The effects of climate change on the quality of Ziziphus jujuba var. Spinosa in China

•The potential distribution of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H.F. Chou (ZJS) was consistent with the actual distribution.•High quality Semen Ziziphi Spinosae (SZS) are mainly distributed in high suitability areas.•Spinosin and jujuboside A were correlated with environmental factors.•Under the future climate scenario, the suitable area of ZJS will be reduced. Semen Ziziphi Spinosae (SZS) is the dry mature seed of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou and a traditional Chinese medicine that can treat insomnia. The quality of SZS can be affected by environmental factors that in turn impact clinical effects. Zhao et al. (2021) recently analysed the distribution pattern of Z. jujuba since the last interglacial period. In our study, the active ingredients spinosa and jujuboside A were examined to further study the influence of predicted future climate on the quality of SZS. Our study showed that the quality of SZS is correlated with ecological conditions. Areas with high-quality SZS are mainly concentrated in Hebei and Shandong. Under RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5 conditions, the area suitable for SZS decreased, and some high-suitability areas became areas of poor suitability.