Environmental influences on the accumulation of medicinal active components and metabolites of Plantago asiatica L. seeds from different cultivation sites

Introduction Soil nutrients and climate critically regulate the accumulation of bioactive components in Plantago asiatica L. seeds, but their regulatory mechanisms are still unclear. Thus, this study aims to explore the regulatory roles of these factors in Plantago asiatica L. seeds. Method A combination of multiple techniques including High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) was employed to study the regulatory effects of soil nutrients and climate on the growth of Plantago asiatica L. seeds from Jiangxi and Sichuan provinces. Result Notably, the key anti-inflammatory components, geniposidic acid and acteoside, were significantly more abundant in seeds from Jiangxi, which supports the recognition that Jiangxi-sourced Plantago asiatica L. seeds have “superior medicinal quality”. Specifically, the high temperature, abundant precipitation, and soil rich in available phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in Jiangxi may upregulate lipid metabolism through the linoleic acid pathway. In contrast, the mild climate, significant seasonal variation in precipitation, and soil characterized by high available boron (B), exchangeable magnesium (Mg), and slight alkalinity in Sichuan may upregulate terpenoids metabolism through the retinoid metabolism and transport pathway, as well as the accumulation of specific volatiles including (-)-camphene and (Z)-carveol. Conclusion Collectively, these soil and climate factors synergistically shape the differences in metabolomic profiles and medicinal quality of Plantago asiatica L. seeds. This study provides a theoretical basis for screening high-quality production areas and formulating standardized cultivation strategies.