# Transcriptomic analysis reveals effects of fertilization towards growth and quality of Fritillariae thunbergii bulbus

## TL;DR

This study explores how different fertilizers affect the growth and quality of Fritillariae thunbergii, a medicinal plant, and identifies key genes involved in alkaloid production.

## Contribution

The study identifies optimal fertilization practices and key genes related to steroidal alkaloid accumulation in Fritillariae thunbergii.

## Key findings

- Organic fertilizer application resulted in the highest peimine and peiminine content and yield.
- Transcriptome analysis suggests ABA signaling pathway up-regulation promotes bulb yield.
- Putative key genes responsible for steroidal alkaloid accumulation were identified.

## Abstract

Fritillariae thunbergii Bulbus (FTB) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely cultivated for its expectorant, antitussive, antiasthmatic, antiviral, and anticancer properties. The yield and quality of F. thunbergii are influenced by cultivation conditions, such as the use of fertilizers. However, the optimal type of fertilizers for maximum quality and yield and underlying mechanisms are not clear. We collected F. thunbergii using raw chicken manure (RC), organic fertilizer (OF), and plant ash (PA) as the base fertilizer in Pan’an County, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province as experimental materials. The combined results of HPLC-ELSD detection and yield statistics showed that the F. thunbergii with OF application was the best, with the content of peimine and peiminine reaching 0.0603% and 0.0502%, respectively. In addition, the yield was 2.70 kg/m2. Transcriptome analysis indicated that up-regulation of the ABA signaling pathway might promote bulb yield. Furthermore, putative key genes responsible for steroidal alkaloid accumulation were identified. These results provided guiding significance for the rational fertilization conditions of F. thunbergii as well as the basis for the exploration of functional genes related to the alkaloid biosynthesis pathway.