植物次生代谢产物多是具有重要生态功能的化学物质，而生态功能成分往往具有较强的生物活性，因此基于化学生态学的药物发现可以大大提高活性化合物的发现概率。藏药轮叶棘豆被誉为"草药之王"，具有清热解毒、生肌愈创等功效，是藏药治疗炎症、疠病和疮疖肿痛的首选草药之一，但具一定毒性。该植物生于海拔3500~5200米的山坡河滩，全株具腺粘液，密被柔毛，且少被牲畜或昆虫采食。目前有关轮叶棘豆的活性及毒性物质基础尚不清楚，也未见化学生态学相关研究。因此本课题拟基于化学生态学理论对轮叶棘豆（尤其是具潜在生态功能的植株表面"腺粘液"和柔毛）中次生代谢产物的化学、生物活性及生态功能进行深入系统研究，探讨轮叶棘豆次生代谢产物产生和分布的过程、途径和机制，阐明其发挥药效作用和生态功能的科学内涵及相关性，为藏药轮叶棘豆的合理应用提供科学依据，同时为基于化学生态学的天然药物发现提供方法学参考。

Plants often produce copious secondary metabolites with a wide range of ecological and biological properties. Generally, the constituents with potential ecological functions are usually thought to be more potent in bioactivities.So, the chemical ecology based approach to drug discovery had been proposed and some evidences indeed proved that the approach was more effective for pridicting and finding bioactive secondary metabolites in plants. Oxytropis chiliophylla (Leguminosae), known as "King of Herbs" in Tibetan medicines, is mainly used to treat arthritis,leprosy,furuncle and swollen in clinic. This plant, mainly distributed at lake and river beaches and on slopes at the 3500~5200 meters altitude in Tibet Plateau in China,is characterized by the densely covered mucous secretions and trichomes on its surface. It is also rarely attacked by herbivores and pathogens. However,no systematical investigations on the chemical constituents and bioactivities of the herb have been carried out and no research about the chemical ecology is available till now. Therefore, this project will intend to investigate systematically on the chemisty, bioactivities and ecological functions of the secondary metabolites of Oxytropis chiliophylla based on the chemical ecology theory,especially focused on the constituents of the surface mucous secretions and trichome which are thought to serve as chemical defesens against herbivores and other threatens from nature,for the purpose of clarifying the pathway and mechanism of the biosythesis and distribution of the secondary metabolites,unclosing the material basis and relationships of the scondary metabolites'bioactivities and ecological functions.The results of this project will provide scientific basis for the reasonable application,chemical quality evalluation and control of Oxytropis chiliophylla,as well as for the chemical ecology based drug discovery approach.