Bioscience Evidence 2026, Vol.16, No.4, 304-315 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 311 cultivation materials were compared. A total of 442 metabolites were detected and identified, including flavonoids, lipids, amino acids and derivatives, and alkaloids. Although materials from different origins contained similar metabolite categories, significant differences were observed in metabolite abundance. Differential metabolites were mainly associated with flavonoid and flavonol biosynthesis pathways. Further HPLC analysis showed that four major flavonoid compounds could serve as important indicators for distinguishing D. officinale from different origins. Long-term environmental adaptation influences plant metabolic networks and ultimately contributes to region-specific chemical characteristics. Figure 3 Comparative metabolomic analysis reveals differential flavonoid accumulation in wild-like Dendrobium officinale (Adapted from Lan et al., 2022) 4.4 Regional quality evaluation and origin traceability based on active compounds Traditional quality evaluation of D. officinale mainly relies on a limited number of indicators, such as polysaccharide content. However, D. officinale contains various active substances, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and glycosides, and single indicators cannot fully represent its quality characteristics. Therefore, evaluation systems based on multiple active compounds can improve quality control and further reveal the influence of environmental conditions on plant metabolic accumulation. Zhang et al. (2025) investigated D. officinale produced in different regions of Yunnan Province and established an active compound detection method based on UHPLC-MS/MS. Samples from Xishuangbanna, Baoshan, Dehong, and Wenshan were compared for their active compound profiles. A total of 22 active compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and glycosides, were detected. OPLS-DA multivariate analysis was applied to classify samples from different regions. Based on the content characteristics of these 22 compounds, D. officinale samples from different regions could be effectively distinguished, indicating that different ecological environments generate region-specific chemical characteristics within medicinal materials. Active compound accumulation showed clear regional differences among D. officinale samples. Ten differential metabolites with strong regional discrimination ability were identified, including syringin, scutellarein, gallic acid, and gentisic acid. Samples from Dehong showed relatively higher levels of syringin, gentisic acid, protocatechuic acid, and gallic acid. Samples from Baoshan contained higher levels of apigenin, naringin, and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde. Samples from Wenshan showed higher accumulation of epicatechin gallate, scopoletin, and scutellarein, whereas some phenolic acids were relatively lower in Xishuangbanna samples. These differences are closely related to the growth environments of D. officinale. Variations in temperature, water availability, light conditions, and ecological backgrounds among regions influence plant metabolic processes and consequently modify the accumulation patterns of active compounds. 5 Future Perspectives 5.1 Standardization of environmental control In current production practices, many cultivation decisions still rely heavily on growers’ experience, such as adjusting shading, irrigation, and ventilation according to weather changes. However, environmental conditions vary greatly among different regions and cultivation facilities, resulting in unstable yield and quality of medicinal
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