Prioritization of germplasm resources for Epimedium breeding: Chemotype oriented discovery using cross latitude scale resource evaluation

Epimedium is a traditional medicinal plant used healthcare consumption for thousands of years, and also serves as a highly sought-after raw material in the pharmaceutical industry. In recent years, wild resources of this kind have been gradually dwindling, therefore, how to select high-quality Epimedium resources for breeding and cultivation is crucial. In the present work, a total of 34 batches of Epimedium germplasm resources were collected over a distance of more than 1000 kilometers and across 5 ° of latitude. After a year of cultivation of the homogeneous gardens, the characters of a collection of 34 Epimedium plants were investigated based on the quantification of physical and chemical parameters. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the length of the first node appears to be longer when Epimedium plants are enriched with epimedin C and magnoflorine in the sample E02. By classifying the contents of six major bioactive components detected and analyzed, it was found that E02 and E26 were the populations of Epimedium with high quality chemotypes. Thus, E02 and E26 could be further studied and bred to provide excellent core resources for the protection of Epimedium germplasm, and based on correlation analysis, the length of the first node could perhaps serve as a selection indicator. In summary, this study proposes an effective discovery method that can be used for the chemotype oriented breeding of Epimedium plants, and also provides a solid foundation for the utilization of other medicinal plants in the future. • Collected 34 Epimedium populations and conducted cultivation in a homogeneous garden. • The metabolite content of different populations is associated with their phenotypic traits. • Based on the content of metabolites, 34 Epimedium populations were divided into three chemotypes. • This study will provide guidance for applicability and variety breeding of Epimedium.