Chinese goldthread

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Chinese goldthread

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Coptis teeta var. chinensis

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Ranunculales and the family Ranunculaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic identity is established within the genus Coptis.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily found across various regions of China. Its distribution includes extensive areas within China South-Central and China North-Central. Additionally, it can be located throughout the China Southeast region. Beyond the borders of China, its presence extends into the Indo-China peninsula. Specifically, it is documented to grow within the country of Vietnam.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Coptis chinensis is closely tied to its specific altitudinal distribution within its natural habitats. This species typically thrives across a varied vertical gradient, occupying a broad elevational range that begins at approximately 500 m AMSL. As the terrain ascends, the plant is frequently encountered at a mean elevation of roughly 1250 m AMSL, indicating a preference for mid-altitude montane environments. The upper limits of its ecological niche extend significantly higher, reaching a maximum elevation of 2000 m AMSL, which allows the species to adapt to the diverse climatic conditions found throughout these mountain ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

2000 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

1250 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

500 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Coptis chinensis is characterized by its nature as a perennial herb, allowing it to establish a long-term presence within its natural habitat. As a perennial species, it undergoes a recurring life cycle where it survives through multiple growing seasons, typically relying on its thick, creeping rhizomes to store nutrients and ensure regrowth after periods of dormancy. This perennial growth habit enables the plant to develop a robust underground system that supports the emergence of its basal leaves and flowering stems each year. While its life cycle is fundamentally perennial, the rate of development and the intensity of its seasonal activity can be variable depending on environmental factors such as soil moisture, light availability, and temperature within its native mountain or forest ecosystems.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Coptis chinensis is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. Unlike climbing species, it does not exhibit any climbing behavior, whether obligatory, facultative, or self-supporting; instead, it maintains a stable, upright stature as a herbaceous plant. The specimen is strictly non-woody in its structural composition, lacking any woody or variable tissue development.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

herb

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiological structure of the foliage in Coptis chinensis is characterized by significant morphological variability in its leaf dimensions. The leaves exhibit a length that fluctuates based on developmental stages and environmental conditions, with a minimum recorded length of 3 cm and a mean length of 5.5 cm, reaching a maximum of 8 cm. Correspondingly, the width of the leaves shows a specific range of expansion, measuring as narrow as 2 cm at its minimum and extending to a maximum width of 4 cm. This variation in leaf surface area and dimensions plays a critical role in the plant's photosynthetic efficiency and its ability to regulate gas exchange within its natural habitat.

Leaf length max:

8 cm

Leaf length mean:

5.5 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf width max:

4 cm

Leaf width min:

2 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Coptis chinensis is characterized by the development of distinct fruit structures that follow specific morphological dimensions. The fruits produced by this species exhibit a relatively consistent size range, with measured lengths typically falling between a minimum of 0.6 cm and a maximum of 0.8 cm. On average, the fruit length maintains a mean value of approximately 0.7 cm, ensuring a standardized dimension for seed dispersal and propagation within its natural habitat.

Fruit length max:

0.8 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.7 cm

Fruit length min:

0.6 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Coptis chinensis has 4 reported plant parts identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include rhizome, root, leaf, stem.

Rhizome

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
2. Drug testing and analysis
3. Journal of natural medicines
4. Frontiers in plant science
5. Microbiology spectrum

Root

1. Zhongguo yi xue ke xue yuan xue bao. Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
3. Guang pu xue yu guang pu fen xi = Guang pu
4. Microbiology spectrum
5. Mikrochimica acta

Leaf

1. Zhongguo yi xue ke xue yuan xue bao. Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae
2. Mikrochimica acta
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Stem

1. Mikrochimica acta

Chemicals

Coptis chinensis has 68 reported phytochemicals identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include berberine, Coptisine, Palmatine, Epiberberine, Jatrorrhizine.

berberine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
3. Endocrinology
4. European journal of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics
5. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Coptisine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of chromatographic science
3. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
4. Drug testing and analysis
5. European journal of pharmacology

Palmatine

1. Dr. Duke
2. European journal of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics
3. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
4. Archives of virology
5. Drug testing and analysis

Epiberberine

1. Drug testing and analysis
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Journal of chromatographic science
4. PeerJ
5. Frontiers in plant science

Jatrorrhizine

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
2. Drug testing and analysis
3. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
4. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
5. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Columbamine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of chromatographic science
3. Drug testing and analysis
4. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
5. Planta medica

Berberine hydrochloride

1. Journal of chromatographic science
2. Scientific reports
3. Nihon yakurigaku zasshi. Folia pharmacologica Japonica
4. Biomolecules

Jatrorrhizin

1. PeerJ
2. Frontiers in plant science
3. Luminescence : the journal of biological and chemical luminescence

Magnoflorine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Drug testing and analysis
3. Frontiers in pharmacology

Palmatine chloride

1. Journal of chromatographic science
2. Zhongguo yi xue ke xue yuan xue bao. Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae
3. Microbiology spectrum

Activities

Coptis chinensis has 307 reported activities identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Anticancer, Hypoglycemic, Hypolipidemic.

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Genes
4. BMC microbiology
5. Biomolecules

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
3. International journal of biological macromolecules
4. Genes

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in pharmacology

Hypoglycemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Chinese journal of integrative medicine

Hypolipidemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in pharmacology

(+)-Inotropic

1. Dr. Duke

ACE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Abortifacient

1. Dr. Duke

Adrenocorticotrophic

1. Dr. Duke

Adrenolytic

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Coptis chinensis has 64 reported investigations on conditions identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Alzheimer's disease, obesity, breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, gastritis.

Alzheimer's disease

1. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
2. CNS & neurological disorders drug targets
3. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
4. Bioorganic chemistry

Obesity

1. American journal of translational research
2. Frontiers in pharmacology
3. European journal of medical research
4. Nature communications

Breast cancer

1. Carcinogenesis
2. Oncology reports
3. Molecular biology reports

Diabetes mellitus

1. Chinese journal of integrative medicine
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
3. Frontiers in pharmacology

Gastritis

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Journal of natural medicines
3. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Cancer

1. Carcinogenesis
2. International immunopharmacology

Gastric ulcer

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Pathology, research and practice

Gastric ulcers

1. Journal of natural medicines
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Hyperglycemia

1. Frontiers in pharmacology
2. Fitoterapia

Hypertension

1. Chemico-biological interactions
2. Natural products and bioprospecting

Preparations

Coptis chinensis has 43 reported preparations identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Berberine (BBR), aqueous extracts, Berberine hydrochloride, aqueous extract, CEXs.

Berberine (bbr)

1. Endocrinology
2. American journal of translational research
3. Nature communications
4. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Aqueous extracts

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
2. Frontiers in pharmacology
3. Life sciences
4. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences

Berberine hydrochloride

1. Scientific reports
2. Biomolecules

Aqueous extract

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of microorganism control

Cexs

1. Archives of pharmacal research

Coptis chinensis decoction

1. Mikrochimica acta

Coptis chinensis extracts

1. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences

Extracts

1. Life sciences

Fractionated coptis chinensis extract

1. Journal of microbiology and biotechnology

Hl extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology