Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: Effects on secondary metabolite accumulation of traditional Chinese medicines

Abstract

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played a pivotal role in maintaining the health of people, and the intrinsic quality of TCM is directly related to the clinical efficacy. The medicinal ingredients of TCM are derived from the secondary metabolites of plant metabolism and are also the result of the coordination of various physiological activities in plants. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are among the most ubiquitous plant mutualists that enhance the growth and yield of plants by facilitating the uptake of nutrients and water. Symbiosis of AMF with higher plants promotes growth and helps in the accumulation of secondary metabolites. However, there is still no systematic analysis and summation of their roles in the application of TCM, biosynthesis and accumulation of active substances of herbs, as well as the mechanisms. AMF directly or indirectly affect the accumulation of secondary metabolites of TCM, which is the focus of this review. First, in this review, the effects of AMF symbiosis on the content of different secondary metabolites in TCM, such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkaloids and terpenoids, are summarized. Moreover, the mechanism of AMF regulating the synthesis of secondary metabolites was also considered, in combination with the establishment of mycorrhizal symbionts, response mechanisms of plant hormones, nutritional elements and expression of key enzyme their activities. Finally, combined with the current application prospects for AMF in TCM, future in-depth research is planned, thus providing a reference for improving the quality of TCM. In this manuscript, we review the research status of AMF in promoting the accumulation of secondary metabolites in TCM to provide new ideas and methods for improving the quality of TCM.

Perspective and challenges of mycorrhizal symbiosis in orchid medicinal plants

“…Secondary metabolites are the material basis of the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicinal plants. Studies have revealed that AM fungi (AMF) can promote host plant growth and increase the accumulation of secondary metabolites by the response mechanisms of plant hormones, nutritional elements and expression of key enzymes ( Ran et al, 2022 , Zhao et al, 2022 ). Zhu et al found that symbiotic fungi can affect the accumulation of sugars and alcohol-soluble components in stems of D. officinale ( Zhu et al, 2016 ).…”

The Effects of Root Endophytic and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Growth and Curcumin Content of Temulawak (Curcuma xanthorrhiza)

“…lebih dialokasikan pada pembentukan rimpang dan produksi kurkumin dari pada dialokasikan ke pertumbuhan tajuk, sedangkan pada perlakuan A. niger tunggal maupun inokulasi ganda lebih cenderung diarahkan untuk pertumbuhan tajuk dan pembentukan anakan. Machiani et al (2022) dan Ran et al (2022) melaporkan bahwa CMA pada tanaman obat dapat meningkatkan metabolit primer dan sekunder dengan mekanisme langsung melalui peningkatan penyerapan nutrisi dan air dan peningkatan kapasitas fotosistesis, atau secara tidak langsung dengan menstimulai produksi metabolit sekunder melalui perubahan konsentrasi fitohormon dan produksi molekul sinyal. CMA juga dilaporkan meningkatkan potensi alelopati dan kemampuan berkompetisi melalui peningkatan produksi metabolit sekunder pada 3 spesies gulma (Rashidi et al 2022).…”

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal inoculants and its regulatory landscape

“…In the context of soil salinity, AMF plays a critical role in helping plants tolerate this stressor, mitigating its adverse effects on plant growth and health [ 12 ]. AMF symbiosis has also been shown to boost the production of secondary metabolites in traditional Chinese plants [ 13 ], medicinal plants [ 14 ], aromatic plants [ 15 ] which often have beneficial effects on plant health, defense against pests and pathogens, and potential human health benefits [ 13 ]. AMF also offers protective effects against soil contamination from heavy metals and other pollutants, while also enhancing soil physiochemical characteristics like nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition, thereby promoting overall soil health [ 16 ].…”