Genuine Producing Area Research Articles

Physiological and biochemical responses in a cadmium accumulator of traditional Chinese medicine Ligusticum sinense cv. Chuanxiong under cadmium condition

Ligusticum sinense cv. Chuanxiong (L. Chuanxiong), one of the widely used traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), is currently facing the problem of excessive cadmium (Cd) content. This problem has significantly affected the quality and safety of L. Chuanxiong and become a vital factor restricting its clinical application and international trade development. Currently, to solve the problem of excessive Cd, it is essential to research the response mechanisms of L. Chuanxiong to Cd stress. However, there are few reports on its physiological and biochemical responses under Cd stress. In this study, we conducted the hydroponic experiment under 25 μM Cd stress, based on the Cd content of the genuine producing areas soil. The results showed that 25 μM Cd stress not only had no significant inhibitory effect on the growth of L. Chuanxiong seedlings but also significantly increased the chlorophyll a content (11.79%) and root activity (51.82%) compared with that of the control, which might be a hormesis effect. Further results showed that the absorption and assimilation of NH4+ increased in seedlings under 25 μM Cd stress, which was associated with high photosynthetic pigments. Here, we initially hypothesized and confirmed that Cd exceedance in the root system of L. Chuanxiong was due to the thickening of the root cell wall, changes in the content of the cell wall components, and chelation of Cd by GSH. There was an increase in cell wall thickness (57.64 %) and a significant increase in cellulose (25.48%) content of roots under 25 μM Cd stress. In addition, L. Chuanxiong reduced oxidative stress caused by 25 μM Cd stress mainly through the GSH/GSSG cycle. Among them, GSH-Px (48.26%) and GR (42.64%) activities were significantly increased, thereby maintaining a high GSH/GSSG ratio. This study preliminarily reveals the response of L. Chuanxiong to Cd stress and the mechanism of Cd enrichment. It provides a theoretical basis for solving the problem of Cd excessive in L. Chuanxiong.Graphical Physiological and biochemical mechanisms of L. Chuanxiong seedlings under Cd stress.

The flavonoids in root regulated rhizosphere microbiome of Angelica dahurica var. formosana in genuine producing area

The comprehensive quality of A. dahurica var. formosana planted in genuine producing area (Suining, China) is better than that of other regions (like Chongzhou). The formation of regional difference is related to the rhizosphere microbiome. Here, two main A. dahurica var. formosana cultivars (lines) were planted in two different soil types. We found that soil type affected the flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathway of root exudates and the rhizosphere relative abundances of Proteobacteria, Burkholderiales and Pseudomonas. Confirmation through experiments in culture medium and soil, Pseudomonas could be “cultured” by a flavonoid compound linarin. These bacteria could activate nutrient availability. This may be the important reason that the soil available nutrients in Suining were lower, however the consumption of available nutrients and the plant growth was greater after planting. Together, in suitable soil, the A. dahurica var. formosana tends to assemble beneficial microbes by secreting more flavonoids to promote nutrient absorption. This study explained the microbiome reasons for the regionalization of industrial medicinal plants, and contributed to the high yield and quality planting of the crop from the perspective of soil microorganisms.

Study on the quality of Corydalis Rhizoma in Zhejiang based on multidimensional evaluation method

