Complete plastome sequence of Acorus tatarinowii (Acoraceae), a traditional Chinese medicinal plant from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China

Acorusshannai (Acoraceae), a new species from Southern China

Acorusshannai (Acoraceae) is a commonly used seasoning in southern China. It was previously misidentified as A.macrospadiceus (Yamam.) F. N. Wei & Y. K. Li before. Through comparison of morphological characteristics, distribution locations, and type specimen, we determined that the elevation of A.gramineusvar.macrospadiceus Yamam to species status was incorrect. Therefore, we propose a formal description of a new species following nomenclature regulations. Based on morphological and plastid genomic data, this study formally describes and illustrates Acorusshannai, distributed in the Qiandongnan area of Guizhou Province and its surroundings, confirming it as a new species within the genus Acorus. This species is morphologically and phylogenetically distinct from other members of the A.gramineus group. Key distinguishing features include a strong fennel odor (vs. aromatic in "A.tatarinowii" and A.gramineus), fruit with prominent dorsal sutures (vs. inconspicuous dorsal sutures in "A.tatarinowii" and A.gramineus), and a leaf-shaped spathe that is about 2-3 times as long as the spadix (vs. more than 3 times in "A.tatarinowii"). Phylogenetic analysis showed that A.shannai is closely related to the other species in the A.gramineus group. The recognition of A.shannai is not only important for the species diversity and phylogenetic relationship of Acorus, but also can avoid the drug safety caused by using other Acorus species as A.shannai to eat and promote the conservation of A.shannai resources.

Multi-Chromosomal mitochondrial genome of medicinal plant Acorus tatarinowii (Acoraceae): Firstly reported from Acorales Order

Acorus tatarinowii Schott (A. tatarinowii), a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal plant renowned for its high medicinal value, but its mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) is still unexplored. In this study, we meticulously assembled the complete mitochondrial genome of A. tatarinowii using a combination of Illumina short reads and Oxford Nanopore long reads. Our findings revealed that A. tatarinowii possesses a complex chromosomal structural mitogenome, comprising two linear chromosomes and seven circular chromosomes. This mitogenome spans 1.81 Mb in length with a GC content of 38.29 %. Notably, it contained 24 unique mitochondrial core genes, seven unique variable genes, 17 tRNA genes, and three rRNA genes. Analyses of codon usage, most protein-coding genes (PCGs) exhibited a common codon usage preference, with RSCU values greater than 1, and the codon with the highest RSCU value was UAA(End, 1.90). We conducted a thorough analysis of repeat sequences, the distribution of repetitive sequences in nine mitochondrial chromosomes showed distinct patterns. Moreover, we identified 82 and 12 homologous fragments by comparing the sequences of chloroplast and nuclear genomes to the A. tatarinowii mitogenome, respectively. Lastly, We predicted a total of 234 potential RNA editing sites in 28 unique PCGs and discovered that the nad4 gene has been edited the most often, at 26 times. Our results contribute to the enrichment of mitochondrial genome resources for Acoraceae, and the mitogenome also can be used as a reference for other species.

Advances in extraction methods, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, molecular targets and toxicology of volatile oil from Acorus calamus var. angustatus Besser

Acorus calamus var. angustatus Besser (ATT) is a traditional herb with a long medicinal history. The volatile oil of ATT (VOA) does possess many pharmacological activities. It can restore the vitality of the brain, nervous system and myocardial cells. It is used to treat various central system, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. It also showed antibacterial and antioxidant activity. Many studies have explored the benefits of VOA scientifically. This paper reviews the extraction methods, chemical components, pharmacological activities and toxicology of VOA. The molecular mechanism of VOA was elucidated. This paper will serve as a comprehensive resource for further carrying the VOA on improving its medicinal value and clinical use.

Uncovering the Protective Mechanism of the Volatile Oil of Acorus tatarinowii against Acute Myocardial Ischemia Injury Using Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation

Acorus tatarinowii is a traditional aromatic resuscitation drug that can be clinically used to prevent cardiovascular diseases. The volatile oil of Acorus tatarinowii (VOA) possesses important medicinal properties, including protection against acute myocardial ischemia (MI) injury. However, the pharmacodynamic material basis and molecular mechanisms underlying this protective effect remain unclear. Using network pharmacology and animal experiments, we studied the mechanisms and pathways implicated in the activity of VOA against acute MI injury. First, VOA was extracted from three batches of Acorus tatarinowii using steam distillation, and then, its chemical composition was determined by GC-MS. Next, the components-targets and protein-protein interaction networks were constructed using systematic network pharmacology. Gene Ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were also conducted in order to predict the possible pharmacodynamic mechanisms. Furthermore, animal experiments including ELISAs, histological examinations, and Western blots were performed in order to validate the pharmacological effects of VOA. In total, 33 chemical components were identified in VOA, and ß-asarone was found to be the most abundant component. Based on network pharmacology analysis, the therapeutic effects of VOA against myocardial ischemia might be mediated by signaling pathways involving COX-2, PPAR-α, VEGF, and cAMP. Overall, the obtained results indicate that VOA alleviates the pathological manifestations of isoproterenol-hydrochloride-induced myocardial ischemia in rats, including the decreased SOD (superoxide dismutase) content and increased LDH (lactic dehydrogenase) content. Moreover, the anti-MI effect of VOA might be attributed to the downregulation of the COX-2 protein that inhibits apoptosis, the upregulation of the PPAR-α protein that regulates energy metabolism, and the activation of VEGF and cAMP signaling pathways.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Acorus tatarinowii (Araceae) from Fujian, China

Acorus tatarinowii is a useful traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and is officially documented in the Chinese Pharmacopeia with the name ‘Shi Chang Pu’. It belongs to the Araceae family and is used for the treatment of dementia, epilepsy, amnesia and insomnia. We resequenced complete chloroplast (cp) genome of A. tatarinowii from Fujian, China. The whole genome was 153,453 bp in length, consisting of a pair of inverted repeats (IR 25,795 bp), a large single-copy region (LSC 83,631 bp), and a small single-copy region (SSC 18,232 bp). The complete genome contained 132 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA, and 8 rRNA genes. The overall GC content of the whole genome was 38.7%. A maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis showed that A. tatarinowii is sister to A. tatarinowii which was collected in Yunnan, China. The complete chloroplast genome of A. tatarinowii will help improve and integrate the existing genome data of monocots and provide insights into the phylogenetic relationship among basal angiosperms, monocots and dicots.