Molecular Soil Biology 2025, Vol.16, No.1, 37-44 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 37 Research Insight Open Access Research on the Influence of Cultivation Environment on the Active Ingredient Content and Physiological Response of Tongzi Yimicao Jiayao Zhou , Hongpeng Wang Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, China Corresponding email: jiayao.zhou@cuixi.org Molecular Soil Biology, 2025, Vol.16, No.1 doi: 10.5376/msb.2025.16.0004 Received: 02 Jan, 2025 Accepted: 05 Feb., 2025 Published: 18 Feb., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Zhou and Wang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Zhou J.Y., and Wang H.P., 2025, Research on the influence of cultivation environment on the active ingredient content and physiological response of Tongzi Yimicao, Molecular Soil Biology, 16(1): 37-44 (doi: 10.5376/msb.2025.16.0004) Abstract This study focuses on the effects of different cultivation conditions on the content of active ingredients and plant physiological changes in Leonurus japonicus. Tongzi Yimucao is a commonly used herbal plant in traditional Chinese medicine, commonly used to treat gynecological diseases. Its main active substances are leonurine and carnosine. Several factors in the cultivation environment can directly affect the synthesis and accumulation process of these components. In terms of water management, appropriate drought treatment can induce plants to accumulate more flavonoids and phenolic acids. Strong light conditions can stimulate laser interaction, indirectly enhancing the accumulation of active ingredients; Moderate temperature helps plants maintain metabolic balance, while too high or too low temperature may inhibit the synthesis of metabolites. Modern cultivation methods such as greenhouse planting and hydroponic technology can achieve more precise regulation of these environmental factors. Under controlled conditions, plant growth is more stable and the fluctuation of active ingredients is smaller. Environmental stress can cause changes in the antioxidant enzyme system within plants, such as increased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). This type of reaction varies under different cultivation conditions, so it is necessary to design reasonable management measures in actual production. Future research can further combine precision agriculture equipment and molecular biology methods to reveal the relationship between environment and components at the genetic level, explore better cultivation schemes, and improve the quality and efficacy of Leonurus japonicus. Keywords Leonurus japonicus; Active compounds; Environmental factors; Cultivation techniques; Physiological response 1 Introduction Leonurus japonicus, also known as Chinese motherwort, is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb mainly used to treat common female diseases. Its main active ingredients are leonurine and carnosine, which have anti-inflammatory, heart protective, and antioxidant effects (Shang et al., 2014). In addition to its traditional use, it may have anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective effects (Miao et al., 2019). The active ingredients contained in this plant are influenced by the growth environment, such as soil acidity, light intensity, and temperature. The slightly alkaline soil conditions are favorable for the generation of alkaloids such as sage alkaloids, as they can promote the activity of related synthetic pathways (Zhang et al., 2022; Feng, 2024). In the context of global climate change, understanding the response mechanism of Leonurus japonicus to environmental changes, maintaining its medicinal value, and ensuring yield. This study will focus on how environmental conditions affect the synthesis of the active ingredients of Leonurus japonicus, focusing on the effects of factors such as soil composition, pH, temperature and light on the production of leonurine and caryophylline, and exploring the physiological response mechanisms of plants under these conditions. It is hoped that this will provide guidance for the scientific cultivation of Leonurus japonicus, improve its yield and quality, and provide a reference basis for subsequent research and medicinal material production. 2 Active Components of Leonurus japonicus 2.1 Main chemical components: flavonoids, phenolic acids, alkaloids, and essential oils Leonurus japonicus contains a variety of active substances. This plant's main components include flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, diterpenes, and volatile essential oils (Figure 1) (Miao et al., 2019). Leonurine and carnosine
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