Chloroplast Genome Analysis of Liriope spicata var. prolifera, Ophiopogon japonicus in Sichuan and Zhejiang / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To determine the chloroplast genomes of Liriope spicata var. prolifera, Ophiopogon japonicus in Sichuan and Zhejiang, analyze their sequence characteristics and complete the screening of specific DNA barcodes. Method::The chloroplast genomes of L. spicata var. prolifera, O. japonicus in Sichuan and Zhejiang were sequenced, spliced and annotated through high-throughtput sequencing technology, and the structural characteristics and phylogenetic relationships of chloroplast genomes were analyzed by bioinformatics. Result::The total length of chloroplast genome of L. spicata var. prolifera was 155 998 bp, the total content of guanine and cytosine (GC) was 37.7%, and 85 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes were successfully annotated, a total of 274 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were detected, the number of codons encoding leucine was the most, while the number of codons encoding tryptophan was the least. The total length of chloroplast genome of O. japonicus in Sichuan province was 156 078 bp, the total content of GC was 37.8%, and 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes were successfully annotated, a total of 265 SSRs were detected, the number of codons encoding leucine was the most, while the number of codons encoding tryptophan was the least. The total length of chloroplast genome of O. japonicus in Zhejiang province was 156 207 bp, the total content of GC was 37.7%, and 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes were successfully annotated, a total of 274 SSRs were detected with the highest number of codons encoding leucine and the lowest number of codons encoding tryptophan. Conclusion::The phylogenetic trees show that compared with O. japonicus in Sichuan province, L. spicata var. prolifera is more closely related to O. japonicus in Zhejiang province. The variation of non-coding regions of L. spicata var. prolifera, O. japonicus in Zhejiang and Sichuan is greater than that in the coding region. The entire chloroplast genome can be used as a super barcode for identifying species of Ophiopogon and Liriope.

Effects of different passivators on growth and physiological characteristics of Ophiopogon japonicus in cadmium-contaminated soil / 中草药

Objective: To comprehensively evaluate the different passivation materials on growth and cadmium uptake and accumulation of Ophiopogon japonicus cultivated in cadmium contaminated soil of. Methods: Using one-year-old O. japonicus as experimental material, the effects of five different passivation materials (white marble Ar, straw biochar Br, fly ash Fh, bacterial residue Me, diatomite Dm) on the growth, physiological and biochemical indexes and cadmium absorption and accumulation of O. japonicus were studied by soil pot experiment. Results: The biomass, chlorophyll, soluble sugar and soluble protein of O. japonicus could be significantly increased in soils contaminated with two kinds of Cd under different passivation materials. Among them, Ar and Me were the most improved. In addition, the activities of antioxidant enzyme system of O. japonicus were significantly decreased, and the content of MDA had no noteworthy change. Different passivation materials remarkably increased the content of flavonoids in the underground part of O. japonicus, among which Ar and Fh treatments increased the most. The contents of heavy metal Cd in all parts of O. japonicus were decreased by different passivation materials, and the contents of Cd in aboveground and underground parts of O. japonicus were significantly lower than those of the control, and the effects of Ar, Br and Fh treatments were better than those of the control. Conclusion: Studies have shown that by combining and comparing treatments of different passivating materials, in terms of the biomass of O. japonicus treated with Me, the biomass improvement effect of Me was better than that of Ar and Br. Aiming at the effect of reducing Cd absorption and accumulation of O. japonicus and improving the effective component flavone of O. japonicus, it can be concluded that Ar and Fh have better effects in treating Cd polluted soil and improving the quality of O. japonicus.

Methylophiopogonanone A, an Ophiopogon homoisoflavonoid, alleviates high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia: assessment of its potential mechanism

Methylophiopogonanone A (MO-A), a homoisoflavonoid extracted from Ophiopogon japonicus, has been shown to attenuate myocardial apoptosis and improve cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the hypolipidemic effects remain unknown. This study was performed to investigate a potential hypolipidemic effect of MO-A in hyperlipidemia rats, as well as its underlying mechanism of action. A rat model of hyperlipidemia was induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Animals were randomly divided into three groups (n=8/group): normal control group (NC), HFD group, and HFD+MO-A (10 mg·kg-1·d-1) treatment group. The effects of MO-A on serum lipids, body weight, activity of lipoprotein metabolism enzyme, and gene expression of lipid metabolism were evaluated in HFD-induced rats. In HFD-induced rats, pretreatment with MO-A decreased the body weight gain and reduced serum and hepatic lipid levels. In addition, pretreatment with MO-A improved the activities of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase in serum and liver, down-regulated mRNA expression of acetyl CoA carboxylase and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c, and up-regulated mRNA expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α in the liver. Our results indicated that MO-A showed strong ability to ameliorate the hyperlipidemia in HFD-induced rats. MO-A might be a potential candidate for prevention of overweight and dyslipidemia induced by HFD.

Analysis and evaluation of nutrient composition of Ophiopogonis Radix in Santai area / 中国中药杂志

Ophiopogon japonicus is one of the commonly used medicines,and it has gradually become a therapeutic food for people's daily health care. O. japonicus in Sichuan province is the famous Dao-di herbs in Sichuan province,and is mainly produced in Santai county,Sichuan province. With the unique geographical advantage,Santai county plans to declare the new food raw materials of O. japonicus based on the geographical indication products( Fu Cheng O. japonicus),so it is necessary to analyze and evaluate the nutritional components of O. japonicus in Santai county. The experimental results showed that the content of the nutrients was characterized by low fat,high polysaccharide,high potassium and high vitamin B2,which can be developed as new food raw materials.

