Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2018, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (3): 293-304.DOI: 10.11983/CBB18081

Special Issue: 药用植物专辑 (2018年53卷3期)

• INVITED REVIEWS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Research Progress of the Correlation Between Growth Development and Dynamic Accumulation of the Effective Components in Medicinal Plants

Yanqun Li1,2,3, Hong Wu1,2,3*   

  1. 1State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China;
    2Guangdong Technology Research Center for Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and Natural Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China;
    3Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
  • Received:2018-03-31 Accepted:2018-05-07 Online:2018-05-01 Published:2018-06-01
  • Contact: Hong Wu

Abstract: The active ingredients of medicinal plants are the material basis of their clinical curative effects. They are also important indicators for evaluating the quality of medicinal materials. The synthesis and distribution of these active components show specific patterns depending on the genus, organ, tissue and growth period of the medicinal plant. Elucidating the dynamic accumulation and formation mechanisms of the active components in medicinal plants bears guiding significance for the quality control of medicinal materials and the improvement of clinical curative effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In this review, we have summarized recent progresses regarding how different growth stages affect the synthesis and accumulation of effective components in different parts (root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit and seed) of medicinal plants. We also provide an outlook on the research methods applied for the synthesis and accumulation mechanisms of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. This study provides a theoretical basis for the regulation of secondary substance synthesis in production practices, the rational utilization of medicinal plants and the quality improvement of Chinese medicinal herbs.