Chen Zhi Lin, Du Hong Zhi, Wang Jian Ke, Lin Chang, Liang Shan Shan, Ze Wei Wei, Yue Chong Xin, Feng Ting Ting, Li Wei
School of Pharmacy, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, 550025, People's Republic of China.
Int Microbiol. 2025 Aug 7. doi: 10.1007/s10123-025-00700-4.
Salvia miltiorrhiza is a widely used medicinal plant, and post-harvest processing methods such as sweating may influence its metabolite composition and microbial interactions. However, the metabolic and microbial changes induced by sweating remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate how sweating affects the metabolite profile of S. miltiorrhiza and its associated bacterial communities, with a focus on identifying key metabolic shifts and microbial dynamics. Widely targeted metabolomics was employed to compare the composition and relative content of metabolites between control (non-sweated) and sweated S. miltiorrhiza plants. Additionally, high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze variations in bacterial communities at different sweating stages. A total of 435 differentially present metabolites were identified, categorized into 11 classes, with quinones, phenolic acids, and lipids being the most prominent. Sweating significantly increased microbial diversity and richness, and we established a correlation between the accumulation of quinones and phenolic acids and shifts in bacterial community structure. Notably, sweating enhanced the levels of key metabolites, which in turn promoted the relative abundance of potentially beneficial microorganisms. Furthermore, distinct bacterial populations at different sweating stages contributed to the unique quality traits of S. miltiorrhiza. The findings demonstrate that sweating not only alters the metabolite profile of S. miltiorrhiza but also shapes its associated bacterial communities, leading to improved accumulation of bioactive compounds.
丹参是一种广泛使用的药用植物，发汗等采后加工方法可能会影响其代谢物组成和微生物相互作用。然而，发汗引起的代谢和微生物变化仍知之甚少。本研究旨在探讨发汗如何影响丹参的代谢物谱及其相关细菌群落，重点是确定关键的代谢变化和微生物动态。采用广泛靶向代谢组学比较对照（未发汗）和发汗丹参植株之间代谢物的组成和相对含量。此外，利用高通量测序分析不同发汗阶段细菌群落的变化。共鉴定出435种差异存在的代谢物，分为11类，其中醌类、酚酸类和脂质类最为突出。发汗显著增加了微生物多样性和丰富度，并且我们建立了醌类和酚酸类的积累与细菌群落结构变化之间的相关性。值得注意的是，发汗提高了关键代谢物的水平，进而促进了潜在有益微生物的相对丰度。此外，不同发汗阶段独特的细菌种群促成了丹参独特的品质特征。研究结果表明，发汗不仅改变了丹参的代谢物谱，还塑造了其相关细菌群落，从而导致生物活性化合物积累增加。
