Structure and Function of Bacterial Microbiota in Eucommia ulmoides Bark

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Pharmacognosy
• Genomics

Background:

• Eucommia ulmoides bark is a traditional Chinese medicine with valuable bioactive compounds.
• Understanding its microbial community is crucial for quality control and potential biotechnological applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the bacterial community composition and core microbiota functions in Eucommia ulmoides bark.
• To identify key bacterial taxa and their metabolic potentials.
• To establish a scientific basis for genuineness markers and improving medicinal ingredient content.

Main Methods:

• High-throughput sequencing was employed to analyze bacterial communities from E. ulmoides bark samples collected from three distinct regions in China.
• Bacterial community composition, core microbiota identification, and functional prediction using FAPROTAX were performed.

Main Results:

• The bacterial community comprised 9 phyla, 11 classes, 22 orders, 28 families, 31 genera, and 37 OTUs.
• An unclassified genus of Cyanobacteria dominated (97.01% relative abundance).
• The core microbiota included unclassified Cyanobacteria, unclassified Mitochondria, Pseudomonas, Sphingobium, Rhizobium, Novosphingobium, Enterobacter, Rhodococcus, Curtobacterium, and Ralstonia, with potential for photoautotrophy and chemoheterotrophy.

Conclusions:

• The study identified the core bacterial microbiota of Eucommia ulmoides bark and predicted its functional roles, particularly in photoautotrophy and chemoheterotrophy.
• The identified core microbiota taxa are linked to pharmacologically active ingredients, providing a basis for genuineness markers.
• This research supports microbial technology for enhancing the medicinal properties of E. ulmoides.