Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, known as kudzu and used as a \"longevity powder\" in China, is an edible plant which is rich in flavonoids and believed to be useful for regulating blood sugar and treating diabetes, although the modes of action are unknown. Here, a total of 53 flavonoids including 6 novel compounds were isolated from kudzu using multidimensional preparative liquid chromatography. The flavonoid components were found to lower blood sugar levels, promote urine sugar levels in mice, and reduce the urine volume. Molecular docking and in vitro assays suggested that the antidiabetic effect of kudzu was attributed to at least three targets: sodium-dependent glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2), protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP1B), and alpha-glucosidase (AG). This study suggests a possible mechanism for the antidiabetic effect that may involve the synergistic action of multiple active compounds from kudzu.

BACKGROUND: Pueraria montana var. lobata (kudzu) is an important food and medicinal crop in Asia. However, the phylogenetic relationships between Pueraria montana var. lobata and the other two varieties (P. montana var. thomsonii and P. montana var. montana) remain debated. Although there is increasing evidence showing that P. montana var. lobata adapts to various environments and is an invasive species in America, few studies have systematically investigated the role of the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary patterns of plastomes between P. montana var. lobata and its closely related taxa.
RESULTS: 26 newly sequenced chloroplast genomes of Pueraria accessions resulted in assembled plastomes with sizes ranging from 153,360 bp to 153,551 bp. Each chloroplast genome contained 130 genes, including eight rRNA genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 85 protein-coding genes. For 24 newly sequenced accessions of these three varieties of P. montana, we detected three genes and ten noncoding regions with higher nucleotide diversity (π). After incorporated publically available chloroplast genomes of Pueraria and other legumes, 47 chloroplast genomes were used to construct phylogenetic trees, including seven P. montana var. lobata, 14 P. montana var. thomsonii and six P. montana var. montana. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that P. montana var. lobata and P. montana var. thomsonii formed a clade, while all sampled P. montana var. montana formed another cluster based on cp genomes, LSC, SSC and protein-coding genes. Twenty-six amino acid residues were identified under positive selection with the site model. We also detected six genes (accD, ndhB, ndhC, rpl2, rpoC2, and rps2) that account for among-site variation in selective constraint under the clade model between accessions of the Pueraria montana var. lobata clade and the Pueraria montana var. montana clade.
CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide novel comparative plastid genomic insights into conservative gene content and structure of cp genomes pertaining to P. montana var. lobata and the other two varieties, and reveal an important phylogenetic clue and plastid divergence among related taxa of P. montana come from loci that own moderate variation and underwent modest selection.

Pueraria lobata is a traditional medicinal and edible plant. Its root is often used as a nutritional supplement, but its stems and leaves are often discarded. In this study, the types and contents of compounds in roots, stems and leaves of kudzu were studied by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 446 metabolites were identified, which were mainly divided into eight categories; 40 unique compounds were detected in roots. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that there were significant differences in the contents of metabolites in the roots, stems and leaves of kudzu, and the most significant differences were found in the roots and stems. Most flavonoids and terpenoids accumulated in roots, while alkaloids, flavonoid glycosides, lignans and coumarins accumulated in stems and leaves. In addition, isoflavones accumulated least in stems and most in roots. These results improved our understanding of the accumulation of metabolites in kudzu and provided a reference for the full study of the medicinal value of different parts of kudzu.

Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) is an important medicinal plant, which can associate with rhizobia for nitrogen fixation. The mutualistic symbiosis between rhizobium and kudzu is not well understood, but it is necessary to fully utilize kudzu. Nodules and rhizosphere soils collected from 16 sampling sites were characterized based on phylogenetic analyses of the rpoB gene; 16S rRNA gene; the housekeeping genes SMc00019, truA, and thrA; and the symbiotic genes nodA and nifH. The relationships between biogeographic pattern, nitrogenase activity, and environmental factors were studied. Results indicated that a clear biogeographic pattern of rhizobial communities in the kudzu rhizosphere existed in southern China; latitude and soil pH were found to be the most important factors affecting the biogeographic pattern. Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens and Bradyrhizobium erythrophlei were the dominant species in kudzu rhizosphere. The symbiotic rhizobia in kudzu nodules mainly belonged to B. lablabi, B. elkanii, B. pachyrhizi, and B. japonicum. Nitrogenase activities in the nodules of kudzu in the Jiangxi sampling region were significantly higher than those in the Guangxi and Hunan sampling regions, and they were significantly negatively correlated to pH and exchangeable Ca. These results constitute the first report of the existence of symbiotic genes in kudzu bradyrhizobia, which are similar to those in B. elkanii and B. pachyrhizi. Our findings could improve the understanding of kudzu-rhizobium symbiosis and could advance the application of rhizobial inoculation in medicinal legumes in terms of increasing the content of active ingredients.

