx) multi-tissue expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data and heart failure genome-wide association study (GWAS) data were then integrated, and a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) framework was applied to evaluate the tissue-specific causal effects of target genes in the heart, liver, lung, and kidney. The volume of interest (VOI) was further constructed to quantify organ-oriented characteristics, and HF transcriptomic data were used to analyze the expression patterns of key genes. Results Multi-tissue MR showed that S. miltiorrhiza target genes exhibited certain genetic effect patterns in the heart, liver, and lung. VOI analysis indicated that genes such as aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 beta subunit (PDHB), and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) contributed more prominently in the heart and liver, whereas genes such as protein kinase C alpha (PRKCA) also showed relatively strong tissue preference in the lung. The cross-organ consistently protective key gene Caspase-7 (CASP7) showed a directional effect associated with reduced HF risk in MR analysis and was significantly downregulated in HF transcriptomic data. Conclusion This study established an integrated framework linking meridian tropism, organ regulation, and disease-related causal effects. The results suggest that S. miltiorrhiza-related target genes exhibit a multi-organ action pattern dominated by the heart and liver while also involving lung tissue, providing new quantitative clues for the traditional meridian tropism theory of S. miltiorrhiza and suggesting that CASP7 may be an important candidate target mediating its cross-organ anti-HF effects.

Visualization analysis of knowledge graph on regulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species by traditional Chinese medicine based on CiteSpace and VOSviewer

Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs. 2026, 57(16): 6459-6481.

Objective To apply bibliometric methods to review the research progress, hotspots and frontiers of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in regulating mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), summarize the regulatory mechanisms, and provide data support and directional guidance for subsequent research and research planning. Methods Relevant Chinese and English literature were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and Web of Science Core Collection using TCM and mtROS as search terms or keywords, with the search period covering from database inception to March 31, 2026. CiteSpace, VOSviewer and Bibliometrix were applied to complete the visualization presentation and construction of the knowledge graph. Statistical analyses were performed on annual publication volumes, countries, institutions, authors, journals and keywords. Scientific research collaboration networks, co-occurrence clustering and keyword burst detection analyses were also carried out. Results A total of 1 026 Chinese articles and 649 English articles were included. Knowledge maps showed a sustained growth in annual publication output. China dominated this research field, while domestic and international cooperation networks were not well-developed. Core research institutions included Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine and Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine. The most productive journals were Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae and Journal of Ethnopharmacology. The top five keywords in Chinese literature were oxidative stress, mitochondria, TCM, Chinese herbal medicine and mechanisms of action; the top five keywords in English literature were oxidative stress, apoptosis, activation, TCM and reactive oxygen species. Keyword burst analysis indicated that the research frontier is shifting from basic antioxidant mechanisms toward precise mechanisms such as network pharmacology, molecular docking and ferroptosis. Conclusion Research on TCM regulating mtROS has become a growing research hotspot in recent years and will draw more academic attention, while interdisciplinary cooperation needs to be further strengthened. The combined application of network pharmacology and molecular docking is gradually becoming an emerging trend in this field.

Research status and frontier trends of sinomenine based on bibliometrics

Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs. 2026, 57(16): 6482-6497.

Objective To comprehensively analyse the research status and hotspots of sinomenine by using bibliometric methods, and provide theoretical guidance for the future in-depth research and application of sinomenine. Methods A total of two databases of China Knowledge Network (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS) were searched using sinomenine as the keyword, and the literature was imported into NoteExpress literature management software for screening. The analysis employed tools such as Excel, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer to visualize the current status of domestic and international research on sinomenine across various dimensions, including publication trends and national distribution, publishing institutions, publishing authors and keywords. Results A total of 710 Chinese and 471 English literature were retrieved that met the requirements. The research of sinomenine is mainly in China, and the international attention has also increased year by year in recent years, and the overall research has shown a continuous development trend. The core team of sinomenine research has been initially formed, and the cooperation is mostly carried out within the institution or in the same region, with less cross-regional cooperation. Both Chinese and English literature in the field of sinomenine focus on the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of sinomenine, such as anti-arthritis, while Chinese literature also focuses on the extraction and separation of sinomenine, quality standards, and formulation development. Conclusion The research of sinomenine is still in the limelight, and multi-omics-driven mechanism analysis, precision medicine-orientated dosage form innovation, and the expansion of new indications may be the hot spots of sinomenine research in the future. In addition, the research of sinomenine should strengthen multidisciplinary co-operation and apply new technologies in order to fully explore the potential of sinomenine.

