Growth, photosynthesis and podophyllotoxin accumulation of Dysosma versipellis in response to a light gradient and conservation implications

Abstract

Dysosma versipellis (Hance) M. Cheng ex Ying (Berberidaceae) is a rare and vulnerable, perennial herb endemic to China with pharmaceutical significance. Increasing habitat loss and over-exploitation of the plant has severely affected the plant's in situ conservation, necessitating ex situ conservation and commercial cultivation. The light regime is a critical environmental factor contributing to successful ex situ conservation via efficient production of biomass and secondary metabolites. We investigated the responses of 2-year-old D. versipellis plants to a light gradient in terms of leaf morphology, growth, biomass production, photosynthesis and podophyllotoxin (PTOX) accumulation. D. versipellis responded to the light gradient in terms of plant height, leaf size, leaf photosynthesis and PTOX accumulation. Plants demonstrated optimal vegetative growth, photosynthetic capability, and PTOX production, under a light intensity equal to 30% full sunlight. Half full sunlight led to the lowest production of PTOX despite having no obviously different effects on growth. Full sunlight was able to cause leaf death in mid-summer (July), although these plantlets did not significantly differ in growth or biomass production before July and new leaves emerged in August. D. versipellis is therefore proposed to be a shade-tolerant plant, well adapted to variations in irradiance. Irradiance of 10%-50%, particularly ca. 30% full sunlight is strongly recommended for ex situ conservation and commercial cultivation.

Ultrahigh pressure extraction of lignan compounds from Dysosma versipellis and purification by high-speed counter-current chromatography

“…Dysosma versipellis (Hance) Cheng is a rare and endemic herb to China, mainly distributed in central and eastern parts of China [1]. Research showed that the main bioactive components were podophyllotoxin and its derivatives [2,3].…”

Ecological occurrence and plant regeneration of embryoid of the endangered and endemic plantDysosma versipellisin China

“…D. versipellis has been included in the first list of rare and endangered plants in the country as a third-class protected plant [5]. With the continuous development of new functions of podophyllotoxin and the increasing cancer incidence rate in humans [6], the contradiction between the supply and demand of D. versipellis is prominent, and carrying out the effective rapid propagation research on D. versipellis is important to solve the contradiction between the further development and effective protection of the source materials of podophyllotoxin [7, 8]. Researchers have conducted studies on the induction, differentiation, and proliferation of the calla of D. versipellis .…”

Special Topic on Conservation Biology of Endangered Wildlife pushes conservation studies

“…The 12 papers [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22], published in the Special Topic on Conservation Biology of Endangered Wildlife of Chinese Science Bulletin on August 20, 2011, give some good examples. The genotyping methods of He et al [11] have been applied in identifying paternity and social relationships of the golden snub-nosed monkey in the Qinling Mountains of central China.…”