ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo identify Dendrobium flexicaule and its related species， and analyze the differences in polysaccharide composition and D-mannose content， so as to provide theoretical basis for the accurate identification and quality control of Dendrobium medicinal materials. MethodNine samples of Dendrobium （S1-S9） were identified by DNA barcoding and infrared spectroscopy， and the contents of polysaccharides and D-mannose were determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry （UV） and high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）， respectively. UV detection condition was 488 nm， HPLC detection conditions were the mobile phase of 20 mmol·L-1 ammonium acetate solution-acetonitrile （81.5∶18.5） and the detection wavelength at 250 nm. ResultDNA barcoding results showed that samples S1-S3 were D. nobile， samples S4-S5 were D. officinale， sample S6 was D. huoshanense， and S7-S9 were D. flexicaule. One-dimensional infrared spectroscopy showed that only D. nobile had stable characteristics at the wavenumber of 1 570-1 467 cm-1， showing a "W" shape， while no absorption peak was found at the wavenumber of 842-740 cm-1， but the other Dendrobium samples had stable absorption peaks at the wavenumber of 842-740 cm-1. In the first derivative spectrum， at the wavenumber of 785 cm-1， D. huoshanense presented a "V" shape， while the rest of Dendrobium presented a "W" shape. At the wavenumber of 1 110 cm-1， D. flexicaule had a stable characteristic peak. In the second derivative spectrum， at the wavenumber of 1 125 cm-1， D. officinale presented an "M" shape， and the rest of Dendrobium was approximately "W" shape. The results of determination showed that the contents of polysaccharides in samples S1-S9 were 9.35%， 9.12%， 32.78%， 49.38%， 48.97%， 32.48%， 32.95%， 39.41% and 25.32%， and their contents of D-mannose were 1.39%， 0.47%， 13.57%， 3.04%， 33.85%， 23.57%， 16.64%， 17.47% and 19.49%， respectively. Among them， D. flexicaule had high polysaccharide and D-mannose contents. ConclusionBoth DNA barcoding and infrared spectroscopy can be used to identify D. flexicaule and its related species， and infrared spectroscopy is cost-effective and easy to operate. At the same time， D. flexicaule has high contents of polysaccharides and D-mannose， which can provide a scientific basis for rapid identification of D. flexicaule and its relatives， and provides a reference for its quality control， and resource development and utilization.
ABSTRACT
"Jinchai Shihu" were called Jinchai and recoded in "Taishang Zhouhou Yujingfang" of Tang Dynasty, which first clearly documented the name of Shihu in complex Dendrobium medicines and were condiered as superior medicinal articles. Morphological features are one of the naming principles for Chinese medicines. In this paper, botanical origin plants under the names of "Jinchai" and "Jinchai Shihu" were investigated. Based on documents from the local Chronicles and historical accounts, the Chinese characters of Jinchai have the distinctive features of gold color and two hair clasps. Moreover, the hair clasps are usually cylindrical in shape with uniform thickness in middle and upper part, and tapers off to the foot. And its bottom part style is simple and head part is complex. Thus we speculated the herbal "Jinchai" and "Jinchai Shihu" should have similar morphologic features as Chinese characters of Jinchai, including golden color and hairpin shape of stems without braches, short and solid sterm. After comparing the dried vegetative morphology of 10 common medicinal Dendrobium species, we suggested that of Dendrobium flexicaule matches well with the morphological features from historical herbal records.
ABSTRACT
To clear from botanical view the original materials under the traditional Chinese medicine names of "Jinchai", "Jinchai Shihu" within the genus Dendrobium of the family Orchidaceae. Combined of different methods including study of historical records from the local chronicles and historical accounts of past event in Hubei, Sichuan, Chongqing, Henan and Shaanxi provinces, interviewing face to face with the old traditional Chinese workers and folk doctors in 20 downtowns and countrysides, such as, Laohekou, Lichuan, Fangxian, Xixia, Neixiang, and Ankang, and collecting a few plants of "Jinchai" for taxonomic identification. The traditional Chinese medicine names of "Jinchai", "Jinchai Shihu" were widely used by the local people from the eastern Chongqing, western Hubei, northeasten Sichuan, southeastern Shaanxi, western Henan. Those two names were frequently found in the local Chronicles and historical accounts of past event, even in the local daily life such as folk songs and stories. The botanical identification results showed that a endemic species of D. flexicaule is the original materials of the traditional Chinese medicine names "Jinchai" and "Jinchai Shihu", and this species are also called "Longtoujin", "Renzijin", "Huanzijin" and "Longtoufengweijin" by the local people. The dried artifactitious specimens of D. flexicaule are traditionally named as "Jinerhuan". The botanic resource plants of the traditional Chinese medicine names of "Jinchai", "Jinchai Shihu" are the endemic species of D. flexicaule that is distributed mainly in central areas of China including eastern Chongqing, western Hubei, northeasten Sichuan, southeastern Shaanxi, and western Henan, rather than D. nobile as referring in both Chinese and English version of Flora of China, and in official recorded serious versions of The Chinese Pharmacopoeia since 1977. In order to avoid confusion in the traditional Chinese medicine dendrobiums industry, the Chinese name of D. nobile is suggested as "Biancao Shihu", which characterized one stem feature of this species, and the traditional Chinese medicine names "Jinchai" or "JinchaiShihu" is suggested to refer to the species D. flexicaule.