Correlation research of corolla non-opening phenotype with cell morphology and XTH/EXP-PME expression characteristics in Lonicera macranthoides

Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs. 2026, 57(16): 6498-6509.

Objective Dried flower buds or newly opened flowers of Lonicera macranthoides are used as Shanyinhua (Lonicerae Flos) for medicinal purposes. The Xianglei cultivar, developed from a natural mutant, exhibits a distinctive phenotype characterized by non-opening corolla and prolonged bud stage. Aiming to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this unique corolla phenotype. Methods The flower of conventional cultivar (WT) and the Xianglei cultivar (XL) of L. macranthoides were used as materials. Corolla adaxial epidermal cells and longitudinal sections were observed using light microscopy. The expression patterns of xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase genes (LmXTH6, LmXTH7, LmXTH33), expansin gene (LmEXP7), and pectin methylesterase genes (LmPME28, LmPME45) were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Protein-protein interaction networks were predicted using the STRING database. Ruthenium red staining coupled with Image J quantitative analysis was performed to assess the degree of pectin de-methylesterification in corolla cell walls. Results In the WT, the adaxial cells of corolla displayed a spatially sequential expansion, with the basal cells expanding first, followed by the middle cells. Moreover, the expansion rate of the adaxial cells is higher than that of the abaxial cells. In contrast, the expansion rate of the adaxial cells is significantly decreased in Xianglei, and the extend of cell expansion is not evident. Molecular analyses revealed that LmXTH6, LmXTH7, and LmXTH33 were highly expressed during the pre-anthesis and anthesis stages in WT, but were significantly suppressed in Xianglei. Expression of LmEXP7 peaked just before corolla opening in WT but remained low in Xianglei at the same stage. Furthermore, ruthenium staining showed a higher overall degree of pectin de-methylesterification in Xianglei compared with WT, which is consistent with the expressin patterns of LmPME28 and LmPME45. Conclusion The non-opening of the corolla in the L. macranthoides cultivar Xianglei is closely associated with inhibited expansion of corolla cells. The low expression of XTHs and EXP collectively contributes to the reduced expansion capacity of corolla cells in Xianglei, while the up-regulation of PMEs increases pectin de-methylesterification in the cell wall, potentially enhancing cell wall stiffness. The synergistic effect of XTH/EXP and PME may be an important factor leading to corolla non-opening in Xianglei. These findings provide experimental evidence for understanding the regulatory mechanisms underlying the superior phenotype of the Xianglei cultivar and offer new insights into the cell wall regulatory mechanisms governing floral organ morphogenesis in plants.

Diversity analysis and functional prediction of endophytic bacteria in different tissues of Duchesnea indica based on Illumina high-throughput sequencing

Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs. 2026, 57(16): 6510-6520.

Objective To analyze the diversity and functional potential of endophytic bacterial communities in different tissues of Duchesnea indica and explore their potential relationship with the medicinal activity of the host plant. Methods Endophytic bacteria from the root, stem, leaf and fruit tissues of D. indica were studied. DNA fragments of the microbial communities were subjected to paired-end sequencing using Illumina high-throughput technology. Sequences were processed using DADA2 and Vsearch, followed by bioinformatics analysis and functional potential prediction. Results High-throughput sequencing of the endophytic bacterial genomes yielded a total of 1 914 360 raw sequences. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria was the dominant group. Among different tissues, the stem exhibited the highest richness of endophytic bacteria, while the root showed the highest diversity. Sphingomonas was identified as a key biomarker distinguishing intergroup differences and showed a significant positive correlation with Pseudomonas. Both bacterial genuses were major contributors to the N₁₀-formyltetrahydrofolate biosynthesis pathway. Conclusion The endophytic bacterial communities in the leaf, fruit and stem tissues of D. indica exhibited high similarity but were significantly distinct from those in the root. Pseudomonas and Sphingomonas may play synergistic roles in the synthesis of secondary metabolites or in enhancing host stress resistance.

