PubMed · 2026-06-15
Researchers found that shining specific colors of light on danshen (Chinese red sage), a prized medicinal herb, can significantly boost production of its most valuable healing compounds. Red and far-red light in particular ramped up tanshinones — the bioactive molecules behind danshen's anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular benefits — while also reshaping the bacterial communities living around the plant's roots.
UV, red, and far-red light significantly increased accumulation of two key tanshinones (dihydrotanshinone I and tanshinone IIA) while decreasing salvianolic acid A content, confirmed by quantitative HPLC analysis.
Red light induced the highest number of significantly upregulated metabolites among all monochromatic treatments, and KEGG pathway analysis highlighted enrichment of diterpenoid, monoterpenoid, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways.
Blue light caused the greatest reduction in rhizosphere microbial alpha diversity and produced the most pronounced shifts in bacterial community composition and functional gene profiles.
