Soil microbes and medical metabolites of Artemisia annua L. along altitudinal gradient in Guizhou Karst terrains of China

• Published in: Journal of plant interactions Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 167 - 176
• Main Authors: Luo, Shi-qiong, Zhao, Cheng, Yang, Zhan-nan, Hu, Juan, Di, Sheng-juan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Taylor & Francis 01.01.2019; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Altitude; Artemisia annua; Artemisinin; Concentration gradient; diversities; Fatty acids; interactions; Karst; Linkages; Metabolites; Microorganisms; Phenols; Phospholipids; phospholipids fatty acids (PLFAs); plant medical metabolites; Plant-soil-microbe ecosystem; Soil investigations; Soil microorganisms; Soils; China
• ISSN: 1742-9145; 1742-9153
• DOI: 10.1080/17429145.2019.1602886

Soil microbes play important roles in biochemical processes in the plant-soil-microbe ecosystem. However, the associations between soil microbes and herbal plants mediated by plant medical metabolites are poorly understood. We investigated the linkages of soil microbial biomass (SMB) and diversity based on an analysis of the phospholipid fatty acids and medical metabolites of Artemisia annua at 18 sites (54 plots) at altitudes ranging from 420 to 1420 m altitude in the Guizhou karst terrain of China. We found that the SMB and its diversity significantly linearly increased along the altitude gradient. The artemisinin concentration (0.54-20.82 g/kg) significantly linearly increased with increasing altitude. The artemisic acid concentration and total phenolics significantly linearly decreased with increasing altitude. SMB was significantly positively correlated to artemisinin and negatively correlated with total phenolics. Our results provide basic data regarding the linkages between soil microbes and A. annua medical metabolites, and provide an insight into their interactions.