Establishment and Verification of a Three-Dimensional Quantitative Evaluation System for Nature Bias of Plant-Derived Food Materials

Objective To address the long-standing problems of "subjectivity, lack of standards for special groups, and poor cross-scenario adaptability" in the traditional evaluation of nature bias (cool-warm property) of plant-derived food materials, this study aimed to construct a full-scenario quantitative tool applicable to both "daily dietary" and "medicinal" scenarios. Methods A three-dimensional framework integrating the "environmental habits-metabolic characteristics-growth cycle" was established. The core indicator thresholds of each dimension, exclusive correction rules for special groups (fungi, parasitic plants, lichens, high-altitude plants), and cross-dimensional arbitration logic were clarified. The feasibility of the system was verified using 485 core plant-derived samples, which were stratified and selected from a total sample library of 987 species (417 daily plant food materials + 570 Chinese medicinal materials). The core samples covered 4 categories of daily food materials, 4 special groups of Chinese medicinal materials, and 3 types of extreme habitats based on "biological group + ecotype". Results The system covered more than 95% of common plant groups used in daily life and medicine. The consistency rate between daily food materials and traditional literature on "warm-cool nature" reached 98%, and the consistency rate of special groups of Chinese medicinal materials after correction reached 96% (with intensity error ≤ 15% for partially consistent samples). The repeated detection error rate was ± 3.2% (excluding neutral food materials). Core indicator thresholds were cross-validated by authoritative references such as FAO Guidelines and international journals, which were consistent with the "environment-metabolism synergy" logic. The adaptability rate to nondeep-sea extreme habitats (high altitude, saline‒alkali land, extreme acidity) was 100%, which could explain the differences in the natural bias of medicinal materials from genuine producing areas.