Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants最新文献

{"title":"Effective SSR markers for assessing population structure, genetic diversity, and volatile compounds in Atractylodis Rhizoma","authors":"Haotian Zhong ,&nbsp;Lina Chen ,&nbsp;Lei Chen ,&nbsp;Xiao Huang ,&nbsp;Ling Gong ,&nbsp;Juan Hu ,&nbsp;Yuling Zeng ,&nbsp;Kun Yu ,&nbsp;Lin Sen","doi":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100642","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100642","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, we aimed to develop SSR molecular markers for assessing the population structure and genetic diversity of <em>Atractylodes lancea</em> (AL) and <em>Atractylodes chinensis</em> (AC), with a focus on their volatile compounds. By utilizing transcriptome data from AL, we successfully developed 29 pairs of highly polymorphic SSR primers, generating 264 distinct alleles. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct populations: Mao Mountain, Dabie Mountain, and samples from other locations and primers with high discriminatory power were selected. Additionally, a representative core subset of 106 samples was selected from the original germplasm, capable of representing over 99 % of the genetic variation. This core subset provides an efficient resource for future studies on population genetics and trait association. The Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based method achieved an accuracy of 98.8 % in distinguishing Atractylodis Rhizoma (AR) varieties. GC-MS screening identified 24 potential differential metabolites between the two species, with correlation analysis showing significant association. This study successfully developed SSR molecular markers for analyzing genetic diversity in AL and AC and established a reliable method for identifying AR medicinal varieties. These findings provide a solid foundation for future quality control of AR and the selection of superior germplasm.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15136,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100642"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Supercritical fluid extraction of Bidens pilosa L. oil: Kinetics evaluation and antitumor activity","authors":"Ramon G. Paschoal ,&nbsp;Marianne L. Higino ,&nbsp;Ana Paula G. Alves ,&nbsp;André Luiz F. Sampaio ,&nbsp;Dulcineia F. Teixeira ,&nbsp;Leonardo Lucchetti ,&nbsp;Marisa F. Mendes","doi":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100641","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Different plants have been used, around the world, in the treatment of primary diseases as an alternative or popular medicine. In Brazil, the Health Minister introduced a national politic for the phytotherapy use in the Single Health System (SUS). Due to that, <em>Bidenspilosa</em> L. (Asteraceae) was chosen because it is one of the medicinal plants present in the Single Health System list, called RENISUS. <em>Bidens pilosa</em> L. is a popular plant used in the treatment of different diseases (malaria, cancer tumors, fever, diabetes, infections, inflammations, angina, etc.) and is widely disseminated throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The biological activities of the plant are attributed to the presence of flavonoids, polyacetylenes and terpenes. Therefore, this study evaluated the biological activities of the oil extraction using supercritical CO₂ at different pressure and temperature conditions, due to the scarcity of studies comparing supercritical fluid extraction to conventional techniques (Soxhlet and maceration). The experimental procedure used 8 g of previously dried and milled leaves at different conditions according to an experimental design (150 bar - 60 °C; 179 bar - 46 °C; 179 bar - 74 °C; 250 bar - 40 °C; 250 bar - 80 °C; 321 bar - 46 °C; 321 bar - 74 °C, 350 bar - 60 °C, 250 bar - 60 °C). According to the results, the best yield was 0.082 % (6.6 mg) at 321 bar and 74 °C. The analyses of the experiments done at 321 bar at 74 °C and 250 bar at 40 °C, showed ultraviolet spectra characteristic of terpenes. The extracts analyzed showed promising inhibition in the two tumor cell lines: melanoma, SK-MEL-28 (68 %) and leukemia K562 (90 %), both at a concentration of 150 μg/mL. The results suggested the importance of the bioactive components from <em>Bidens pilosa</em> to contribute to a new anticancer drug using supercritical technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15136,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100641"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144280186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Resolving taxonomic complexities in medicinal Aralia: Genome-scale phylogeny and super-barcoding advance species identification and conservation","authors":"Yanan Cao ,&nbsp;Menghao Wang ,&nbsp;Jiamei Li ,&nbsp;Ying Yang ,&nbsp;Hao Wang ,&nbsp;Yanyan Liu ,&nbsp;Hongwei Wang ,&nbsp;Risong Na","doi":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100643","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100643","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Aralia</em> section <em>Dimorphanthus</em> represents the largest section in Araliaceae and has been employed in East Asian traditional medicine for centuries. However, the morphological complexity and the prevalence of hybridization/introgression posed a great challenge for accurate species identification, thereby hindering the