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe quality requirements of Corydalis Rhizoma (CR) in different producing areas are uniform, resulting in uneven efficacy. As a genuine producing area, the effective quality control of CR in Zhejiang Province (ZJ) could provide a theoretical basis for the rational application of medicinal materials. Aim of the studyThe purpose of this study was to effectively distinguish the CR inside and outside ZJ, and provided a theoretical basis for the quality control and material basis research of ZJ CR. Materials and methodsThe core components of ZJ CR could be identified by HPLC combined with chemometrics screening, and the quality of CR from different producing areas was evaluated by a genetic algorithm-back propagation (GA-BP) neural network. Chromaticity and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy were used to identify CR inside and outside ZJ, and rapid content prediction was realized. The analgesic effect of CR in different regions was compared by a zebrafish analgesic experiment. Analgesic experiments in rats and analysis of the research status of quality components were used to screen the quality control components of ZJ CR. ResultsThe contents of palmatine hydrochloride (YSBMT), dehydrocorydaline (TQZJJ), tetrahydropalmatine (YHSYS), tetrahydroberberine (SQXBJ), corydaline (YHSJS), stylopine (SQHLJ), and isoimperatorin (YOQHS) in ZJ CR were higher than those in CR from outside ZJ, but the content of protopine (YAPJ) and berberine hydrochloride (YSXBJ) was lower than that in CR from outside ZJ. YHSJS and SQHLJ could be used as the core components to identify ZJ CR. The GA-BP neural network showed that the relative importance of ZJ CR was the strongest. Chroma-content correlation analysis and the NIR qualitative model could effectively distinguish CR from inside and outside of ZJ, and the NIR quantitative model could quickly predict the content of CR from inside and outside of ZJ. Zebrafish experiments showed that ZJ, Shaanxi (SX), Henan (HN), and Sichuan (SC) CR had significant analgesic effects, while Hebei (HB) CR had no significant analgesic effect. Overall comparison, the analgesic effect of ZJ CR was better than that of CR outside ZJ. The comprehensive score of the grey correlation degree between YAPJ, YSBMT, YSXBJ, TQZJJ, YHSYS, YHSJS, SQXBJ, and SQHLJ were higher than 0.9, and the research frequency were extremely high. ConclusionsThe relative importance of the content and origin of most components of ZJ CR was higher than that of CR outside ZJ. The holistic analgesic effect of ZJ CR was better than that of CR outside ZJ, but slightly lower than that of SX CR. YHSJS and SQHLJ could be used as the core components to identify ZJ CR. YAPJ, YSBMT, YSXBJ, TQZJJ, YHSYS, SQXBJ, YHSJS, and SQHLJ could be used as the quality control components of ZJ CR. The multidimensional evaluation method used in this study provided a reference for the quality control and material basis research of ZJ CR.

Integrated metabolome and transcriptome analyses of anthocyanin biosynthesis reveal key candidate genes involved in colour variation of Scutellaria baicalensis flowers

BackgroundBright flower colour assists plants attract insects to complete pollination and provides distinct ornamental values. In some medicinal plants, diverse flower colour variations usually imply differences in active ingredients. Compared to the common bluish purple of Scutellaria baicalensis flower (SB), the natural variants present rose red (SR) and white (SW) flowers were screened out under the same growing conditions in the genuine producing area Shandong Province, China. However, the mechanism of flower colour variation in S. baicalensis was remain unclear. In the present study, we conducted integrated transcriptome and metabolome analyses to uncover the metabolic difference and regulation mechanism in three S. baicalensis flowers.ResultsThe results showed that 9 anthocyanins were identified. Among which, 4 delphinidin-based anthocyanins were only detected in SB, 4 cyanidin-based anthocyanins (without cyanidin-3-O-glucoside) mainly accumulated in SR, and no anthocyanin but high level of flavanone, naringenin, was detected in SW. The gene expression profile indicated that the key structural genes in the flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway differentially expressed in flowers with different colours. Compared to SB, the down-regulated expression of F3’5’H, ANS, and 3GT gene in SR might influence the anthocyanin composition. Especially the InDel site with deletion of 7 nucleotides (AATAGAG) in F3’5’H in SR might be the determinant for lack of delphinidin-based anthocyanins in rose red flowers. In SW, the lower expression levels of DFR and two F3H genes might reduce the anthocyanin accumulation. Notably the SNP site of G > A mutation in the splicing site of DFR in SW might block anthocyanin biosynthesis from flavanones and thus cause white flowers. In addition, several key transcription factors, including MYB, bHLH, and NAC, which highly correlated with structural gene expression and anthocyanin contents were also identified.ConclusionsThese results provide clues to uncover the molecular regulatory mechanism of flower colour variation in S. baicalensis and promote novel insights into understanding the anthocyanin biosynthesis and regulation.

