Investigation of Heavy Metal Contents in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine Peristrophe roxburghiana Collected from Northwest of Guangxi

Objective] This study was conducted to evaluate the product quality and safety of Peristrophe roxburghiana_ col ected from different places in Hechi City, northwest of Gunagxi, so as to provide basic data for further development and uti-lization of the characteristic plant resource P. roxburghiana. [Method] Contents of 9 kinds of heavy metals including Cd, Mn, Pb, Zn and Cu in the herb were deter-mined by the method of wet digestion-flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry and atomic fluorescence spectrometry, respectively. [Results] Heavy metal contents of Cd, Mn, Pb, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Hg and Se were 1.62-17.25, 8.93-142.53, 4.37-18.43, 103.7-242.81, 2.55-5.35, 85.40-146.30, 0.07-0.54, 0.00-0.08 and 0.00-0.47 mg/kg, respectively. According to the national food safety standards and Green Trade Standards of lmporting ＆amp; Exporting Medicinal plants ＆amp; Preparations, the heavy metal contents of the P. roxburghiana_samples col ected from different coun-ties in Hechi City exceeded standards or at the critical values. Among which, Cd, Pb and Zn contents of the samples are seriously higher than the standards. [Con-clusion] Therefore, the impact of soil heavy metal pol ution on the safety of edible plants in the northwest of Guangxi should be highly concerned.

Effects of Different Boric Fertilizers on Growth,Yield and Quality of Strawberry

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the effect of different boric fer- tilizer on the growth, yield and quality of strawberry. [Method] With a strawberry cultivar Hongyan as the test material, water, borax and foliar disodium octoborate tetrahydrate was respectively sprayed to the leaves of strawberry four times from the squaring stage on. At the initial flowering stage and mature stage, the plant height, stem diameter, leaf area and petiole length of strawberry were measured; at the harvest time, the single fruit weight of strawberry was measured; and at the mature stage, the VC, sugar and organic acids contents in the strawberry fruit were determined. [Result] Compared with the control group, the spraying of foliar disodi- um octoborate tetrahydrate promoted the growth and significantly increased the plant height and leaf area of strawberry. However, no significant difference was found in root shoot ratio of strawberry between foliar disodium octoborate tetrahydrate treat- ment and the control group. Spraying of boric fertilizers significantly increased the single fruit weight and yield of strawberry. Compare with the control group, the spraying of foliar disodium octoborate tetrahydrate and borax increased the single fruit weight of strawberry by 20.14% and 4.86% respectively, and increased the yield of strawberry by 17.28% and 4.02% respectively. Compared with borax treat- ment and the control group, spraying of foliar disodium octoborate tetrahydrate im- proved the quality, i.e., increased the VC content, soluble solids content and sugar- acid ratio in strawberry fruit. The B content in leaf of strawberry was increased after foliar B fertilization. Among the three groups, the B content in leaf of strawberry ranked as disodium octoborate tetrahydrate treatment＇s 〉 borax treatment＇s 〉 con- trol＇s. [Conclusion] Spraying foliar disodium octoborate tetrahydrate can promote the growth, yield and quality of strawberry.

Madagascar High Lands Dry Season Forages： Lofium multiflorum （Italian Ray Grass） and Avena sativa （Oat）

Italian ray grass and oat are two grass species characterized by their ability to adjust tropical climate conditions. This study proposed to assess forage productivities to allow an appropriate mowing period determination in their use as dairy female feed in Madagascar. A test on small plots has been set up in the southern part of the capital city Antananarivo during one dry period （4 months）. Live observations followed by laboratory proximate analyses have been performed for forage productivity and feeding value determination. Cultivated on tanety （hill）, irrigated in counter season, results show that： （I） oat higher height （H = 96.7 cm） than Italian ray grass （H= 69.4 cm） at 99 days of age; （2） similar biomass productivity; （3） dry matter yields significantly different （p = 0.05）; （4） certain similarity between dry matter yields and FMU （fodder milk unit） score evolution; （5） leafy stage of Italian ray grasses at 99 days of age; （6） mid-flowering stage for oats during the same period. Cell wall content, crude fiber and dry matter contents increased with age （p = 0.05）. Crude proteins and minerals evolved in opposite directions. Gross energy content did not present precise variation with age. This study allowed that for an acceptable quantitative and qualitative production during dry seasons, good mowing period for Italian ray grass could start at 76 days age, while oat could start being harvested at 68 days.