Blue light boosts key medicinal compounds in Astragalus, study finds: Multi-omics and genetic tools uncover light-driven isoflavonoid biosynthesis
image: A working model illustrating how red and blue light promote isoflavonoid biosynthesis in the roots of A. mongholicus.
Credit: Horticulture Research
Astragalus mongholicus, a cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine, produces isoflavonoids—bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, and antiviral properties. However, the molecular machinery behind their production has remained poorly understood, and the absence of efficient genetic tools has long hindered efforts to enhance yields. A new study now reveals the specific light conditions and genes that control the accumulation of these medicinal compounds, opening the door to more sustainable production methods.
Light quality profoundly influences plant secondary metabolism, yet its effects on A. mongholicus have been largely unexplored. Previous research has shown that blue and red light can trigger the production of specialized metabolites in various plant species, but these responses are highly species-specific. For medicinal plants, optimizing light conditions has emerged as a promising strategy to improve the quality of raw materials, though the precise mechanisms remain unclear. Due to these challenges, a systematic investigation into how different light wavelengths regulate isoflavonoid biosynthesis in A. mongholicus is urgently needed.
Researchers from Shihezi University and Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine published (DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhag192) their findings on August 18, 2026, in Horticulture Research, a journal from Oxford University Press. The team combined transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches to map how blue and red light influence isoflavonoid accumulation in this valuable medicinal species.
The study revealed that blue light significantly outperforms red light in promoting the accumulation of calycosin (CA) and formononetin (FO)—two key bioactive isoflavonoids used as quality markers for Astragali Radix. Through multi-omics integration, the researchers identified 93 genes whose expression changed under different light treatments, with 52 upregulated. Among these, four core genes—AmCHR, AmCHS, AmCHI, and AmIFS—showed strong positive correlations with CA and FO levels. Using in vitro enzymatic assays, the team confirmed the catalytic functions of these proteins. They then developed a non-sterile hairy root transformation system for A. mongholicus, enabling rapid in vivo functional validation. Overexpression of these genes significantly boosted isoflavonoid accumulation, while RNA interference (RNAi) and antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (AsODN)-mediated silencing produced the opposite effect.
“We were surprised by how clearly the blue light effect stood out,” the authors said. “Not only did we identify the genes responsible, but we also built a practical system to test them directly in the plant. This gives us a clear path forward for improving the production of these important medicinal compounds through light management and genetic approaches.”
The findings have practical implications for the cultivation and processing of A. mongholicus. Optimizing light conditions—particularly blue light supplementation—could become a straightforward, low-cost strategy to enhance the quality of Astragali Radix without resorting to genetic modification in the field. The newly established transformation system also provides a powerful platform for functional genomics in medicinal plants, potentially accelerating the discovery of genes controlling other valuable metabolites. Furthermore, the identified genes offer promising candidates for metabolic engineering approaches aimed at sustainable, large-scale production of isoflavonoids through biotechnological platforms such as hairy root cultures.
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References
DOI
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhag192
Funding information
Heilongjiang Province “double first-class” discipline collaborative innovation achievement project (LJGXCG2023-058); key research and development program project of Heilongjiang Province (No. GY2024ZB0069).
About Horticulture Research
Horticulture Research is an open access journal of Nanjing Agricultural University and ranked number one in the Horticulture category of the Journal Citation Reports ™ from Clarivate, 2023. The journal is committed to publishing original research articles, reviews, perspectives, comments, correspondence articles and letters to the editor related to all major horticultural plants and disciplines, including biotechnology, breeding, cellular and molecular biology, evolution, genetics, inter-species interactions, physiology, and the origination and domestication of crops.