Screening and promoting effect of grow-promoting fungi in rhizosphere of Angelica dahurica var. formosana

Excessive application of chemical fertilizer has caused many problems in Angelica dahurica var. formosana planting, such as yield decline and quality degradation. In order to promote the green cultivation mode of A. dahurica var. formosana and explore rhizosphere fungus resources, the rhizosphere fungi with nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, potassium solubilization, iron-producing carrier, and IAA-producing properties were isolated and screened in the rhizosphere of A. dahurica var. formosana from the genuine and non-genuine areas, respectively. The strains were identified comprehensively in light of the morphological characteristics and ITS rDNA sequences, and the growth-promoting effect of the screened strains was verified by pot experiment. The results showed that 37 strains of growth-promoting fungi were isolated and screened from the rhizosphere of A. dahurica var. formosana, mostly belonging to Fusarium. The cultured rhizosphere growth-promoting fungi of A. dahurica var. formosana were more abundant and diverse in the genuine producing areas than in the non-genuine producing areas. Among all strains, Aspergillus niger ZJ-17 had the strongest growth promotion potential. Under the condition of no fertilization outdoors, ZJ-17 inoculation significantly promoted the growth, yield, and accumulation of effective components of A. dahurica var. formosana planted in the soil of genuine and non-genuine producing areas, with yield increases of 73.59% and 37.84%, respectively. To a certain extent, it alleviated the restriction without additional fertilization on the growth of A. dahurica var. formosana. Therefore, A. niger ZJ-17 has great application prospects in increasing yield and quality of A. dahurica var. formosana and reducing fertilizer application and can be actually applied in promoting the growth of A. dahurica var. formosana and producing biofertilizer.

Effects of chemical fertilizer reduction and organic fertilizer substitution on yield and quality of Saposhnikovia divaricata

To explore the suitable fertilizing pattern for Saposhnikovia divaricata in the genuine producing area, a field trial was carried out to investigate the changes in the yield and quality of medicinal materials and soil in different fertilization patterns, such as organic fertilizer substitution(organic fertilizer+NPK fertilizer) and chemical fertilizer reduction(organic fertilizer+NPK fertilizer decrement and organic fertilizer+NPK fertilizer decrement+soil conditioner). The comprehensive analysis of all treatments was based on the medicine quality evaluation data set and soil quality evaluation data set, respectively, by CRITIC weight method. The results showed that(1) the yield of S. divaricate increased by 4.93%-12.67% under the organic fertilizer substitution mode, and the yield increased by 44.43% under the treatment of chemical fertilizer reduction YHT15, which was higher than that of the organic fertilizer substitution mode.(2) The quality of S. divaricate under the two fertilization modes was superior to the standard in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and the application of biochar was helpful to improve the quality of S. divaricate quality, with an increase of 82.83%-181.54%. CRITIC method analysis showed that fertilization treatments with high comprehensive scores were YHT15, YH30, and YH15.(3) Soil quality under the two fertilization modes was higher than that under the control. The fertilization treatments with higher comprehensive scores of soil quality were YHT15, YHT30, and YHT. The fertilization mode of adding biochar as soil conditioner, applying an appropriate amount of organic fertilizer, and reducing part of chemical fertilizer is the appropriate way to develop ecological plantation of S. divaricata in the Baicheng area in the western Jilin province. The specific fertilization mode is as follows. The basic fertilizer was 361 kg·hm~(-2) superphosphate+110 kg·hm~(-2) potassium sulfate+82 kg·hm~(-2) organic fertilizer+10 000 kg·hm~(-2) rice husk biochar, and urea was applied as top fertilizer three times, 29, 29, and 20 kg·hm~(-2), respectively.

Specific DNA barcodes, germplasm resources, and genetic diversity of Eleutherococcus senticosus

Eleutherococcus senticosus is one of the Dao-di herbs in northeast China. In this study, the chloroplast genomes of three E. senticosus samples from different genuine producing areas were sequenced and then used for the screening of specific DNA barcodes. The germplasm resources and genetic diversity of E. senticosus were analyzed basing on the specific DNA barcodes. The chloroplast genomes of E. senticosus from different genuine producing areas showed the total length of 156 779-156 781 bp and a typical tetrad structure. Each of the chloroplast genomes carried 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. The chloroplast genomes were relatively conserved. Sequence analysis of the three chloroplast genomes indicated that atpI, ndhA, ycf1, atpB-rbcL, ndhF-rpl32, petA-psbJ, psbM-psbD, and rps16-psbK can be used as specific DNA barcodes of E. senticosus. In this study, we selected atpI and atpB-rbcL which were 700-800 bp and easy to be amplified for the identification of 184 E. senticosus samples from 13 genuine producing areas. The results demonstrated that 9 and 10 genotypes were identified based on atpI and atpB-rbcL sequences, respectively. Furthermore, the two barcodes identified 23 genotypes which were named H1-H23. The haplotype with the highest proportion and widest distribution was H10, followed by H2. The haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were 0.94 and 1.82×10~(-3), respectively, suggesting the high genetic diversity of E. senticosus. The results of the median-joining network analysis showed that the 23 genotypes could be classified into 4 categories. H2 was the oldest haplotype, and it served as the center of the network characterized by starlike radiation, which suggested that population expansion of E. senticosus occurred in the genuine producing areas. This study lays a foundation for the research on the genetic quality and chloroplast genetic engineering of E. senticosus and further research on the genetic mechanism of its population, providing new ideas for studying the genetic evolution of E. senticosus.

