College of Landscape and Architecture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China.
Fujian Academy of Forestry Sciences, Fuzhou, 350012, Fujian, China.
Mol Biol Rep. 2023 Aug;50(8):6851-6861. doi: 10.1007/s11033-023-08613-z. Epub 2023 Jul 1.
Gardenia jasminoides Ellis is a perennial evergreen shrub of G. jasminoides of Rubiaceae. Geniposide and Crocin are important components in the fruit of G. jasminoides. In addition to being used as medicinal materials, they are also widely used in food, medicine, cosmetics, and other fields. They have high medicinal value, economic value, and ornamental value. However, at present, the utilization rate of G. jasminoides resources is low, mainly focused on germplasm cultivation, primary processing, and clinical pharmacology, and there are few studies on the quality of Gardenia fruit.
Based on transcriptome sequencing and metabolic group analysis, the morphological and structural changes of Gardenia fruit with young fruit, middle fruit, and ripe fruit were analyzed, and the formation mechanism and content changes of Geniposide and Crocin in Gardenia fruit were studied. The content of Geniposide decreased with the development of fruit, so did the expression of the main structural gene GES, G10H, and IS in its synthesis pathway, while the content of Crocin increased with the development of fruit, and the expression of the main structural gene CCD, ALDH, and UGT in its synthesis pathway also increased. The relationship between the morphological structure of G. jasminoides and the accumulation of Geniposide and Crocin was summarized.
This study not only provides a theoretical basis for the mining and utilization of Geniposide and Crocin, but also provides a theoretical basis for genetic background for the identification and cloning of bioactive substances in gardenia fruit in future. At the same time, it provides support for increasing the dual-use value of G. jasminoides and breeding excellent germplasm resources.
栀子（Gardenia jasminoides Ellis）是茜草科栀子属植物栀子的常绿灌木。栀子中的京尼平苷和藏红花酸是其果实的重要成分。除了作为药材外，它们还广泛应用于食品、医药、化妆品等领域，具有较高的药用价值、经济价值和观赏价值。但目前栀子资源利用率低，主要集中在种质资源培育、初级加工和临床药理学方面，对栀子果实质量的研究较少。
基于转录组测序和代谢组分析，分析了栀子幼果、中果和熟果的形态和结构变化，研究了京尼平苷和藏红花酸在栀子果实中的形成机制和含量变化。随着果实的发育，京尼平苷的含量降低，其合成途径中的主要结构基因 GES、G10H 和 IS 的表达也降低，而藏红花酸的含量随着果实的发育而增加，其合成途径中的主要结构基因 CCD、ALDH 和 UGT 的表达也增加。总结了栀子形态结构与京尼平苷和藏红花酸积累的关系。
本研究不仅为京尼平苷和藏红花酸的挖掘和利用提供了理论依据，也为未来栀子果实中生物活性物质的鉴定和克隆提供了遗传背景的理论依据。同时，为提高栀子两用价值和选育优良种质资源提供了支持。
