New Insights into the Impact of Ecological Factor on Bioactivities and Phytochemical Composition of Paeonia veitchii.

Paeonia veitchii has been widely distributed in China under different ecological types. Its roots contain diverse phytochemical constituents, which possess very high bioactivities. However, the influence of ecological factors on activities and ingredients of P. veitchii roots still remains unknown. The purpose of this research was to analyze the variation in bioactivities and phytochemical composition of P. veitchii roots upon exposure to various ecological factors. Seven P. veitchii populations collected from different regions in China were evaluated. The results of correlation analysis suggested that four major ecological factors, including average annual temperature, elevation, total potassium, and organic matter, had a strong correlation with the bioactivities of P. veitchii roots. Further, the major ecological factors were also highly correlated with the contents of naringin, gallic acid, benzoylpaeoniflorin, and paeoniflorin. The principal component analysis results supported four major metabolites as the main contributing ingredients. All populations were classified into three groups, G1, G2, and G3, through hierarchical cluster analysis. G1 showed more significant advantages in the above-mentioned four ecological factors, four active ingredients, and bioactivities compared to the other two groups. P. veitchii roots growing at lower average annual temperature, high elevation, rich total potassium and organic matter in the soils were presumed to have relatively higher bioactivities. These data expand the study on the bioactivities and phytochemical composition of P. veitchii roots and have a guiding significance for the ecological factor selection during the cultivation process of this herbaceous peony species.