Identification and expression analysis of bHLH transcription factors family members in Forsythia suspensa

Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs. 2026, 57(16): 6521-6531.

Objective To screen and identify members of the bHLH transcription factor family based on genomic data from Forsythia suspensa and characterize their features and functions. Methods Using the genomic data of F. suspensa, the bHLH transcription factor family was screened and identified, analysing their physicochemical properties and phylogenetic relationships, and characterizing the bHLH genes by analysing their chromosomal locations, gene structures, functional annotations, and cis-acting elements. In addition, F. suspensa leaves were treated with exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and expression pattern of FsbHLHs within 48 h after treatment was detected by qRT-PCR. Correlation analysis was conducted in combination with the changes in phillygenin content. Results A total of 170 bHLH transcription factors with complete HLH conserved domains were identified, and these factors were distributed across 14 chromosomes. Their amino acid lengths ranged from 67 to 885 aa, relative molecular masses from 7 910.58 to 98 854.78, and theoretical isoelectric points (pI) from 4.71 to 10.44. Based on phylogenetic analysis, FsbHLHs were grouped into 13 subfamilies, with subfamily III being the largest. Through cis-acting element analysis, it was found that FsbHLHs contained multiple elements associated with light regulation, hormone response, and stress response. Subsequently, the correlation between MeJA-induced expression of eight FsbHLH genes and phillygenin content was analysed, and these results suggested that FsbHLH26 and FsbHLH139 were potentially critical regulators of phillygenin biosynthesis and accumulation. Conclusion This study identified 170 members of the FsbHLH gene family. Through systematic bioinformatics analysis and gene expression pattern analysis following MeJA treatment, FsbHLH26 and FsbHLH139 may be the key transcription factors involved in the biosynthesis of phillygenin, laying the foundation for future research into the molecular mechanisms underlying phillygenin biosynthesis.

Discovery of key genes for biosynthesis of sterol biosynthesis of Stellaria dichotoma var. lanceolata based on transcriptome data

Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs. 2026, 57(16): 6532-6542.

Objective To investigate the differences in sterol contents and gene transcription levels in different tissues of Stellaria dichotoma var. lanceolata, and explore key enzyme genes related to the biosynthetic pathway of sterols in this plant. Methods The contents of sterols in the roots, stems, leaves and flowers of S. dichotoma var. lanceolata was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Combined with full-length transcriptome sequencing and comparative transcriptomic analysis, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to mine key enzyme genes associated with sterol biosynthesis. The expression levels of these genes were further validated using RT-qPCR. Results The sterols contents in the roots, stems, leaves, and flowers of S. dichotoma var. lanceolata exhibited significant differences. A total of 372 483 high-quality full-length transcripts were obtained by transcriptome sequencing, of which 128 646 full-length transcripts were successfully annotated. Differential gene analysis revealed that 43 354 genes were expressed across the four tissues (roots, stems, leaves and flowers), accounting for 50.02% of all total genes. There were 9 647 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between roots and flowers, 12 143 DEGs between roots and leaves, and only 388 DEGs between leaves and stems. A total of 119 key enzyme genes involved in sterol biosynthesis were identified, and 43 gene co-expression modules were identified by WGCNA. In the MEblue module, six key enzyme genes involved in sterol biosynthesis were identified, including NP_NY_transcript_168676 (FPPS), NP_NY_transcript_335811(SQS), NP_NY_transcript_44001(SQS), NP_NY_ transcript_246835 (CAS), NP_NY_transcript_328932(CAS) and NP_NY_transcript_ 183565(GPPS). The expression levels of the above-mentioned key enzyme genes were validated by RT-qPCR, and the results showed expression trends consistent with those obtained from the transcriptome data. Conclusion This study revealed the key enzyme genes involved in sterol biosynthesis in S. dichotoma L.var. lanceolate, providing a research basis for analyzing the biosynthetic pathways and molecular mechanisms that regulate its active ingredients.

