Quality formation in Peucedanum praeruptorum dunn: metabolite biosynthesis, geoherbal variation, and early bolting regulation

Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn is a traditional medicinal crop in which coumarins are the principal determinants of pharmacological efficacy and commercial quality. Evidence indicates that coumarin biosynthesis is governed by coordinated enzymatic and transcriptional regulation, with phenylpropanoid flux playing a central role in shaping the composition of major constituents. Regional variation in quality arises from the combined effects of environmental conditions, soil properties, and population differentiation, leading to distinct geoherbal characteristics. Early bolting represents a major constraint on cultivation, causing marked reductions in root coumarin content and quality. This process is closely associated with cultivation practices, particularly the use of first-year seeds and shortened growth cycles, together with environmental cues and developmental transitions, and is accompanied by root anatomical remodeling and reprogramming of phenylpropanoid metabolism, including enhanced lignification and altered metabolite allocation. Overall, medicinal quality in P. praeruptorum is determined by the interplay of metabolic regulation, environmental factors, cultivation practices, and developmental processes. These insights provide a mechanistic foundation for understanding quality formation and for developing more effective strategies to stabilize medicinal quality under cultivation.