Medicinal Plant Research 2025, Vol.15, No.6, 264-273 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 270 identified that the distribution of phenylpropanoids differs in various parts of the roots, with higher contents of ferulic acid in the tail and increased expression of its biosynthetic genes, PAL, C3H, and CQT. This is also the basis for the difference in clinical efficacy and justifies the use of ferulic acid and related compounds as quality markers for standardizing medicinal products (Xu et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2020). Advanced analysis methods can be applied for a comprehensive quality evaluation of different origins and processing methods, which further ensure product consistency (Feng et al., 2022; Sun et al., 2024). 7.2 Mechanistic studies supporting new drug discovery Some active principles, such as phenylpropanoid and phthalide compounds, have also been identified from the mechanistic studies with significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoporotic activities. For instance, some phthalide dimers and monomers from A. sinensis showed potent anti-inflammatory and anti-osteoporotic activities; some act on Nur77 and NF-κB pathways of defined molecular targets (Xia et al., 2024; Zou et al., 2024; Wen et al., 2025). These will provide a basis upon which new drugs can be developed using the A. sinensis phennylpropanoids. 7.3 Molecular breeding and development of high-quality A. sinensis cultivars The major genes and regulatory networks in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis involved have been identified through genomic and multi-omic studies, therefore allowing marker-assisted selection and molecular breeding of improved cultivars. For example, genetic and epigenetic modifications related to the development of high ferulic acid and flavonoid content or those resistant to early bolting-a key factor in affecting root quality-can be used. Such progress, described by Li et al. (2023), Han et al. (2022), and Han et al. (2023), enables the breeding of high-yielding, high-quality A. sinensis for both medicinal and industrial applications. 7.4 Potential for functional foods and natural product industrialization Accordingly, phenylpropanoids and related polysaccharides fromA. sinensis possess huge potential as functional food ingredients based on the bioactivity and safety profiles displayed. Antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory properties warrant their inclusion in health foods and nutraceuticals (Hou et al., 2021). An improved quality control system and strategy of large-scale cultivation with ecological and microecological regulation will promote industrialization and further application in food and health areas (Jing et al., 2024; Sun et al., 2024). 8 Concluding Remarks The research on the biosynthetic pathways of phenylpropanoids in Angelica sinensis has achieved noticeable improvement in recent years, facilitated by genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and biochemical characterization. Functional annotation has identified important enzymes such as PAL, C4H, 4CL, COMT, and CCoAOMT, while many downstream modifications that give rise to the structural diversification of coumarins, ferulic acid derivatives, and lignans have been elucidated. Considerable efforts have also gone into mapping developmental and tissue-specific accumulation patterns and the identification of associated transcription factors underlying pathway regulation. Coupled with these advances, several gaps still remain. Most of the candidate enzymes predicted from omics datasets are yet to be experimentally verified for their functions. Spatial organization of biosynthetic pathways, including enzyme complexes and transport processes, has not been well elucidated. Similarly, interplay among metabolic flux, environmental cues, and hormonal regulation remains incompletely resolved. Further, incomplete genome assemblies and scarce genetic resources in A. sinensis continue to impede the precision of functional characterization. For a deeper understanding of the biosynthetic architecture, pathway-associated genes have to be systematically identified and verified, including those encoding minor or yet-undiscovered enzymes involved in tailoring reactions such as glycosylation, methoxylation, and acylation. Further investigation of regulatory networks involving MYB, bHLH, AP2/ERF, and WRKY transcription factors, in particular combinatorial regulation and interactions with chromatin-level modifications, is needed. Integration of gene function studies with promoter
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