Chemical exploration on origin of “Tong-guan-teng” and analysis of its main components

Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs. 2026, 57(16): 6543-6551.

Objective To explore the botanical origin of traditional Chinese medicine Tong-guan-teng and establish a semi-quantitative analysis method, and provide a scientific basis for the quality control and criterion improvement of the medicinal material. Methods Reference sample of Tong-guan-teng, market-available materials, and vine samples of two possible origin plants (Marsdenia tenacissima and M. cavaleriei) were collected. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detector (UHPLC-CAD) was employed, and an ACQUITY BEH C₁₈column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) was used. The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile, at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min, with an injection volume of 2 μL. The similarity of sample chromatograms was analyzed by the “Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2012 edition)”. Based on the chromatographic peak areas of eight main components in the UHPLC-CAD fingerprint, semi-quantitative analysis of relative contents and total relative contents among batches was carried out. Results The established fingerprint was validated by methodology, with demonstrated satisfactory precision, stability and repeatability, which met the requirements of traditional Chinese medicine fingerprint analysis. The similarity of fingerprints among the reference sample and 12 batches of commercial Tong-guan-teng samples ranged from 0.927 to 0.988. Significant differences were observed between the reference fingerprint of Tong-guan-teng and those of M. tenacissima stems, while a high degree of consistency was achieved with M. cavaleriei stems (similarity > 0.85) and the total contents of major components were relatively consistent. The relative contents of the eight major components followed the order: tenacissoside A > marsdenoside H > marsdenoside K > tenacissoside B > tenacissoside H > tenacissoside D > tenacissoside I > tenacissoside E. Conclusion In addition to tenacissoside H (the index component specified in the 2025 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia), tenacissoside A, marsdenoside H, marsdenoside K and tenacissoside B have relatively high contents, which can serve as potential quality markers and provide a theoretical basis for the botanical origin identification of the traditional Chinese medicine Tong-guan-teng from the perspective of chemical composition.

Applications progress on machine vision technology in entire industrial chain of traditional Chinese medicinal materials

Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs. 2026, 57(16): 6552-6565.

China has recently proposed the “artificial intelligence +” strategy. Machine vision technology (MVT), which serves as the visual perception interface for artificial intelligence, has demonstrated broad application potential across multiple domains. This review provides a systematic overview of MVT applications throughout the entire industrial chain of Chinese medicinal herbs. By acquiring conventional visual images and multi-source spectral images, and by integrating both traditional machine learning and deep learning algorithms, MVT has been widely implemented in critical processes including seed quality evaluation and sorting, suitability analysis and regional zoning of cultivation environments, plant growth monitoring and field management, harvesting decision-making, primary processing control at the place of origin, and product quality assessment. These applications have significantly enhanced the intelligence level of production processes and the capability for quality control. Nevertheless, prominent challenges remain, such as technological fragmentation, data silos, lab-bound models, and high implementation costs. Guided by the “artificial intelligence +” strategy, this paper further proposes strategic directions including establishing intelligent agent systems covering the entire industrial chain, creating collaborative data resource ecosystems, developing lightweight adaptive algorithm models, and innovating inclusive business models. These measures aim to promote deep integration and large-scale application of MVT in the Chinese medicinal herb industry, thereby providing technical support for intelligent, high-quality development of the entire value chain.

Research progress and applications of target discovery strategies for natural products

Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs. 2026, 57(16): 6566-6577.

Natural products, characterized by structural diversity and broad biological activities, have become a major source for drug discovery and lead compound identification. However, unclear targets have seriously hindered the research and development of many natural products, making target identification a critical bottleneck and a major focus in this field. In recent years, extensive efforts have been devoted to the discovery of natural product targets, and a relatively systematic methodological framework has gradually been established. According to whether chemical modification is required, current target identification strategies for natural products can be broadly classified into two categories:labeled and label-free approaches. This review systematically summarizes the major target identification techniques within these two strategic frameworks, with particular emphasis on their underlying principles, technical advantages, limitations, applicable scenarios, and representative applications, in order to provide references and insights for mechanistic studies and target discovery of natural products.