Main nutrients and functional ingredients in shoots of Polygonatum cyrtonema / 中国中药杂志

In order to reveal the main nutrients and functional ingredients in the shoots of Polygonatum cyrtonema, the polysaccharides, proteins, amino acids, and total phenols were determined. The tested samples cultured in Ma'nijiaonong, Hengtang village, Tianmushan town, Lin'an, Zhejiang, which were collected from three provenances(Pan'an and Longquan in Zhejiang and Qingyang in Anhui). The results showed that the polysaccharide content of the shoots varied from 2.34% to 12.73%, roughly one-third of rhizomes. The protein content varied from 107.75 to 192.49 mg·g~(-1), nearly 5.50 times more than rhizomes. Moreover, the average of total amino acid content was 193.13-248.74 mg·g~(-1), approximately 4.16 times of rhizomes. And the essential amino acids account for 35.57%-39.44% of the total amino acids content, which was close to the standard of the ideal protein proposed by FAO/WHO(the essential amino acid/total amino acid is about 40%). In addition, the taste amino acids(TaAA) changed from 160.12 to 208.29 mg·g~(-1), revealing the material basis of "shoots were extremely delicious" in Chinese ancient herbal medicine. Additionally, the total phenols varied from 51.21-58.76 mg·g~(-1), about 2.96 times of rhizomes. The DPPH free radical scavenging rate of tested shoots was over 95%, which obviously superior to rhizomes. Therefore, the shoots of P. cyrtonema is a very high-quality vegetable and functional food with good development potential. Furthermore, the main nutrients and functional substances in P. cyrtonema shoots are closely related to the provenances and harvesting seasons. It is important to improve the quality and yield of the shoots by strengthening the variety of breeding and cultivation techniques.

Dynamic changes of endogenous phytohormones during after-ripening process of Panax notoginseng seeds / 中草药

Objective: The studies were carried out on the endogenous phytohormone changes of Panax notoginseng seeds during the after-ripening process in order to understand the machanism of endogenous phytohormones (GA, IAA, ZR, and ABA) in the process of embryo development and dormancy release. Methods: Dynamic changes of endogenous phytohormones of P. notoginseng seeds were measured by ELISA method through the entire after-ripening process. Results: The contents of endogenous GA, IAA, and ZR increased with the embryo development, while the ABA content decreased contrarily. Conclusion: The change of phytohormone balance is one of determining factors for relieving dormancy and promoting germination of P. notoginseng seeds.