Potential Risk, Spatial Distribution, and Soil Identification of Potentially Toxic Elements in Lycium barbarum L. (Wolfberry) Fruits and Soil System in Ningxia, China.

Eight potentially toxic elements (PTEs, including nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and mercury (Hg)) in Lycium barbarum L. (wolfberries) and the associated root soil from a genuine producing area were analyzed. The potential ecological risk of PTEs in the soil and the health risk of PTEs through wolfberry consumption were determined. Geostatistical methods were used to predict the PTE concentrations in the wolfberries and soil. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to identify the source of PTEs in the soil. The PTE concentrations in the soils were within the standard limits, and Cd in the wolfberries exceeded the standard limit at only one site. The bioconcentration factors (BCF) order for the different PTEs was Cd > Cu > 1 > Zn > Cr > As > Ni > Pb, indicating that Cd and Cu were highly accumulated in wolfberries. The multiple regression models for Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, and Cr concentrations in the wolfberries exhibited good correlations (p < 0.1). The ecological risk for Hg in the soil was high, whereas the risks for the remaining PTEs were mostly medium or low. Health risks for inhabitants through wolfberry consumption were not obvious. The spatial distributions of the PTEs in the soil differed from the PTE concentrations in the wolfberries. Source identification results were in the order of natural source (48.2%) > industrial activity source (27.8%) > agricultural activity source (14.5%) > transportation source (9.5%). The present study can guide the site selection of wolfberry cultivation and ensure the safety of wolfberry products when considering PTE contamination.

Rapid identification of geographic origins of Zingiberis Rhizoma by NIRS combined with chemometrics and machine learning algorithms

In this study, 280 batches of Zingiberis Rhizoma samples from nine producing areas were analyzed to obtain infrared spectral information based on near-infrared spectroscopy(NIRS). Pluralistic chemometrics such as principal component analysis(PCA), partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), K-nearest neighbors(KNN), support vector machine(SVM), random forest(RF), artificial neural network(ANN), and gradient boosting(GB) were applied for tracing of origins. The results showed that the discriminative accuracy of the spectral preprocessing by standard normal variate transformation coupled with the first derivative was 93.9%, which could be used for the construction of the discrimination model. PCA and PLS-DA score plots showed that samples from Shandong, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou could be effectively distinguished, but the remaining samples were partially overlapped. As revealed by the analysis results by machine learning algorithms, the AUC values of KNN, SVM, RF, ANN, and GB algorithms were 0.96, 0.99, 0.99, 0.99, and 0.98, respectively, with overall prediction accuracies of 83.3%, 89.3%, 90.5%, 91.7%, and 89.3%. It indicated that the developed model was reliable and the machine learning algorithm combined with NIRS for origin identification was sufficiently feasible. OPLS-DA showed that Zingiberis Rhizoma from Sichuan(genuine producing areas) could be significantly distinguished from other regions, with good discriminative accuracy, suggesting that the NIRS established in this study combined with chemometrics can be used for the identification of Zingiberis Rhizoma from Sichuan. This study established a rapid and nondestructive identification and reliable data analysis method for origin identification of Zingiberis Rhizoma, which is expected to provide a new idea for the origin tracing of Chinese medicinal materials.

Research on germplasm diversity of Amomum villosum. Lour in genuine producing area.

