Influence of flower bud removal on the growth and anti-inflammatory properties of Platycodon grandiflorus roots

Platycodon grandiflorus roots have been used as a popular food additive and traditional medicinal product because of their therapeutic effects. During cultivation of this crop, flower bud removal has been used to increase root yield. However, the underlying mechanisms by which flower bud removal increases the yield of P. grandiflorus roots are still unknown. In this study, to investigate the effect of flower bud removal, we analyzed the level of gibberellic acid 3 (GA3) production, anti-inflammatory properties, and polyphenolic compounds in P. grandiflorus roots. Flower bud removal led to reduced GA3 content, resulting in increased root yield. In addition, we found that the accumulation of polyphenolic compounds through induction of the phenylpropanoid pathway is presumably a positive effect of flower bud removal that improves the anti-inflammatory properties of P. grandiflorus roots. Our results revealed that flower bud removal is a promising strategy for improving yield and quality of storage roots by rebalancing the assimilate exchange between sink organs.