development, conservation and application of these medicinal plants. In this study, we employed sequences of hundreds of nuclear loci and the complete plastomes to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships, and evaluated the effectiveness of 12 distinct barcode systems for distinguishing Chinese species of <em>Aralia</em> sect. <em>Dimorphanthus</em>. We found that plastome length, gene content, and order of these species were highly conserved, while the inverted repeat regions showed variability between temperate and tropical/subtropical lineages, providing novel markers for geographical traceability. Phylogenetic relationships constructed based on the genome-scale data confirmed that Chinese <em>Aralia</em> sect. <em>Dimorphanthus</em> was monophyletic and comprised three well-supported lineages. Incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization were identified as the main factors contributing to the phylogenetic conflicts among trees. Species discrimination analysis revealed that super-barcoding strategies integrating complete plastomes and nrDNA sequences, achieved a 92 % species identification accuracy among the 14 studied species of <em>Aralia</em> sect. <em>Dimorphanthus</em>, outperforming standard barcodes. While this system resolved most taxonomic ambiguities, the inclusion of universal nuclear markers is crucial to resolve ambiguities in highly variable taxa like <em>A. elata</em>. These advancements directly support industrial needs for reliable species authentication and biodiversity conservation in pharmacologically important species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15136,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100643"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144306654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Xenia effect enhance pod and seed quality in Gleditsia sinensis","authors":"Qingying Zeng ,&nbsp;Yang Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiurong Wang ,&nbsp;Meixuan Xie ,&nbsp;Fuhua Liu ,&nbsp;Xingfu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Gleditsia sinensis</em> is a tree species with high economic value, but the pairing of male and female trees is often overlooked in its cultivation practices. The fruit quality of <em>G. sinensis</em> under natural pollination tends to be inconsistent, resulting in lower economic value. Therefore, understanding the xenia effects of <em>G. sinensis</em> on fruit and seed quality is crucial for improving their overall quality. In this study, The <em>G. sinensis</em> as the female parent and <em>Gleditsia japonica var. delavayi</em>, <em>Gleditsia japonica</em>, <em>G. sinensis</em>, and <em>Gleditsia fera</em> as male parents for hybridization. By observing and comparing the inflorescence characteristics of different male parents, as well as the fruit set rates, pod phenotypes, and seed yield under various pollination combinations, we found that artificial pollination significantly increased the yield of pods and seeds, and distinct xenia effects were observed in the fruits and seeds of <em>G. sinensis</em>. Through comprehensive evaluation, <em>G. fera</em> was identified as the optimal pollen source for interspecific hybridization with <em>G. sinensis</em>, significantly increasing fruit set rate, saponin content, and seed yield. Pollination with <em>G. japonica</em> resulted in a higher seed abortion rate and poorer seed quality, but significantly increased the amino acid and starch content in the pods. <em>G. delavayi</em> pollen is more inclined to produce high-quality seeds. These findings provide valuable insights for the selection of <em>G. sinensis</em> pollinating trees and the improvement of <em>G. sinensis</em> fruit quality.</div></div><div><h3>Data availability</h3><div>All data generated in this study are presented within the manuscript. Further information and requests could be directed to the lead contact, Prof. Yang Zhao ([email protected])</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15136,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100644"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144502269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of the quality of plant material in commercial products of ground ivy herb (Glechomae hederaceae herba)","authors":"Karolina Grabowska,&nbsp;Weronika Ziółkowska-Żygas,&nbsp;Agnieszka Galanty,&nbsp;Dagmara Wróbel-Biedrawa,&nbsp;Irma Podolak","doi":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>G. hederacea</em> has a well-established position in traditional medicinal systems of Europe and Asia. Despite the significant increase in the number of products based on this plant on the European market, there is as yet no European Pharmacopoeia monograph on <em>Glechomae herba,</em> therefore legally binding quality standards of medical-grade ground ivy herb in member states that ratified Convention on the elaboration of a European Pharmacopoeia. This study aimed to investigate differences in the quality of the commercially available single-herb loose <em>G. hederacea</em> products in the aspects of authentication, purity of plant material and content of bioactive substances. As the therapeutic potential of <em>G. hederacea</em> is related to the presence of phenolic compounds, the study on qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenolics by HPLC method was performed. The analysis revealed significant differences in