Medicinal Plant Research 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 31-44 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 31 Feature Review Open Access Genomic Analysis of Yam: Understanding Its Adaptive Evolution and Medicinal Properties Sufang An, Yongliang Yu, Zhengwei Tan, Chunming Li, Qing Yang, Hongqi Yang, Xiaoyu Su, Yao Sun, Huizhen Liang Institute of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan, China Corresponding email: lhzh66666@163.com Medicinal Plant Research, 2024, Vol.14, No.1 doi: 10.5376/mpr.2024.14.0003 Received: 03 Jan., 2024 Accepted: 07 Feb., 2024 Published: 18 Feb., 2024 Copyright © 2024 An et al., 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: An S.F., Yu Y.L., Tan Z.W., Li C.M., Yang Q., Yang H.Q., Su X.Y., Sun Y., and Liang H.Z., 2024, Genomic analysis of yam: understanding its adaptive evolution and medicinal properties, Medicinal Plant Research, 14(1): 31-44 (doi: 10.5376/mpr.2024.14.0003) Abstract Yam, commonly known as Shuyu, Tushu, or Shuyao in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese medicinal and edible plant with nutritional and medicinal value. This study aims to elucidate the adaptive evolution and medicinal properties of yam through comprehensive genomic analysis. The study integrates findings from various research efforts, including transcriptome sequencing, chloroplast genome characterization, and metabolomic profiling. Transcriptome analysis has revealed key pathways and hormone activities involved in microtuber formation, highlighting the role of differentially expressed genes in the plant's development and stress responses. Chloroplast genome sequencing has provided insights into the phylogenetic relationships and potential molecular markers for species identification. Metabolomic studies have identified significant metabolites in different parts of the plant, contributing to its medicinal properties. Additionally, the structural characterization of polysaccharides and their bioactivity on gut microbiota underscores the plant's health benefits. The identification of endogenous gibberellins and α-glucosidase inhibitors further supports the plant's therapeutic potential. This study consolidates current genomic and biochemical data, offering a comprehensive understanding of yam's adaptive evolution and medicinal properties, thereby providing references for future research and potential biotechnological applications. Keywords Yam; Genomic analysis; Adaptive evolution; Medicinal properties; Transcriptome 1 Introduction Yam, commonly known as Shuyu, Tushu, or Shuyao in Chinese, is a significant tuber crop widely cultivated in China and other parts of Asia. It is renowned for its nutritional and medicinal properties, which have been utilized in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2000 years (Yu et al., 2020). The plant is valued not only for its edible tubers but also for its bioactive compounds, which exhibit various health benefits, including immunomodulatory activities (Li et al., 2020), alleviation of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (Zhang et al., 2019), and potential therapeutic effects on erectile dysfunction (Yu et al., 2020). Genomic analysis plays a crucial role in plant research by providing insights into the genetic makeup, evolutionary history, and adaptive mechanisms of plant species. For yam, genomic studies can reveal the genetic diversity and regulatory networks involved in key physiological processes such as tuber expansion (Zhou et al., 2020), starch composition (Zou et al., 2020), and response to environmental stressors. Understanding these genetic factors is essential for the development of improved cultivars with enhanced nutritional and medicinal properties. Moreover, genomic resources can facilitate molecular breeding efforts aimed at increasing crop yield and resilience (Cao et al., 2020; Lu et al., 2023). The primary objective of this study is to compile and analyze the existing genomic data on yam to understand its adaptive evolution and medicinal properties. By synthesizing these findings, this study expects to provide a comprehensive understanding of the genomic basis of yam's adaptive evolution and medicinal properties, thereby offering valuable insights for future research and breeding programs.
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