Effects of Different Storage Methods and Storage Time on the Quality of Codonopsis pilosula

[Objectives]To study the effects of different storage methods and storage time on the quality of Codonopsis pilosula.[Methods]Experiment was performed by setting three different storage methods and times.[Results]When stored for 12 months,the extract content in the natural storage,conventional sealing,and controlled atmosphere storage was slightly lower than 77.32%before storage,and decreased by 2.82%,3.62%,and 1.71%,respectively.When stored for 18 months,the extract content was 74.14%,73.21%,and 72.08%,decreased by 4.11%,5.31%,and 6.78%,respectively compared with that before storage,all of which met the specified content in Chinese Pharmacopoeia.[Conclusions]The three storage times had significant effects on moisture and extract content of C.pilosula,but had no significant effects on atractylenolide III.With the extension of storage time,the moisture,extract,and content declined,so the storage time theoretically should not exceed 12 months.

Effects of Different Seedling Grades on Yield and Commercial Quality of Codonopsis pilosula

[Objectives] This study was conducted to further explore the yield increasing potential of Codonopsis pilosula, and to seek seedlings suitable for efficient production of C. pilosula. [Methods] The effects of C. pilosula seedlings of different sizes on root yield and commercial quality under different cultivation densities were studied. [Results] The fourth-grade seedlings had the least input, the highest yield of 6 948 kg/hm^2, the largest output-to-input ratio at 18.3, the highest root weight proportion of the second-grade product at 58.1%, and the lowest root weight proportion of the first-grade product at 17.6%. Considering the yield, quality and economic benefits comprehensively, the treatment of the fourth-grade seedlings(seedling diameter≤4 mm) is the best choice, and the suitable plant spacing is 8 cm×22 cm. [Conclusions] The study provided a reference basis for the cost saving and efficiency improvement of C. pilosula production.

Quality evaluation of Farfarae Flos by ITS/ITS2 and HPLC fingerprint analysis

The flower bud of Tussilago farfara L.,also known as Farfarae Flos(FF),is commonly used in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)for the treatment of cough,bronchitis and asthmatic disorders.In this study,26 samples from five provinces across northern China were collected,and internal transcribed spacer-polymerase chain reaction(ITS-PCR)coupled with high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)fingerprint profiling was used for the quality evaluation of FF.The results of the ITS sequence analysis showed the high similarity values among these samples.ITS2 sequence exhibited less molecular diversity compared with ITS1,and no obvious correlation was found between the variation of ITS with the production areas or cultivation methods.The results of HPLC fingerprints in combination with the similarity analysis suggested that relative contents of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids varied among the 26 FF samples,and there was also no obvious difference among the different habitats.The phenylpropanoids and the flavonoids showed similar fluctuating patterns,and positive correlation among them was also observed.The results presented in this study suggested that FF from different habits showed high similarities,and ITS-PCR coupled with HPLC fingerprint profiling could be used as a valuable approach for the quality evaluation of FF.