Development of a validated UPLC-qTOF-MS/MS method for determination of bioactive constituent from Glycyrrhiza glabra

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry （UPLC-qTOF-MS/MS） method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetic acid. These analytes were separated on a reverse phase C18 column using a mobile phase of acetonitrile：2% acetic acid in water （75：25, v/v） with a flow rate of 200 μL/min. The qTOF-MS was operated under multiple reaction monitoring （MRM） mode using the electrospray ionization （ESI） technique with positive ion polarity. A comparison of three different extraction techniques i.e. accelerated solvent extraction （ASE）, extraction under ultrasonic waves （USW） and the classical extraction by percolation （CE） method was done and quantification of these extracts was also carried out by the proposed method.

Comprehensive Suitability Evaluation of Tea Crops Using GIS and a Modified Land Ecological Suitability Evaluation Model

Tea(Camellia sinensis) is one of the most valuable cash crops in southern China;however,the planting distribution of tea crops is not optimal and the production and cultivation regions of tea crops are restricted by law and custom.In order to evaluate the suitability of tea crops in Zhejiang Province,the annual mean temperature,the annual accumulated temperature above 10 C,the frequency of extremely low temperature below 13 C,the mean humidity from April to October,slope,aspect,altitude,soil type,and soil texture were selected from climate,topography,and soil factors as factors for land ecological evaluation by the Delphi method based on the ecological characteristics of tea crops.These nine factors were quantitatively analyzed using a geographic information system(GIS).The grey relational analysis(GRA) was combined with the analytic hierarchy process(AHP) to address the uncertainties during the process of evaluating the traditional land ecological suitability,and a modified land ecological suitability evaluation(LESE) model was built.Based on the land-use map of Zhejiang Province,the regions that were completely unsuitable for tea cultivation in the province were eliminated and then the spatial distribution of the ecological suitability of tea crops was generated using the modified LESE model and GIS.The results demonstrated that the highly,moderately,and non-suitable regions for the cultivation of tea crops in Zhejiang Province were 27 552.66,42 724.64,and 26 507.97 km 2,and accounted for 28.47%,44.14%,and 27.39% of the total evaluation area,respectively.Validation of the method showed a high degree of coincidence with the current planting distribution of tea crops in Zhejiang Province.The modified LESE model combined with GIS could be useful in quickly and accurately evaluating the land ecological suitability of tea crops,providing a scientific basis for the rational distribution of tea crops and acting as a reference to land policy makers and land use planners.

Heavy metal phytoextraction by Sedum alfredii is affected by continual clipping and phosphorus fertilization amendment

Improving the efficacy of phytoextraction is critical for its successful application in metal contaminated soils. Mineral nutrition affects plant growth and metal absorption and subsequently the accumulation of heavy metal through hyper-accumulator plants. This study assessed the effects of di-hydrogen phosphates （KH2PO4, Ca（H2PO4）2, NaH2PO4 and NH4H2PO4） application at three levels （22, 88 and 352 mg P/kg soil） on Sedum alfredii growth and metal uptake by three consecutive harvests on aged and Zn/Cd combined contaminated paddy soil. The addition of phosphates （P） significantly increased the amount of Zn taken up by S. alfredii due to increased shoot Zn concentration and dry matter yield （DMY） （P 〈 0.05）. The highest phytoextraction of Zn and Cd was observed in KH2PO4 and NH4H2PO4 treatment at 352 mg P/kg soil. The amount of Zn removed by phytoextraction increased in the order of 1st clipping 〈 2nd clipping 〈 3rd clipping, and for Cd extraction the order was 2nd clipping 〈 1st clipping 〈 3rd clipping. These results indicate that the application of P fertilizers coupled with multiple cuttings can enhance the removal of Zn and Cd from contaminated soils by S. alfredii, thus shortening the time needed for accomplishing remediation goals.