Genuine Chinese medicine is produced from medicinal plant cultivated in a specific region and is of better quality and efficacy, more consistently qualified and famous than that from the same medicinal plant cultivated in other regions. The cultivating region of genuine medicinal plant is known as the genuine producing area. Yangchun City, which is in Guangdong Province of China, is a genuine producing area for the famous Chinese medicine Amomi Fructus (also called Sharen). Amomi Fructus is the ripe and dry fruit of the Zingiberaceae plant A. villosum Lour.. A. villosum was introduced from the Persian Gulf region and has been cultivated in China for over 1000 years. Until now there are no reports on screening for good germplasm of A. villosum. The contents of volatile oil and bornyl acetate of Amomi Fructus from 14 populations were determined with GC method, and the relative contents of the main chemical components in the volatile oils were determined with GC-MS method. Evaluation and variance analysis of the comprehensive quality of the 14 samples were conducted by means of a multi-indicator entropy-weight TOPSIS model (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) combined with OPLS-DA (Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discrimination Analysis) and HCA (Hierarchical Clustering Analysis). The ISSR (Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat) molecular marker technique and the UPGMA (unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means) were employed to analyze the genetic relationship among A. villosum populations. The contents of volatile oil and bornyl acetate differed significantly among the different populations, but the main chemical component in the volatile oil was the same in all the samples, which was bornyl acetate. OPLS-DA results showed that 9 indicators were the main factors influencing the quality differences among the 14 populations. The entropy-weight TOPSIS results showed that there were significant differences in the comprehensive qualities of the 12 populations from the genuine producing area. The best quality of fruit was found in the genuine producing area of Chunwan Town; the qualities of 33% of genuine fruits were lower than that of non-genuine fruits. Twenty-three DNA fragments were obtained by ISSR-PCR amplification using four ISSR primers, eleven of which were polymorphic loci, which accounted for 47.8%. The similarity coefficients (GS) of different populations of A. villosum ranged from 0.6087 to 0.9565. There are significant differences among different populations of A. villosum in terms of the kinds of major chemical components and their contents, comprehensive quality and genetic diversity. The germplasm resources of A. villosum are rich in the genuine producing area. It means superior germplasm could be selected in the area. The comprehensive quality of the fruit of A. villosum from the non-genuine producing area is better than some of that from genuine producing area, proving that the non-genuine producing area can also produce Amomi Fructus with excellent quality.

Identifying the habitat quality of Scutellaria baicalensis based on baicalin content using the fuzzy matter element model

Plants form the basis of sophisticated traditional medicine systems, and information on the spatial distribution of high-quality medicinal herbs is a prerequisite and foundation for their effective utilization and conservation. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, and baicalin is the main active ingredient of S. baicalensis. This research collected 470 samples of S. baicalensis through fieldwork and extracted baicalin content by high-performance liquid chromatography. We also collected 240 distribution sites from previous studies, which did not include effective content information. Then, based on 240 distribution sites of S. baicalensis and corresponding environmental variables via the MaxEnt method, we determined the distribution region of wild S. baicalensis. Next, a fuzzy matter element model was used to build the relationship between environmental variables and baicalin content. Finally, we integrated all the results to assess the habitat quality of the baicalin content in S. baicalensis across China. The results showed that compared with the genuine producing area of S. baicalensi, the high-quality habitats for a high baicalin content are further south. And the areas of habitat with high content of wild S. baicalensis based on baicalin in China were approximately 3.1 × 105 km2. The habitat of each category covered a large area in the distribution and the baicalin content differed from category to category obviously. Climatic factors wouldn’t only be an indicator for identifying the potential distribution area, but also for forming some secondary metabolites such as baicalin. In conclusion, it is necessary to label the produce place of S. baicalensis plant when used as herbal medicine. Our results provide a reference for the establishment of S. baicalensi plantations.

The cultivable endophytic fungal community of Scutellaria baicalensis: diversity and relevance to flavonoid production by the host

ABSTRACT Scutellaria baicalensis (SB), a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, is widely used because of its important pharmacological activities. However, the endophytic fungi that promote flavonoid accumulation in SB remain unclear. Therefore, we analyzed the endophytic fungal community of SB and screened the endophytic fungi that might promote flavonoid synthesis in SB. ITS1/ITS4Blast was used to identify the endophytic fungi in SB. In total, 687 strains were identified in 57 genera. The dominant genus in the leaves and stems was Alternaria and that in the roots was Fusarium. Alternaria was the dominant genus in SB collected from all sites and in wild and cultivated SB. Alpha diversity indexes indicated more abundant endophytic fungi in samples from Chengde, the genuine producing area of SB, than in those from other sites. Beta diversity index analysis indicated that SB plants with closer geographical relationships showed more similar endophytic fungal community profiles. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that baicalin, wogonoside, wogonin, and oroxylin A contents were significantly correlated with the relative abundance of Alternaria. Overall, the results indicate the importance of geographical factors in influencing the endophytic fungal community of SB and suggest that the presence of Alternaria spp. might contribute to flavonoid synthesis in SB.