BACKGROUND: Kudzu is a term used generically to describe members of the genus Pueraria. Kudzu roots have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine in view of their high levels of beneficial isoflavones including the unique 8-C-glycoside of daidzein, puerarin. In the US, kudzu is seen as a noxious weed causing ecological and economic damage. However, not all kudzu species make puerarin or are equally invasive. Kudzu remains difficult to identify due to its diverse morphology and inconsistent nomenclature.
RESULTS: We have generated sequences for the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and maturase K (matK) regions of Pueraria montana lobata, P. montana montana, and P. phaseoloides, and identified two accessions previously used for differential analysis of puerarin biosynthesis as P. lobata and P. phaseoloides. Additionally, we have generated root transcriptomes for the puerarin-producing P. m. lobata and the non-puerarin producing P. phaseoloides. Within the transcriptomes, microsatellites were identified to aid in species identification as well as population diversity.
CONCLUSIONS: The barcode sequences generated will aid in fast and efficient identification of the three kudzu species. Additionally, the microsatellites identified from the transcriptomes will aid in genetic analysis. The root transcriptomes also provide a molecular toolkit for comparative gene expression analysis towards elucidation of the biosynthesis of kudzu phytochemicals.

The thermal inactivation kinetics of kudzu (Pueraria lobata) polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were investigated in model and food systems. PPO in kudzu tissue (tPPO) showed a higher thermostability than that of PPO in crude extract (cPPO) and purification fractions (pPPO). The PPO inactivation rate constant (k) increased with an increase in temperature, and tPPO showed the lowest k value, followed by that of cPPO and pPPO at the same temperature, indicating that PPO in the food system was more resistant to thermal treatment. Food constituents (pectin, starch, sucrose, and bovine serum albumin) in the food system decreased the activity of PPO but increased the thermostability of PPO, among which pectin exhibited the strongest protective effect against thermal inactivation, and the influence of sucrose was much slighter than that of other macromolecules. Fluorescence emission spectra indicated that pPPO exhibited stronger interactions with pectin than sucrose, and pPPO with pectin showed a more stable conformation under thermal treatment.

Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi is an essential traditional oriental medicine with therapeutic effects. In this study, we assembled the complete chloroplast genome of P. lobata. The total genome size was 153,442 bp in length, containing a large single-copy (LSC) region of 84,162 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) of 17,998 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,641 bp, and possessing 35.41% GC content. In addition, the whole chloroplast genome encodes a total of 129 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic tree analysis of 48 species in the family Papilionoideae of Leguminosae indicated that P. lobata was belong to Papilionoideae and closely related to the genus, Pachyrhizus, Vigna and Phaseolus.

Pueraria species are listed in the Chinese Pharmacopeia and are being used for the treatment of various health ailments and in protecting health. Puerarin, a chemotaxonomic marker of Pueraria, received investigational drug status for the treatment of alcohol abuse and listed in DRUGBANK database. The purpose of this review is to provide insights on health benefits of Pueraria, its bioactive constituents and molecular mechanisms. The information is retrieved from various databases. The most investigated plant part is tuber and the major bioactive constituents are isoflavones. The Pueraria is reported to possess a lots of health benefits on brain, liver, heart, kidney, bone, stomach, muscle, skin, and reproductive system. Pueraria also shown beneficial effects in postmenopausal women. In this review, the scientific information on Pueraria reported until May 2020 were analysed and summarized logically to appreciate its health benefits and to identify research gaps.

Gegen (Radix Puerariae Lobatae), the root of Pueraria lobata, is an edible and medicinal herb which has been used in treating diabetic symptoms in the orient for thousands of years. We present an evidence map of the efficacy and safety of Gegen and Gegen formulas (GGFs) that use Gegen as an essential herb for diabetes, and also its mechanism of actions. We comprehensively searched the ancient medical records to identify empirical evidence; conducted a systematic review (SR) based on moderate- to high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to synthesize the clinical evidence; and reviewed the possible mechanisms of its antidiabetic effects. Empirical application of Gegen in treating diabetic symptoms dated back to more than 2000 years ago. Common herbs used in RCTs that accompany with Gegen included Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae, Radix et Rhizoma Ginseng, Rhizoma Dioscoreae, Poria, and Radix Ophiopogonis. The combinations used today are consistent with their usage in ancient times. Results of the SR showed that GGFs could benefit patients with type 2 diabetes for blood glucose control. When in combination with hypoglycemic agents or insulin, GGFs enhanced the glucose-lowering effect as well as the lipid-lowering effects. Also, the incidence and the risk of adverse events (AE), especially the hypoglycemic episodes, were lower in the combination group. No serious or life-threatening AE was reported. The experimental evidence presented that Gegen and GGFs might exert and enhance the anti-diabetic effects through activation of multiple mechanisms, such as reducing insulin resistance, increasing insulin release, inhibiting glucose absorption and reabsorption, and improving insulin sensitivity, glucose uptake, and metabolism.

Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) has been utilized in China for more than 2,000 years, and it has been practiced in treatment of substance addiction and non-substance addictions. TCM have efficacy in the rehabilitation of abnormal physical problems induced by chronic drug use, including improving immune function, increasing working memory, and protecting against neurological disorders. Given that TCM is potentially effective in the prevention of relapse, it has been suggested that TCM may be the ideal choice in the future for the treatment of opiate addiction. This review examines the significance of effective Chinese herbs and prescriptions for Drug Addiction, Alcohol addiction and food addiction.