ITS2,a Better DNA Barcode than ITS in Identification of Species in Artemisia L.

Objective To select a more suitable DNA barcode to identify the species in Artemisia L. Methods ITS, ITS2, and three other major universal barcode candidates（mat K, rbc L, and psb A-trn H） were evaluated in the identification efficiency using a total of 1433 sequences downloaded from Gen Bank representing 343 species in Artemisia L. ITS and ITS2 were evaluated in the PCR and sequencing rate, sequencing peak quality（Q value）, and misread rate. One hundred and twelve A. annua samples were collected from 11 populations across over China, which were amplified with universal primers on the ITS and ITS2 regions. Results ITS and ITS2 shared a higher identification efficiency and exhibited 71.43% and 64.11% detectability at the species level, respectively. The Q values of ITS and ITS2 showed that the direct PCR sequencing data were reliable for the ITS2 region and ITS exhibited poor sequencing trace quality. In certain sites, the ITS sequences exhibited reading ambiguities and errors, indicating that the misread and deletion sites in the ITS region would incorrectly inflate the identification ratio. Conclusion ITS2 is a suitable barcode for identification of species in Artemisia L., which enlarges the optimal range of divergence levels for taxonomic inferences using ITS2 sequences.

Values,properties and utility of different parts of Moringa oleifera:An overview

Moringa oleifera is one of the most widespread species belonging to family Moringaceae. Almost each part of this tree has enormous properties in nutrition, medicine, or other industrial purposes. This review mainly introduces nutritional ingredients, bioactive compounds, applications, and potentials of this tree,including leaves, seeds, pods, flowers, root barks, and gum, in order to bring convenience to industries and researchers all over the world focusing on each part of this amazing plant. Moreover, the review also analyzes the current application situation of M. oleifera in China. After summarizing the recent researches of M. oleifera, we conclude that most current researches focus on the leaves and seeds of this plant, and the most concerned property of M. oleifera is the antioxidant ability. However, the molecular mechanisms under its multiple properties need further studies.

How to improve CHMs quality:Enlighten from CHMs ecological cultivation

Chinese herbal medicines(CHMs)are one of the important bioresources of medicine,which works by unlocking nature’s ability to prevent diseases and recover from illnesses.Recently,it has ascended to the world stage and become a global icon.Nowadays,a considerable of researches have focused on the quality evaluation of CHMs.However,it is difficult to meet the reasonable needs of human beings for safe drug use to evaluate the quality of a huge number of inferior goods for the CHMs contaminated by pesticides and heavy metals.Hence to explore an eligible medicinal plant cultivation pattern,which can provide high quality CHMs sustainably,is most promising.This review analyzed the situation and characteristics of medicinal plant resources in different periods,including wild-harvested and cultivated resources during different stages,putting forward that ecological cultivation must be the way to develop medicinal plant cultivation and to obtain high quality CHMs.

Authenticity Survey of Cuscutae Semen on Markets Using DNA Barcoding

Objective Using authentic raw herbal materials is fundamental to herbal medicine quality. Cuscuta chinensis and C. australis are two important species of Cuscutae Semen recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Due to having tiny bodies of seeds, it is extremely difficult to differentiate them from adulterants and closely related species by morphologic characteristics, leading to serious safety problems. Methods In this study, we developed a fast and efficient method to identify Cuscutae Semen on the market. First, a total of 207 ITS2 sequences representing 45 related species of Cuscutae Semen were collected to construct a standard DNA barcode database, then 33 commercial samples purchased from markets were analyzed by BLAST, and Neighbor-joining tree was used to verify the efficacy of the database. Results The percentage of counterfeits and adulterants in the 33 commercial samples were up to 69.7%, and only 10 commercial products were found to be genuine. The adulterated species included 11 species （Amaranthus hybridus, Brassica carinata, Brassica juncea var. megarrhiza, Chenopodium album, Corispermum heptapotamicum, Cuscuta alata, Cuscuta japonica, Cuscuta monogyna, Foeniculum vulgare, Glycine max, and Medicago sativa）. Conclusion DNA barcoding is a fast and efficient method to identify Cuscutae Semen on the market.

Progress on research of tissue culture of Bletilla striata

Rhizoma Bletillae is in high demand as a traditional Chinese medicine, and the natural resources have been severely damaged due to excessive exploitation. Because Bletilla striata seeds are small and have no endosperm, the seed germination rate is low in natural conditions. Traditional division propagation could not meet the demands of large-scale cultivation. Tissue culture can provide many seedlings in a short time and is more effective and convenient than other methods. Most studies on tissue culture of B. striata selected seeds as explants. This review summarized the processes of the aseptic seed germination pathway. It included such stages as seed germination, proliferation of clusters of buds, induction of root- ing and transplanting of seedlings. Influential factors as well as optimum combination and concentration of the plant growth regulators of each stage were also summarized. The further research on tissue culture of B. striata was also prospected.

Identification of flower herbs in Chinese pharmacopoeia based on DNA barcoding

Objective: Flower herbs are an important category of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, some of which are used as healthcare tea in folk. However, the increasing adulteration of medicinal herbs is threatening consumer safety. The adulteration of flower herbs and their healthcare tea products in the market were investigated.Methods: A total of 33 flower herb samples from several retail pharmacies in China were randomly collected and 27 flower healthcare tea samples were purchased online. They were identified using ITS2-based Traditional Chinese Medicine Database(TCMD). Additionally, Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and the adulterants were compared in the ITS2 secondary structures.Results: There were one adulterant(Inulae Flos) in flower herb materials and eight adulterants in healthcare tea samples. Inula linariifolia was an adulterate species of Inulae Flos, Robinia pseudoacacia was of Sophorae Flos, and Lonicera macranthoides was of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos. Sophorae Flos and Lonicerae Japonicae Flos were two healthcare tea products with high adulteration rates.Conclusion: The TCMD is powerful tool to identify flower herbs and the adulterants that frequently occurred in the flower herb market, especially online shops.