Development of a highly efficient virus-free regeneration system of Salvia miltiorrhiza from Sichuan using apical meristem as explants

BcakgroundThe dry root and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza are used to treat cardiovascular diseases, chronic pain, and thoracic obstruction over 2000 years in Asian countries. For high quality, Sichuan Zhongjiang is regarded as the genuine producing area of S. miltiorrhiza. Given its abnormal pollen development, S. miltiorrhiza from Sichuan (S.m.-SC) relies on root reproduction and zymad accumulation; part of diseased plants present typical viral disease symptoms and seed quality degeneration. This study aim to detected unknown viruses from mosaic-diseased plants and establish a highly efficient virus-free regeneration system to recover germplasm properties.ResultsTobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were detected from mosaic-diseased plants. Primary apical meristem with two phyllo podium in 0.15–0.5 mm peeled from diseased plants were achieved 73.33% virus-free rate. The results showed that the medium containing MS, 0.5 mg/L 6-BA, 0.1 mg/L NAA, 0.1 mg/L GA3, 30 g/L sucrose and 7.5 g/L agar can achieve embryonic-tissue (apical meristem, petiole and leaf callus) high efficient organogenesis. For callus induction, the optimal condition was detected on the medium containing MS, 2 mg/L TDZ, 0.1 mg/L NAA by using secondary petiole of virus-free plants under 24 h dark/d condition for 21 d. The optimal system for root induction was the nutrient solution with 1/2 MS supplemented with 1 mg/L NAA. After transplant, the detection of agronomic metric and salvianolic acid B content confirmed the great germplasm properties of S.m.-SC virus-free plants.ConclusionsA highly efficient virus-free regeneration system of S.m.-SC was established based on the detected viruses to recover superior seed quality. The proposed system laid support to control disease spread, recover good germplasm properties in S.m.-SC.

Distribution Characteristics of Nutritional Elements and Combined Health Risk of Heavy Metals in Medicinal Tea from Genuine Producing Area of China.

The development of the medicinal tea (MT) system has promoted the health awareness in the whole world, and the nutritional elements are also an important resource of health care delivery except for the medicinal components. Among various medicinal teas, Astragalus membranaceus (AM), Zingiberaceae rhizome (ZR), and Lonicera japonica (LJ) were the most popular ingredients in China. However, except for the nutrition value, MT was inevitably contaminated with heavy metals due to the special planting environment and processing system. This study was aimed to investigate the distribution characteristics of nutrition elements and combined health risk of heavy metals in MT sample, referring to the maximum residue limit (MRL), estimated daily intake (EDI), total target hazard quotients (TTHQs), and lifetime cancer risk (LCR). Furthermore, the bioaccessibility of gastrointestinal phase and bioavailability of human colon adeno carcinoma cell line were selected for elaborating the exact damage degree to human digestive system. The results showed that, the nutritional elements of Na, Se, K, Ca, and Mn were very rich in MT, but a total of 50% of MT were contaminated by Cr, Hg, and Cd in raw material. Although the cumulative lifetime cancer risk can be accepted under the bioaccessibility (26.62-99.27%), the heavy metals of Cr, As, Hg, and Fe in AM and LJ posed a slight threaten of non-carcinogenic risk to consumers. This study will give an exactly assessment of multiple elements in digestive system, thus further to predict the potential health risk under the consumption of MT products.

Planning of ecologically suitable areas for Ligusticum chuanxiong under background of soil cadmium pollution

