Chemodiversity of soil dissolved organic matter affected by contrasting microplastics from different types of polymers

Chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter(DOM)is a crucial factor controlling soil nutrient availability,greenhouse gas emissions,and pollutant migration.Microplastics(MPs)are widespread pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems in many regions.However,the effects of MPs on DOM chemodiversity are not sufficiently understood,particularly under different types of polymers.Using UV-Vis spectroscopy,3D fluorescence spectroscopy,and Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry,the effects of three prevalent MPs[polyethylene,polystyrene,and polyvinyl chloride(PVC)]on the chemical properties and composition of soil DOM were investigated via a 310-d soil incubation experiment.The results showed that MPs reduced the aromatic and hydrophobic soil DOM components by more than 20%,with PVC MPs having the greatest effect.Furthermore,as MP contents increase,the humification level of soil DOM significantly decreases.MPs increased DOM molecules with no heteroatom by 8.3%-14.0%,but decreased DOM molecules with nitrogen content by 17.0%-47.8%.This may be because MPs cause positive“priming effect,”resulting in the breakdown of bioavailable components in soil DOM.This is also related to MPs changing microbial richness and diversity and enriching microbial communities involved in lignin compositions degradation.In the presence of MPs,soil DOM chemodiversity depended on soil pH,electrical conductivity,dissolved organic carbon,soil organic matter,bacterial Shannon,and fungal Chao index.Specifically,DOM in MP-contaminated soils featured more lipids and less condensed aromatics and proteins/amino sugars,thereby conferring a lower DOM aromaticity and higher lability.

Mining chemodiversity from biodiversity:pharmacophylogeny of medicinal plants of Ranunculaceae

This paper reports a pharmacophylogenetic study of a medicinal plant family,Ranunculaceae,investigating the correlations between their phylogeny,chemical constituents,and pharmaceutical properties.Phytochemical,ethnopharmacological,and pharmacological data were integrated in the context of the systematics and molecular phylogeny of the Ranunculaceae.The chemical components of this family included several representative metabolic groups:benzylisoquinoline alkaloids,ranunculin,triterpenoid saponin,and diterpene alkaloids,among others.Ranunculin and magnoflorine were found to coexist in some genera.The pharmacophylogenetic analysis,integrated with therapeutic information,agreed with the taxonomy proposed previously,in which the family Ranunculaceae was divided into five sub-families:Ranunculoideae,Thalictroideae,Coptidoideae,Hydrastidoideae,and Glaucidioideae.It was plausible to organize the sub-family Ranunculoideae into ten tribes.The chemical constituents and therapeutic efficacy of each taxonomic group were reviewed,revealing the underlying connections between phylogeny,chemical diversity,and clinical use,which should facilitate the conservation and sustainable utilization of the pharmaceutical resources derived from the Ranunculaceae.

Ethnopharmacology,chemodiversity,and bioactivity of Cephalotaxus medicinal plants

