Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2025

Investigation of Xenobiotics Metabolism In Salix alba Leaves via Mass Spectrometry Imaging
Published on: June 15, 2020
The biology of medicinal resource substitution in Salvia
Ning Cui1,2, Tiezhu Chen3, Baosheng Liao1,4
1Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Background:
The decrease of wild reserves and the sharp increase of market demand have led to resource substitution, but it is still not clear how to discover medicinal alternative resources. Here we reveal the biology of medicinal resource substitution in the case of Salvia.
Methods:
A hypothesis was put forward that phylogeny and ecology were the main factors which determined alternative species selection. Phylogenetic analysis was performed based on chloroplast genomes. Spatial climatic pattern was assessed through three mathematical models.
Results:
Salvia miltiorrhiza and alternative species were mainly located in Clade 3 in topology, and their growth environment was clustered into an independent group 3 inferred from principal component analysis. Correlation and Maxent major climate factor analyses showed that the ecological variations within each lineage were significantly smaller than the overall divergent between any two lineages. Mantel test reconfirmed the inalienability between phylogeny and ecology (P = 0.002). Only the species that are genetically and ecologically related to S. miltiorrhiza can form a cluster with it.
Conclusions:
Phylogenetic relationship and geographical climate work together to determine which species has the potential to be selected as substitutes. Other medicinal plants can learn from this biology towards developing alternative resources.
Related Concept Videos
Responses to Salt Stress
Drug Biotransformation: Overview
Biodiversity and Human Values
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Drug Elimination: Non-Renal Routes
Bioequivalence studies: Biowaivers

