Bioscience Evidence 2025, Vol.15, No.6, 280-290 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 286 6 An Integrated Analysis Case of Leonurine accumulation in Different Ecological Types of Leonurus japonicus 6.1 Background and sampling strategy leonurine is a characteristic component of Leonurus japonicus, and its content varies greatly among different ecological types. To better study these differences, relevant research usually selects ecological types with high leonurine content (such as L. japonicus) and low leonurine content (such as L. sibiricus) as representatives, and then collects samples from different regions. When sampling, plants growing in different environments will be selected, and then a comprehensive analysis will be conducted by combining the genome, transcriptome and metabolome (Li et al., 2023). 6.2 Physiological indicators In different ecological types or under stress conditions such as drought, motherwort will undergo some physiological changes. For instance, indicators such as malondialdehyde (MDA), proline and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can change, and these indicators are often used to reflect the stress resistance of plants. And these abilities are closely related to the accumulation of secondary metabolites such as leonurine. 6.3 Ecological factors There are many ecological factors that affect the content of leonurine, including temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, geographical location and local ecological suitability. Research shows that indicators such as warm season precipitation, average temperature in colder seasons, and soil available water capacity all affect the distribution of Leonurus japonicus and the accumulation of leonurine. Generally speaking, areas with high ecological suitability are more likely to accumulate more leonurine (Chen et al., 2024). 6.4 Metabolomics and transcriptomic results The synthesis of leonurine requires the joint participation of key enzymes such as ADC, UGT and SCPL. In ecological plants with high leonurine content, the UGT-SCPL gene cluster will show amplification and is more likely to generate new functions, making it easier for leonurine to accumulate. In addition, Li et al. (2023) and Guo et al. (2025) reached similar conclusions after conducting transcriptome analysis on Leonurus japonicus in their research: under stress such as drought, transcription factors like WRKY in Leonurus japonicus plants increase significantly, regulating the gene expression of secondary metabolic pathways and promoting the generation of active components such as leonurine. 6.5 Mechanism integration interpretation The differences in leonurine content among different ecological types are the result of the combined effect of multiple factors, including genomic structural differences (such as the amplification of UGT-SCPL gene clusters), the strength of transcriptional regulation, and the way plants adapt to the environment, etc. In areas with better ecological suitability, plants tend to better regulate physiological indicators related to stress resistance, activate secondary metabolic pathways, and produce more leonurine. 6.6 Implications for cultivation and breeding This case provides a reference for the screening of high-quality germplasm of motherwort, the targeted cultivation of different ecological types, and molecular breeding. If the cultivation is carried out in areas with high ecological suitability and the germplasm with UGT-SCPL amplification genotypes is given priority, the content of leonurine can be significantly increased, making the quality of the medicinal materials more stable. Meanwhile, multi-omics technology can also help rapidly screen superior varieties and promote molecular marker-assisted breeding (Li et al., 2023). 7 Application Prospects: Moving Towards the Quality Improvement and Metabolic Engineering of Active Ingredients in Motherwort 7.1 Ecological cultivation strategies Ecological suitability is an important foundation for enhancing the content of active components and the quality of Leonurus japonicus as a medicinal material. Climatic conditions, such as the precipitation in the warm season and
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