Cephalotaxus is the only genus of Cephalotaxaceae family,and its natural resources are declining due to habitat fragmentation,excessive exploitation and destruction.In many areas of China,folk herbal doctors traditionally use Cephalotaxus plants to treat innominate swollen poison,many of which are cancer.Not only among Han people,but also among minority ethnic groups,Cephalotaxus is used to treat various diseases,e.g.,cough,internal bleeding and cancer in Miao medicine,bruises,rheumatism and pain in Yao medicine,and ascariasis,hookworm disease,scrofula in She medicine,etc.Medicinal values of some Cephalotaxus species and compounds are acknowledged officially.However,there is a lack of comprehensive review summarizing the ethnomedicinal knowledge o f Cephalotaxus,relevant medicinal phytometabolites and their bioactivities.The research progresses in ethnopharmacology,chemodiversity,and bioactivities of Cephalotaxus medicinal plants are reviewed and commented here.Knowledge gaps are pinpointed and future research directions are suggested.Classic medicinal books,folk medicine books,herbal manuals and ethnomedicinal publications were reviewed for the genus Cephalotaxus(Sanjianshan in Chinese).The relevant data about ethnobotany,phytochemistry,and pharmacology were collected as comprehensively as possible from online databases including Scopus,NCBI PubMed,Bing Scholar,and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI).44 Cephalotaxus"',and the respective species name were used as keywords in database search.The obtained articles of the past six decades were collated and analyzed.Four Cephalotaxus species are listed in the official medicinal book in China.They are used as ethnomedicines by many ethnic groups such as Miao,Yao,Dong,She and Han.Inspirations are obtained from traditional applications,and Cephalotaxus phytometabolites are developed into anticancer reagents.Cephalotaxine-type alkaloids,homoerythrina-type alkaloids and homoharringtonine(HHT)are abundant in Cephalotaxus,e.g.,C.lanceolata,C.fortunei var.alpina,C.griffithii,and C.hainanensis,etc.New methods of alkaloid analysis and purification are continuously developed and applied.Diterpenoids,sesquiterpenoids,flavonoids,lignans,phenolics,and other components are also identified and isolated in various Cephalotaxus species.Alkaloids such as HHT,terpenoids and other compounds have anticancer activities against multiple types of human cancer.Cephalotaxus extracts and compounds showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities,immunomodulatory activity,antimicrobial activity and nematotoxicity,antihyperglycemic effect,and bone effect,etc.Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies o f Cephalotaxus are increasing.We should continue to collect and sort out folk medicinal knowledge of Cephalotaxus and associated organisms,so as to obtain new enlightenment to translate traditional tips into great therapeutic drugs.Transcriptomics,genomics,metabolomics and proteomics studies can contribute massive information for bioactivity and phytochemistry of Cephalotaxus medicinal plants.We should continue to strengthen the application of state-of-the-art technologies in more Cephalotaxus species and for more useful compounds and pharmacological activities.

Phylogenomic Mining of the Mints Reveals Multiple Mechanisms Contributing to the Evolution of Chemical Diversity in Lamiaceae

The evolution of chemical complexity has been a major driver of plant diversification, with novel compounds serving as key innovations. The species-rich mint family （Lamiaceae） produces an enormous variety of compounds that act as attractants and defense molecules in nature and are used widely by humans as flavor additives, fragrances, and anti-herbivory agents. To elucidate the mechanisms by which such diversity evolved, we combined leaf transcriptome data from 48 Lamiaceae species and four outgroups with a robust phylogeny and chemical analyses of three terpenoid classes （monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and iridoids） that share and compete for precursors. Our integrated chemical-genomic-phylogenetic approach revealed that： （1） gene family expansion rather than increased enzyme promiscuity of terpene synthases is correlated with mono- and sesquiterpene diversity; （2） differential expression of core genes within the iri- doid biosynthetic pathway is associated with iridoid presence/absence; （3） generally, production of iridoids and canonical monoterpenes appears to be inversely correlated; and （4） iridoid biosynthesis is significantly associated with expression of geraniol synthase, which diverts metabolic flux away from canonical mono- terpenes, suggesting that competition for common precursors can be a central control point in specialized metabolism. These results suggest that multiple mechanisms contributed to the evolution of chemodiversity in this economically important family.

Anemone medicinal plants:ethnopharmacology,phytochemistry and biology

The Ranunculaceae genus Anemone(order Ranunculales),comprising more than 150 species,mostly herbs,has long been used in folk medicine and worldwide ethnomedicine.Various medicinal compounds have been found in Anemone plants,especially triterpenoid saponins,some of which have shown anti-cancer activities.Some Anemone compounds and extracts display immunomodulatory,antiinflammatory,antioxidant,and antimicrobial activities.More than 50 species have ethnopharmacological uses,which provide clues for modern drug discovery.Anemone compounds exert anticancer and other bioactivities via multiple pathways.However,a comprehensive review of the Anemone medicinal resources is lacking.We here summarize the ethnomedical knowledge and recent progress on the chemical and pharmacological diversity of Anemone medicinal plants,as well as the emerging molecular mechanisms and functions of these medicinal compounds.The phylogenetic relationships of Anemone species were reconstructed based on nuclear ITS and chloroplast markers.The molecular phylogeny is largely congruent with the morphology-based classification.Commonly used medicinal herbs are distributed in each subgenus and section,and chemical and biological studies of more unexplored taxa are warranted.Gene expression profiling and relevant "omics" platforms could reveal differential effects of phytometabolites.Genomics,transcriptomics,proteomics,and metabolomics should be highlighted in deciphering novel therapeutic mechanisms and utilities of Anemone phytometabolites.