the quality of ground ivy plant material, in terms of the content of bioactive compounds. The determined levels of rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid and rutin in the products ranged from 0.10 to 4.55 mg/g DW; 0.18–1.57 mg/g DW; 0.02–1.28 mg/g DW; to 6.01 mg/g DW, respectively. Additionally, the products varied significantly in the sum of determined polyphenols (1.5 – 7.16 mg/g DW). The findings highlight the need to establish the standards and requirements for bioactive phenolic content to ensure high-quality plant material with significant medicinal value. Additionally, our study suggests that rosmarinic acid, rutin, chlorogenic acid, and the total polyphenol content could serve as quality markers for <em>Glechomae hederaceae herba</em> in pro-health applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15136,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100634"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of Dendrobium officinale species and authentication of commercial products by DNA barcoding and high-resolution melting analysis","authors":"Zhilong He ,&nbsp;Zhao Yang ,&nbsp;Cui Dong ,&nbsp;Shanshan Yan ,&nbsp;Jing Lin ,&nbsp;Hexigeduleng Bao ,&nbsp;Fan Tang ,&nbsp;Leilei Zhang ,&nbsp;Cheng Zhu ,&nbsp;Yan Hu ,&nbsp;Yanfei Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100633","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100633","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Dendrobium officinale</em> is widely used as a precious traditional medicinal plant and health food in China. However, because of its high nutritional and medicinal value, it is often targeted for adulteration or mislabeling. This work aims to exploit DNA barcoding combined with high-resolution melting analysis to differentiate <em>Dendrobium officinale</em><strong>（</strong><em>D. officinale</em>）species from non-<em>D. officinale</em> species and to further identify its botanical origin. The internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) was targeted as a candidate barcode for <em>Dendrobium</em> species identification. High resolution melting（HRM）method allowed differentiating the six <em>Dendrobium</em> species in three clusters with 95 % confidence interval, which is consistent with the sequencing analysis. ITS2 sequencing results implied that 43 % of commercial <em>Dendrobium</em> products may be mislabeled. Thus, ITS2 DNA barcoding with HRM assay could be used as a simple, specific and cost-effective tool to identify different <em>Dendrobium</em> species and commercial <em>Dendrobium</em> products, and to authenticate the origin of <em>D. officinale.</em></div></div>","PeriodicalId":15136,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100633"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Accurate and intelligent quantification of adulterated Angelicae Sinensis Radix by a novel ensemble method with near-infrared spectroscopy","authors":"Xihui Bian ,&nbsp;Yuxia Liu ,&nbsp;Jiaqi Xie ,&nbsp;Chunyan Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiaoyao Tan ,&nbsp;Weilu Tian","doi":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100640","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100640","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integrity and authenticity of Chinese medicinal materials are essential for ensuring the efficacy of medicines and safety of patients. <em>Angelicae Sinensis Radix</em> (ASR), a highly valued traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is often substituted or mixed with lower-cost alternatives. In this study, a novel method was proposed for the quantification of adulterated ASR using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics. Binary and ternary adulterated ASR samples were prepared by mixing ASR with <em>Angelicae Pubescentis Radix</em> (APR) and <em>Chuanxiong Rhizoma</em> (CR), and their NIR spectra were measured in the range of 1000–1800 nm. Sample subsets were initially selected using Monte Carlo (MC) sampling, followed by the application of whale optimization algorithm (WOA) to select variables and establish an extreme learning machine (ELM) model, referred to as MC-WOA-ELM. The iteration number and percentage of training subsets for MC-WOA-ELM were optimized to further improve the predictive performance of model. The predictive ability of the proposed method was compared with partial least squares (PLS), ELM and WOA-ELM for both binary and ternary adulterated ASR samples. The results indicate that MC-WOA-ELM achieves the highest prediction accuracy. Therefore, the proposed method is rapid and intelligent for the quantification of adulterated ASR samples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15136,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100640"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143935039","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heavy metal pollution in Iranian medicinal plants, a review of sources, distribution, and health implications","authors":"Farzaneh Mirzabayati,&nbsp;Amir Hossein Hamidian","doi":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100637","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100637","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental pollution, particularly with heavy metals, is a critical issue in assessing the quality of medicinal plants. The concentration of heavy metals in these plants depends on factors such as growth