Effects Of Ecological Factors On The Growth And Development Of Epimediumkoreanum Nakai And The Medicinal Material Quality

Epimedium koreanum Nakai is a perennial herb of the Berberidaceae family,mainly distributed in northeast China.Its dry leaves have been used as an important resource of traditional Chinese medicine Herba Epimedii(Horny Goat Weed).In recent years,withthe extensive use of Epimedium koreanum Nakai and the development of commercialwoodland,the ecological environmental of its wild populations and communitieshas been severely damaged,and it will take a long time for its population to recover and regenerate.At present,Epimedium koreanum Nakai has not been artificiallygrown on large scale,and the wild resources remain the major source of market supply.The herb is distributed in vastly diverse habitats,resultingin significant variations in the quality of medicinal plant materials.Therefore,this study was designed to investigate the influence of ecological factors on the growth and quality of E.koreanum and explore the leading ecological factor.This is of great practical significancefor promoting both wild and artificial cultivation of E.koreanum,preserving wild resources,and achieving the sustainable use of resources.In this study,the wild E.koreanum Tonghua,Ji'an,Baishan,Fusong,Linjiang,Dunhua and other counties and cities in Jilin Province were taken as the subjects.Local E.koreanum plantsand soil samples were collected,relevant ecological and environmental indicatorswere observed,and multiple Statistical analysis methods were combined to compare the growth and quality of E.koreanum in different habitatsand months.The effects of ecological factors on the growth and quality of E.koreanum were discussed in depth.The main results were concluded as follows:1.The growth of E.koreanum in different habitats in the same regioncould be ranked in the descending order: secondary mixed wood forest >Mongolianoakforest >pine forest.Light transmittance had an important influence on the growth and development of E.koreanum.The growth of E.koreanum was generally the best in Tonghuaand Ji'anamong different regions.The plant height,stem thickness,and stem/leaf biomass of E.koreanum showed a slow increase in May and June,a rapid increase from June to August,and tended to be stable in August and September.The root biomass showed a slow increase from May to July and asignificant increase from July to September.2.The contents of icariin and total flavonoids found in E.koreanum in different habitatscould be could be ranked in the descending order: secondary mixed wood forest> Mongolian oak forest> pine forest.In the same habitat,the contents of icariin and total flavonoids found in different parts of the plantcould be ranked in the descending order: leaf >rhizome >stem.The content of Epimedin Cwas higher in rhizomes.The content of icariin relatively peaked in May and August.3.The regression coefficients and VIP weighting values of the climatic factors and the chemical composition of E.koreanum,through partial least squares analysis,showed thatin the early growth and developmentperiod of E.koreanum in May,the chemical composition was significantlyrelated to sunshine hours;from June to August,the content of icariin was significantlyrelated to temperature,while that of total flavonoids was significantlyrelated tosunshine hours;in September,the chemicalcomposition of E.koreanum was significantlyrelated toprecipitation.Moderately shaded,warm and humid environment is conducive to the synthesis and accumulation of chemical componentsin E.koreanum.4.E.koreanum is suitable for growth in weakly acidic soil.Organic matter has a significant promoting effect on epimedium A and B.Iron and manganese in the soil have an promoting effect on epimedium C.Inorganic elements copper,zinc,manganese,calcium have an effect on Icariin has a promoting effect,and the potassium content in the soil can promote the accumulation of total flavonoids.Other soil elements have an effect on the chemical composition of Epimedium koreanum through the interaction between various factors.The soil ecological factors are more complex and need to pass a controlled test The study further explained the effect of soil elements on the chemical composition of E.koreanum.5.The study of the potential geographic distribution of E.koreanum under different climate change scenarios based on the Max Ent modelshowed that the highly suitable habitats for E.koreanum are mainly concentrated in Tonghua and Ji'an in southern Jilin Province.This finding is consistentwith the results from studies comparing differences in chemical composition in different regions,which confirmsthe optimal quality of medicinalmaterialsin Tonghua and Ji'an.The dominant environmental factors affecting the distribution of E.koreanum are precipitation and temperature,and the future climate changeswill have little impact.