Akebia ― a valuable wild fruit under domestication

Akebia is a wild fruit originating in the Yangtse river valley and the surrounding areas. It includes mainly three species （subspecies）： Akebia trifoliata, Akebia trifoliata subsp, australis, and Akebia quinata. It has many good traits, such as large fruit size, early fruit-setting and high yield, excellent eating quality, and good environmental adaptability. However, there are some shortcomings with the fruit, including thick skin, excessive number of seeds, and relatively small proportion of edible flesh. Akebia is also a traditional Chinese medicine, which has the functions of relieving internal heat and diuresis, dredging venation and improving blood circulation, cleansing facial chloasma, detoxication and anti-cancer activities. Akebia can be used as fresh fruit, for processing, and for pharmaceutical purposes. We have been undertaking a series of research on the domestication and utilization of Akebia, including cultivar selection, techniques for cultivation, storage and processing, and related basic studies. A Chinese trade name “Hehuanguo” and an English trade name “Joyfruit” have been registered for Akebia to facilitate its commercial development.

螺旋藻的研究概况

螺旋藻为颤藻科原生生物钝顶螺旋藻(spirulia platensis)的干燥藻体加工制成的产品。是一种多细胞型丝状微生物,螺旋形是螺旋藻属的特性。螺旋藻中含有多种营养成分,是目前所知食物中营养成分最充分、最全面、最均衡的。含人体所必需的几乎全部营养。

Fifty Years of Botanical Gardens in China

The development, distribution and features of one hundred and forty botanical gardens (BGs) in China are reported and their functions on research, conservation, display and utilization of biodiversity are summarized in this paper. The contributions to the social and economic development in the early stage of Chinese BGs with the researches of economic plant (tobacco), medicinal plant (yam) and wild fruit tree resources are evaluated. The theoretical and applied achievements in recent years in seed science, plant conservation, economic plant introduction, acclimatization and breeding are also described. A general scope of living plant collections in Chinese BGs is presented and the outstanding ones, including Magnoliaceae, Zingiberaceae, Cycadaceae, medicinal plants, Actinidia and Rhododendron are particularly mentioned. With special reference to Chinese penjing art garden and silicified wood garden, the development of scientific popularization and tourism in BGs is reviewed.

Antiviral activities of extracts from Hong Kong seaweeds

We extracted six Hong Kong brown seaweed species with hot water for their antiviral properties. The cytotoxicity and antiviral activity of these extracts were tested by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenlytetrezolium bromide] method, cytopathic effect reduction assay, and plaque reduction assay. The antiviral effect was further determined by flow cytometric analysis. The results showed that most of these extracts inhibited the propagation of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) standard strains with very low cytotoxicity to the host cells. The extracts of Hydroclathrus clathratus and Lobophora variegata showed more potential anti-HSV activities than the extracts of the other four seaweeds. They also had moderate anti- respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activities but could not inhibit influenza A virus. Hydroclathrus clathratus was further extracted by diluted acid and alkali and the antiviral effects of the extracts were also detected. The result showed that the hot water extract contained the main carbohydrate components that exhibited the antiviral activities against various strains of HSV, including the acyclovir-resistant strain. HI-3, a compound fractionated from this hot water extract, showed a dose-dependent anti-HSV activity in flow cytometric analysis and plaque reduction assay.

Main Wild Medical Fungi and Their Functions in Eastern Forest Region of Zhongtiao Mountain in Shanxi Province

A total of 21 species of wild medical fungi have been currently found in Zhongtiao Mountain,including wild Ganoderma spp.,Bai Lingzhi,Ganoderma applanatum（Pers.） Pat.,Phellinus igniarius（L.ex Fr.） in mulberry tree,Phellinus pini,Fomitopsis rosea Karst,Pyropolyporus adamantinus,Fomes fomentarius,Ganoderma mastoporum Pat,Inonotus obliquus,Fuscoporia punctate,Ganoderma tsugae,Trametes versicolor,Trametes orientalis Imaz,Laetiporus sulphureus,Ganoderma capense（Lloyd） Teng,Hericium erinaceus,Lycoperdon bovista,Polyporus umbellatus Fries,Wolfiporia extensa and Cordyceps barnesii Thwaites.In this paper,the main functions of the major fungi species in eastern forest region of Zhongtiao Mountain in Shanxi Province were introduced.

THE EFFECT OF ANISODAMINE ON CEREBRAL RESUSCITATION OF RATS IN ACUTE CEREBRAL ISCHEMIA FROM CARDIAC ARREST

In order to investigate the mechanisms of acute cerebral ischemia, and to look for effective drugs on cerebral resuscitation, we made a model of acute complete global brain ischemia, reperfusion and resuscitation on rats according to Garavilla's method.Our results showed that the event of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury could resuh in the increase of total brain calcium content, and anisodamine has the same reducing brain calcium contents as diltiazem's, while improving neurological outcome and alleviating injury to neurons.

Multiple biological functions and pharmacological effects of lycorine

Lycorine is the major active component from the amaryllidaceae family plant Lycoris radiate,a represent traditional Chinese medicinal herb,and is one of the typical alkaloids with pyrrolophenanthridine nucleus core.Lycorine has drawn great interest in medicinal field due to its divergent chemical structures and multiple biological functions,as well as pharmacological effects on various diseases.Accumulated evidence shows that lycorine not only possesses strong pharmacological effects on many diseases,including anti-leukemia,anti-tumor,anti-angiogenesis,anti-virus,anti-bacteria,anti-inflammation,and anti-malaria,but also exerts many other biological functions,such as inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and topoisomerase,suppression of ascorbic acid biosynthesis,and control of circadian period length.Notably,lycorine exhibits its numerous pharmacological effects on various diseases with very low toxicity and mild side effects.The divergent chemical structures,multiple biological functions,and very low toxicity of lycorine imply that the agent is a potential drug candidate that warrants for further preclinical and clinic investigation.