Microbiome and metabolome analysis of surface microbes, mycotoxins, and metabolites in geo-authentic Astragali Radix from major production regions in Shanxi
This study focuses on the quality control of geo-authentic Astragali Radix (AR), a key medicinal material from Shanxi, China. We used high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing (for bacterial communities) and ITS sequencing (for fungal communities) to characterize the surface microbial composition of AR samples from four major production regions. Pseudo-targeted metabolomics was applied to detect mycotoxins, while untargeted metabolomics was used to profile regional metabolite differences. Integrated microbiome-metabolome analysis revealed the relationships among surface microbes, mycotoxins, and metabolites. The findings aim to elucidate the microbial regulatory mechanisms underlying AR quality and establish a scientific quality evaluation system for geo-authentic AR, supporting clinical safety and efficacy.