Chuanxiong Rhizoma is a traditional Chinese medicinal material mainly produced in Sichuan and Chongqing of China. In recent years, the cadmium content in Chuanxiong Rhizoma produced in most of the genuine producing areas has exceeded the standard, which makes Chuanxiong Rhizoma difficult to be exported. To solve the problem of excessive cadmium content in soil, this study employed the MaxEnt model to simulate the potential geographic distribution of Ligusticum chuanxiong and evaluate important environmental factors, and re-plan its ecologically suitable areas based on the mineral distribution characteristics and soil cadmium pollution status. The results showed that the places suitable for L. chuanxiong growing covered an area of 335 523.69 km~2, mainly in central and eastern Sichuan, southern Shaanxi and most parts of Chongqing. Among them, the highly suitable areas of L. chuanxiong were mainly concentrated in Chengdu, Ya'an, Deyang, and Mianyang. Solar radiation, annual precipitation, and annual range of temperature were evaluated as important variables affecting the distribution of L. chuanxiong, with the contribution rates of 62.3%, 13.3%, and 6.8%, respectively. In addition, Qionglai county, Chongqing county, Mianyang city(Youxian district and Fucheng district), Qingchuan county, and Xinjin county were classified into the first-class ecologically suitable zone, covering a total area of 2 768.87 km~2. The se-cond-class ecologically suitable zone was even wider, involving such counties as Tongjiang county, Renshou county, Jianyang county, and Nanjiang county, and the total area reached 43 616.92 km~2. The re-planning of the ecologically suitable areas for L. chuanxiong has provided strong data support for the cultivation and resource development of L. chuanxiong and also new ideas for solving the problem of excessive cadmium content in L. chuanxiong.

Effects of plastic film mulching on soil quality, growth of Angelica sinensis, and weed occurrence in cold and humid areas

We analyzed the growth dynamic and bolting rate of Angelica sinensis, soil quality and enzyme activities and weed density and control effect in a field experiment under different mulching patterns, to provide theoretical basis for the application of plastic film in genuine producing area of A. sinensis. The planting patterns were conducted as hole seeding under ridging with plastic-film mulching (LS), trenching and slant planting under film-side cultivation (MC) and trenching and slant planting in open field (LD). Our results showed that, 1) compared with LD, soil organic matter content in top layer under the treatments of LS and MC was increased by 4.4% and 14.3%, respectively, with that under MC being statistically significant. Soil bulk density was significantly decreased by 11.6% and 8.5%, while pH was significantly decreased by 4.6% and 1.7%. The activities of soil sucrase, phosphatase and urease were significantly increased by the two mulching methods, but that of catalase was inhibited to a certain extent. 2) Mulching film improved the speed of returning green after transplanting, the early bolting rate, and the individual medicinal quality of A. sinensis. MC showed the fastest, the most uniform, and the highest greening rate. LS bolting rate was the highest, and the fresh mass of MC and LS was significantly increased by 20.4% and 58.4%, respectively. 3) Weed density under the treatment of MC and LS was significantly reduced by 34.0% and 25.8%. Compared with LS, MC significantly increased the control effect of plant and fresh mass by 21.7% and 63.4%, respectively. In conclusion, film cultivation methods could improve the environment for root growth, reduce weed density, improve weed control effect, and promote growth process and substance accumulation, but could promote the bolting of A. sinensis in early phase.

Herbal textual research on Chuanxiong Rhizoma in Chinese classical prescriptions

Fourteen classical prescriptions in the Catalog of 100 Ancient Classical Prescriptions(First Batch) promulgated in 2018 contain Chuanxiong Rhizoma, which reveals the high medicinal value and wide application of Chuanxiong Rhizoma. This paper systematically reviews the ancient herbal books and modern literature to explore the name, origin, genuine producing area, medicinal part, harvesting, and processing of Chuanxiong Rhizoma, thus facilitating the development of classical prescriptions containing Chuan-xiong Rhizoma. It is confirmed that Chuanxiong Rhizoma, formerly known as &quot;Xiongqiong&quot; in Chinese, was first called &quot;Chuanxiong&quot; in late Tang Dynasty, which has been gradually accepted as its official name due to the rise of the status of Chuanxiong Rhizoma produced in Sichuan. The main original plant of Chuanxiong Rhizoma in past dynasties has always been deemed to be Ligusticum chuan-xiong(Umbellifera), whose rhizome serves as the medicinal part. In general, it is best harvested in summer but the harvesting time can vary with different growth environments. Since the Song Dynasty, Sichuan province has been recognized as the genuine producing area of Chuanxiong Rhizoma in light of the high yield and good quality. It is suggested that Chuanxiong Rhizoma from Sichuan be used preferentially in the development of classical prescriptions. There are multiple processing methods of Chuanxiong Rhizoma recorded in ancient medical classics, and the raw(after purifying and slicing) or wine-processed or stir-fried Chuanxiong Rhizoma is still in use today. In the development of classical prescriptions containing Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Chuanxiong Rhizoma is advised to be processed in accordance with current processing standards if the specific processing method is described in the medical classics. If not, the raw Chuanxiong Rhizoma is preferred and then processed following the processing standards of Chuanxiong Rhizoma decoction pieces in Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Suitable planting area of Poria cocos in Jinzhai county of Dabie Mountains region