environment, species, and processing methods. Contaminants absorbed by plants can enter the human body through consumption. This review examines the impact of heavy metals—cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni)—on medicinal plants in Iran. It explores how environmental contamination affects plant quality and analyzes trends in measurement techniques and metal concentrations over time. Results show that Cd has the most significant negative impact on plant growth (63 %), followed by Pb (21 %), Cr (11 %), and Zn (5 %). Cd exceeded WHO limits in 47 % of samples, while Pb and Zn exceeded limits in 26 % and 20 %, respectively. Cd and Pb also significantly reduced germination rates. Contamination with Cd and Pb poses serious health risks, including kidney damage, bone disorders, cancer, neurological issues, and reproductive harm. Strict quality control, sustainable farming, and public awareness are essential to mitigate these risks. This study highlights the need for further research, particularly in industrial regions like Tehran, Khuzestan, Isfahan, and Fars, to ensure the safety of medicinal plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15136,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100637"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143923321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of three extraction methods for ginger leaf polysaccharide: Chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and hypolipidemic effects","authors":"Zhong-hao Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhong-hua Zhao ,&nbsp;Tian-yi Cao ,&nbsp;Cai-rong Yang ,&nbsp;Zi-zhong Tang ,&nbsp;Shi-ling Feng ,&nbsp;Shu Yuan ,&nbsp;Sheng-lin Hu ,&nbsp;Ming Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ginger leaves are often discarded in agriculture, exacerbating continuous cropping obstacles. Polysaccharide, due to their low toxicity and diverse bioactivities, have garnered considerable interest. To isolate ginger leaf polysaccharide (GLP), we compared three extraction methods: hot water extraction, ultrasonic-assisted hot water extraction, and ultrasonic-assisted aqueous two-phase system extraction. Response surface methodology optimization revealed ultrasonic-assisted hot water extraction as the most efficient method, achieving a yield of 9.31 % under a liquid-solid ratio of 30 mL/g and an ultrasonic power of 150 W at 65 ℃ for 22 min. Polysaccharide from different extraction methods showed difference in monosaccharide composition and molecular weight. The ginger leaf polysaccharide demonstrated strong antioxidant <em>in vitro</em> and hypolipidemic activities in <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em>, and that from the ultrasonic-assisted hot water method showed the highest bioactivity. These findings highlight ultrasonic-assisted hot water extraction as the optimal method for efficient extraction of GLP and discover GLP’s potential for pharmaceutical and functional food applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15136,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100639"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does the exogenous application of brassinosteroids affect the photosynthetic, morphological characteristics, and THC concentrations of Cannabis sativa L. under drought stress?","authors":"Shiva Barooti ,&nbsp;Mohsen Edalat ,&nbsp;Mostafa Oveisi ,&nbsp;Seyed Abdolreza Kazemeini ,&nbsp;Ruhollah Naderi","doi":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100635","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jarmap.2025.100635","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought stress represents a significant constraint on the productivity of crops globally. The application of plant growth regulators, particularly brassinosteroids (BRs), has demonstrated potential in enhancing plant tolerance to drought conditions. This study aimed to examine the effects of exogenous BR application on the photosynthetic and morphological characteristics, as well as the concentrations of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in <em>Cannabis sativa</em> subjected to drought stress. A split-plot experimental design was implemented over two growing seasons, with the primary factor being the planting date (May 20, June 5, June 20) and the secondary factor being the irrigation level (80–100 %, 50–60 %, and 30–40 % of field capacity). Exogenous BR treatments (0, 200, and 400 μg/L) were applied as the tertiary factor. The results indicated that drought stress significantly diminished photosynthetic efficiency, plant growth, and THC concentrations in <em>C. sativa</em>. Conversely, the exogenous application of BRs alleviated the adverse effects of drought, leading to enhanced photosynthetic performance, improved morphological traits, and increased THC levels compared to drought-stressed plants that did not receive BR treatment. These findings suggest that the exogenous application of BRs may serve as a promising strategy to improve drought tolerance and the medicinal properties of <em>C. sativa</em>. The study offers valuable insights into the role of plant growth regulators in modulating the physiological and biochemical responses of this important medicinal plant under conditions of water limitation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15136,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100635"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}