ABSTRACT
The family Gentianaceae are found mostly on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, which have important medicinal properties. Based on 27 published complete chloroplast genome sequences from Gentiana, Swertia, Halenia, Menyanthes, and Nymphoides of Gentianaceae, the chloroplast genome structure was analyzed. The cp genome sizes of 27 taxa range from 137 to 154 kb, and they contain 101-114 unique genes, including 67-80 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. Also, a Bayesian phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the 27 cp genome sequences with Pentalinon luteum (Apocynaceae) as the outgroup. The tree was topologically consistent with the treatments of traditional taxonomy, and the cp genome sequences have genus- or section-level resolution. In addition, we reviewed the significance of species identification within the family. These cp genome sequences could provide basic data for the endangered species conservation, the genetic analysis and pharmacognostic researches of herbs from Gentianaceae.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To accelerate the development of nation medicine, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with content analysis of index compound, cluster analysis (HCA), and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to evaluate and discriminate three kinds of national folk medicinal plants, Swertia davidi, S. punicea, and S. angustifolia. Methods: The chromatograms of 27 samples from three kinds of Swertia L. were collected. The chromatograms were imported in Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Chinese Materia Medica 2004A to obtain data retention time and peak area of samples. Three sets of samples of similarity were analyzed. The peak area data were imported in SPSS and SIMCA-P+ software for cluster analysis and principal component analysis, dendrogram and principal component scores were obtained, and the clustering effect was observed. Results: The line relationship of this way was good (R2 > 0.9993), with high precision instrument (RSD of 0.19%-2.45%), the method had good reproducibility (RSD of 0-1.77%), recovery was between 95.8% and 102.3% (RSD of 0.45%-2.81%). Three kinds of Swertia L. medicinal plants were different in the contents of index compounds, and the contents of index compounds in the same species were different. Swertiamarin: S. davidi (0.54-10.05 mg/g), S. angustifolia (undetectable), S. punicea (1.76-15.62 mg/g); gentiopicroside: S. davidi (4.27-11.18 mg/g), S. angustifolia (0.26-3.58 mg/g), S. punicea (1.13-16.11 mg/g); sweroside: S. davidi (0.02-0.28 mg/g), S. angustifolia (0.02-0.14 mg/g), S. punicea (0.11-44.52 mg/g); mangiferin: S. davidi (0.14-0.55 mg/g), S. angustifolia (0.03-0.04 mg/g), S. punicea (0.01-13.49 mg/g). The accuracy of dendrogram classification was 85.2%. The contents of index compounds of three false anomalies were less than the remaining nine samples of S. punicea. The effect of discrimination by PCA scores plot of three Swertia L. plants was good, and S. punicea with dispersive distribution indicated that the individuals were significant difference. Conclusion: The method to evaluate and discriminate three Swertia L. medicinal plants is feasible by UPLC combined with analysis of index compound HCA and PCA. In this article, S. punicea is more valuable compared S. davidi and S. angustifolia.
ABSTRACT
Swertia L. plants distributed widely in China, and favored with its outstanding medicinal value by the researchers. Molecular marker technology has been developing rapidly in recent years, as a kind of effective modern method. It was used widely in various fields of medicinal plants. The application status of the molecular markers including RAPD, SSR, ISSR and DNA barcoding on somatic hybridization, genetic diversity study, germplasm resources identification and phylogenetic analysis of Swertia L. were systematically reviewed in this paper for the first time, to provide reference for studies on Swertia L. and plants in other genus.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To study the chemical constituents from the leaves of Swertia atroviolacea and five compounds were obtained. In addition, the cytotoxic activity of compound 1 was tested. Methods: Compounds 1-5 were isolated and purified by silica gel column chromatography, Zorbax PrepHT GF (250 mm×21.2 mm) reversed phase and Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography, and other modern separation technology. Their structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic methods. Compound 1 was evaluated for its in vitro cytotoxicity against human tumor NB4, A549, SHSY5Y, PC3, and MCF-7 cell line, using the MTT method. Results: Five compounds were obtained from the 95% ethanol extract from the leaves of S. atroviolacea, and identified as 3-(3-methyl-2-oxobut-3-enyl)-6-acetyl-1, 5-dimethoxy-xanthone (1), 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-1, 4, 6, 8-tetrahydroxyxanthone (2), 1, 3-dimethoxy-8-hydroxy-xanthone (3), 1, 2, 6, 8-tetrahydroxy-xanthone (4), and ursolic acid (5). The IC50 values of compound 1 on NB4, A549, SHSY5Y, PC3, and MCF-7 were all below 10 μmol/L. Compound 1 had higher cytotoxic activity on A549 and MCF-7, and the IC50 values were 5.2 and 3.8 μmol/L. Conclusion: Compound 1, named atroviolacone A, is a new compound, and exhibits significant cytotoxic activity.
ABSTRACT
Objective To study the shape differences of upper epidermal cells in leaves of medicinal plants of Swertia L. and establish the new method for identifying them. Methods The epidermis were mounted in ordinary technique, and then scanned and binarized through HPIAS-1000 image analytic system. The waveness of the anticlinal walls (SFC) and the ratio of the Ferets diameter (SLF) of upper epidermal cells were detected. The leaf epidermal cells of 21 kinds of raw materials in 12 plants of Swertia L. from various regions were examined. Results The precision and reproducibility of software system were good, and the shape characters of the upper epidermal cells of the middle lamina in the third node arising from ground are the stablest inside the same species by the magnification 20?10 under microscope. The SFC and SLF of the upper epidermal cells of the same species of plants are relatively constant, conversely that of different species of plants are obviously different and distinguishable from each other. Conclusion The proposed method is a useful technique for identifying traditional Chinese medicinal materials originated from herbs and leaves of plants. HPIAS-1000 is simple, rapid, accurate, and practical for shape analysis of upper epidermal cells of plant leaf.