Dabie Mountain in Anhui province is a genuine producing area of Poria cocos, commonly known as Anling. Jinzhai county in Anhui province is a traditional producing area of P. cocos, and it is also a key county for poverty alleviation in Dabie Mountains. Poverty alleviation of traditional Chinese medicine producing area is an important measure to implement the major strategic deployment of the central government. The planting of P. cocos is helpful to promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry in Dabie Mountains and help poverty alleviation. P. cocos is a saprophytic fungus with special demands on soil and ecological environment, and its planting appears a scattered and irregular distribution. Traditional investigation methods are time-consuming and laborious, and the results are greatly influenced by subjective factors. In order to obtain the suitable planting area of P. cocos in Jinzhai county, according to the field survey, the research team has explored the regional, biological characteristics and cultivation methods of P. cocos in the county, and obtained the altitude distribution area suitable for the growth of P. cocos. Then, the MaxEnt niche model was used to analyze the relationship between ecological factors and distribution areas, and the potential distribution zoning of P. cocos in Jinzhai county was studied. Combined with the characteristics of P. cocos planting pattern, taking ZY-3 remote sensing image as the data source, the maximum likelihood method was used to extract the area that could be used for P. cocos cultivation in Jinzhai county, and the reason why artificial planting P. cocos was mainly distributed in the west of Jinzhai county was analyzed. The suitable regional classification of P. cocos in Jinzhai county was obtained by superposition of suitable altitude distribution area, MaxEnt analysis and area extracted from remote sensing image, which provided data support for the planting planning of P. cocos in Jinzhai county.

Variety evolution and herbal textual research on "Dihuang" in Chinese classical prescriptions

Rehmanniae Radix (Dihuang in Chinese) is a commonly used medicinal herb in a long history, raw Dihuang, dried Dihuang, processed Dihuang and other varieties have been recorded in the classical prescriptions of past dynasties. In order to clarify the origin and variety evolution of different processed products of Dihuang in Chinese classical prescriptions, ancient herbal books were examined in this paper. Both ancient and modern Dihuang is derived from Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. in Scrophulariaceae, and R. chingii Li has been used as local medication. Dihuang has been cultivated since the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the cultivation technique was mature in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Huaiqing Prefecture of Henan Province has been regarded as its genuine producing area. "Dried Dihuang" in Shennong Bencao Jing(, Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica) included raw Dihuang and processed Dihuang. Mingyi Bielu(, Alternative Records of Famous Physicians) has described "raw Dihuang" and "Dried Dihuang" separately, in which "raw Dihuang" should be fresh Dihuang in modern times. Bencao Tujing(, Illustration of Materia Medica) in the Song Dynasty has recorded "raw Dihuang" and "processed Dihuang" correspondingly. The "raw Dihuang" was similar to today's raw Dihuang. "Processed Dihuang" has been recorded in the prescriptions of the Qin and Han Dynasties, which was independently described in the Song Dynasty. The processing methods of processed Dihuang were various in the Ming Dynasty. Processed Dihuang mainly refers to the dried products after stewing with wine or steaming until dark, and the processing methods tend to be simplified in modern times. "Raw and dried Dihuang" and "dried and processed Dihuang" have been independently recorded first in ancient herbal books of the Ming Dynasty, which is the raw Dihuang and processed Dihuang, respectively. This paper has sorted out the varieties of Dihuang, providing a basis of herbology for the origin and processing of traditional Chinese medicinal materials of Dihuang.

Advances in quality research of Cinnamomum cassia

Cinnamomum cassis is one of the commonly used traditional Chinese medicines in China. Its genuine producing areas distribute in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. As an important edible herb and export variety of China, the quality control and internationalization of quality standards of C. cassis is extremely significant. In the recent years, with the development of the cinnamon industry, relevant academic research and the upgrade of the international standards, it is necessary to summarize the quality-related progress of C. cassis. In the present review, the germplasm resources, specific quality marker(Q-marker) and quality standards of C. cassis were summarized on the basis of published research during the last 10 years.