Work

Evaluating Dendrobium quality and its influencing factors in forest-based and conventional planting systems: A meta-analysis

Year: 2026

Type: review

Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis

Abstract: Cultivation practices modulate bioactive‑metabolite accumulation in the medicinally important Dendrobium . This meta‑analysis of 2005‑2025 publications evaluates biochemical, morphological, and physiological trait responses to conventional versus forest‑based cultivation. Greenhouse and pot‑based conventional cultivation elevated multiple key bioactive compounds: alkaloids (41%, 29%), amino acids (30%, 25%), bibenzyl derivatives (28%, 26%), flavonoids (31%, 26%), lignans (19%, 1%), minerals (12%, 35%), phenolics (19%, 23%), polysaccharides (5%, 14%). Conversely, these systems lowered vitamin (64%, 20%) and volatile‑compound (40%, 52%) contents under greenhouse and pot cultivation, respectively. Among forest-based systems, lithophytic cultivation achieved a 100% increase in alkaloids, yet this figure is supported by only a small number of studies. Notably, multiple secondary metabolites exhibited substantial heterogeneity ( I 2 = 69–99.7%), indicative of large inter-study differences in cultivation regimes. High heterogeneity ( I 2 > 75%) therefore limits the generalizability of pooled estimates. Furthermore, pot cultivation also produced the greatest improvements in plant height, stem thickness, biomass yield, and flowering rate. Overall, while conventional planting systems (greenhouse, pot) are more effective for enhancing plant growth and yield, forest-based systems (particularly lithophytic) are superior for elevating the concentration of key bioactive secondary metabolites. These findings provide quantitative evidence to guide cultivation strategies according to commercial production objectives.

Source: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis

DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2026.109479

Authors: Faisal Noor, Jingying Hei, Rui Rui, Biao Wang, Xiahong He, Shu Wang

Institutions: Southwest Forestry University, China Medical University

Language: English

Topic: Biological and pharmacological studies of plants

Subfield: Pharmacology (medical)

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450