The complex network regulating bioactive compounds between medicinal and ornamental cultivars of Paeonia lactiflora Pall.

Paeonia lactiflora Pall., a prominent plant species highly valued for its ornamental and medicinal properties, exhibits a wide range of cultivars primarily utilized for ornamental purposes, while only a limited number are employed for medicinal applications. To broaden the application of P. lactiflora, we conducted a comparative analysis of the bioactive compounds in the roots of ornamental P. lactiflora cv. 'Zifengyu' (ZFY) and medicinal P. lactiflora cv. 'Hangbaishao' (HS) using multi-omics technologies. Our findings revealed significant differences in peoniflorin and flavonoid content between HS and ZFY roots. Notably, higher expression levels of CHS, F3H, and F3 ' 5 ' H genes involved in the flavonoid pathway, as well as HMGS and TPS genes associated with terpenoid synthesis may play crucial roles in this process. Furthermore, we investigated the regulation of miRNAs and phasiRNAs on the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds in P. lactiflora root for the first time; our results suggest that miR156*, miR319*, miRN78*, along with phasiRNA Cluster-48340_26405_1_312_+ may regulate paeoniflorin and flavonoid biosynthesis in P. lactiflora roots. Our study provides valuable insights into understanding the regulatory mechanisms underlying bioactive compound production in P. lactiflora roots while expanding its economic benefits through diversified applications.