Fritillaria hupehensis cultivated under the canopy of Magnolia officinalis demonstrated superior anti-inflammatory and expectorant effects

  • Phytomedicine. 2026 Jul:156:158261. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2026.158261.
Xiaoyue Wang  1 ,  Yuanyuan Duan  1 ,  Haiyan Wang  1 ,  Rui Zhao  2 ,  Fanfan Wang  1 ,  Tao Tang  1 ,  Qingfang Wang  3 ,  Jingmao You  4
Affiliations
  • 1. Key Laboratory of Biology and Cultivation of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Enshi, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Production for Chinese Herbal Medicines, Institute of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Enshi, China.
  • 2. Key Laboratory of Biology and Cultivation of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Enshi, China.
  • 3. Key Laboratory of Biology and Cultivation of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Enshi, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Production for Chinese Herbal Medicines, Institute of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Enshi, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 4. Key Laboratory of Biology and Cultivation of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Enshi, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Production for Chinese Herbal Medicines, Institute of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Enshi, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 42127598 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2026.158261
Abstract

Background: Fritillaria hupehensis is a medicinal plant used for treating cough and inflammation. Its cultivation under the canopy of Magnolia officinalis (U-F. hupehensis) increases alkaloid content compared to traditionally field-grown cultivation (T-F. hupehensis).

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the superior therapeutic efficacy of U-F. hupehensis against cough and inflammation and to elucidate the role of its rhizosphere Bacterial community in enhancing the accumulatio of key bioactive compounds.

Methods: The anti-inflammatory and expectorant efficacy of U-F. hupehensis was evaluated in animal models (ammonia-induced cough, phenol red excretion, and LPS-induced bronchitis). Network pharmacology and cellular experiments identified the key bioactive compounds. Soil physicochemical properties and 16S rRNA Sequencing were used to analyze the rhizosphere Bacterial community. The relationship between the rhizosphere microbiome and bioactive compound accumulation was analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Results: U-F. hupehensis exhibited significantly stronger anti-inflammatory and expectorant effects than T-F. hupehensis. Hupehenine, peimine, and sipeimine were validated as the primary active components responsible for this enhanced efficacy. Understory cultivation increased rhizosphere microbial diversity. A specific keystone microbial module (Module 1) was identified and shown to directly mediate the accumulation of the bioactive compounds.

Conclusion: The superior anti-inflammatory and expectorant efficacy of understory-cultivated F. hupehensis is driven by a marked increase in the key bioactive Alkaloids (hupehenine, peimine, and sipeimine). Our study identifies a specific rhizosphere microbial community as the pivotal mediator of this enhanced alkaloid accumulation. These results provide a pharmacologically relevant mechanism that explains the differential therapeutic potential of F. hupehensis from distinct cultivation sources.

Keywords
Anti-inflammatory; Bronchitis; Expectorant; Fritillaria hupehensis; Hupehenine; Rhizosphere bacterial community.
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