Bartholomew S. Adeleke

1. Introduction Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis produces polyphyllin, which is an important ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine, such as Gongxin, Yunnan Baiyao, Jinfu Kang Oral Liquid, and Lou Lian Capsules (Ren et al., 2020; Yan et al., 2021). Steroidal saponins, which mainly include isospirostanol-type saponins such as polyphyllin, diosgenin, and pennogenin, are important medicinal active ingredients derived from P. polyphylla (Thapa et al., 2022).

1. Introduction Tea (Camellia sinensis L.), belonging to the family Theaceae, is an evergreen shrub or small tree whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea (Kui et al., 2021b). Tea has become one of the most popular beverages in the world, with multiple health benefits (Trevisanato and Kim, 2000; Perez-Burillo et al., 2021; Bag et al., 2022). Tea tree is one of the most important economic crops in China.

1. Introduction Ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Mey) is mainly found in China, Korea, and Russia, and it is a valuable traditional medicinal herb in East Asia (Abid et al., 2021). With the surge in demand for medicine, the sources of wild ginseng are declining rapidly, and artificial cultivation has become inevitable (Dong et al., 2018). However, this planting method seriously restricts the healthy and sustainable development of the ginseng industry due to soil sickness (Xiao et al., 2016).