Sharen (Amomum villosum) is one of the "Four Major Southern Medicines" in China, possessing effects of promoting digestion, warming the spleen, stopping diarrhea, and calming the fetus, and is clinically mainly used for treating gastrointestinal diseases. In the Zhōngguó Yàodiǎn (Chinese Pharmacopoeia), there are three plant sources for authentic Amomum villosum, including Wurfbainia villosa, Wurfbainia villosa var. Xanthioides and Wurfbainia longiligularis. Among them, the quality of Wurfbainia villosa is the best, followed by Wurfbainia longiligularis, and Wurfbainia villosa var. Xanthioides is mainly cultivated in Southeast Asia. 

 

Therefore, studying the biosynthesis of volatile terpenoids in Amomum villosum, elucidating the genetic basis underlying the differences in volatile terpenoids from different plant sources, is of great significance for improving the quality and genetic modification of Amomum villosum.

 

Recently, Plant Physiology published an online research paper entitled “Comparison of Fructus Amomi genomes reveals the genetic basis of volatile terpenoids divergence and bornyl diphosphate synthase evolution”. The research group assembled a high-quality chromosomal level genome of Wurfbainia longiligularis, and compared it with the Wurfbainia villosa genome previously assembled by the project team, elucidating the genetic basis underlying the differences in volatile terpenoids between them. This study have provided important genetic resources for future quality improvement of sandalwood through genetic engineering.