Hepatotoxicity study of sulfur-fumigated Ophiopogonis Radix using high content screening / 中草药

Objective: An efficient method was established using high content screening (HCS) for the hepatotoxicity evaluation of sulfur-fumigated Ophiopogonis Radix. Methods: Cytotoxicity of positive control group, negative control group, Ophiopogonis Radix extracts group and sulfur-fumigated Ophiopogonis Radix extracts group were tested based on HepG2 human hepatoma cells. HCS was applied to detect the cell number, DNA content, level of glutathione (GSH), reactive oxgyen species (ROS), and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Results: Compared with the cells of Ophiopogonis Radix extracts group, GSH of sulfur-fumigated Ophiopogonis Radix extracts decreased significantly at the concentration of 50 mg/mL; The MMP of sulfur-fumigated Ophiopogonis Radix extracts changed signally at the concentration of 12.5 mg/mL. Conclusion: Ophiopogonis Radix showed pontential cytotoxicity after sulfur-fumigated. The hepatotoxicity of sulfur-fumigated Ophiopogonis Radix may be related to mitochondria-mediated apoptosis according to the influence of its MMP from the results.

Determination of Paclobutrazol Residue in Ophiopogon japonicus from Sichuan by the QuEChERS Combined with GC-MS/ MS-internal Standard Detection / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE： To establish a method for measuring the paclobutrazol residue in Ophiopogon japonicus from Sichuan and detect the quality of O. japonicus from Sichuan from different sources. METHODS： Totally 50 batches of samples were collected from different origin places， commercial markets and manufacturers. The sample pretreatment method was QuEChERS method， .ie the sample was extracted by aqueous acetonitrile， salted out by QuEChERS extract package （containing anhydrous magnesium sulfate and anhydrous sodium acetate）， the extract solution was purified by QuEChERS purification package （containing anhydrous magnesium sulfate， N-propyl ethylenediamine， octadecylsilane chemically bonded silica， silica gel， graphitized carbon black） and then added into internal standard triphenyl phosphate. The paclobutrazol residue in O. japonicus from Sichuan was determined by GC-MS/MS. The determination was performed on DB-5MS column. The temperature programming was adopted， and the detector was triple quadrupole MS detector. The initial flow rate of carrier gas was 1.3 mL/min； acquisition mode was MRM. Injection method was splitless injection. RESULTS： The linear range of paclobutrazol was 1.01-505 ng/mL （r＝    0.999 7）. RSDs of precision， stability （24 h） and repeatability tests were 3.94％， 13.62％， 7.54％ （n＝6）， respectively. Average method recovery was 111.26％ （RSD＝5.43％， n＝9）. The paclobutrazol residue in 50 batches of sample were 0.02-2.72 mg/kg. CONCLUSIONS： Established method is simple， accurate， sensitive and reproducible. It also can be used for the determination of paclobutrazol residue in O. japonicus from Sichuan. The contents of paclobutrazol residue in O. japonicus from Sichuan from different sources are different greatly.

Research progress on chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Ophiopogon japonicas / 中草药

Ophiopogon japonicus is widely distributed in China and rich in resources, and is a kind of medicinal plants with great utilization value. It could nourish yin, promote body fluid production, moisten the lung, ease the mind, and clear away heart fire. Modern research showed that there are several secondary metabolites, such as steroidal saponins, homoisoflavonoids and polysaccharides. Its pharmacological research mainly focused on the hypoglycemic effect, cardiovascular protection, enhanced immunity, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effect. In this paper, the chemical compositions and pharmacological activities of O. japonicas were summarized, in order to provide reference for further study and application of O. japonicas.

Study on development and morphological change rules of root tuber of Ophiopogon japonicus / 中草药

Objective To investigate the rules of root tuberenlargement and medicinal materials formation, and lay the foundation for breeding a new Ophiopogon japonicus variety. Method The study was carried out with field cultivation. Samples were collected continuously for every interval 7-10 d. The rules of dry matter distribution and accumulation in each parts of O. japonicus was calculated based on the mean value of 15 plant samples. The number and size of root tuber were calculated based on the mean value of 15 samples. The fiber characteristics of root tuber of O. japonicus were observed by optical microscope. Characters of O. japonicus were observed according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 edition and recorded the changes of medicinal characteristics. Results The root tuber of O. japonicus inflated starting from October to April in the next year in Sichuan province. Adventitious roots were initially formed into nutritive roots around caudex, and able to form into root tuber around caudex later. Tuber number of per plant is basic from 5 to 20, most in 8-10, very few more than 20. Adventitious roots expanded gradually into a fusiform root from one end of root tip, root tip can continue to grow to form adventitious roots after the formation of root tuber, the newly formed adventitious roots could be expanded for the second time, very few might appear swollen three times to form beads. Microscopic observation showed that root tubers were inflated primarily by the enlargement of cortical cells and the increase of cell layers, in which cortical cells enlargement played a leading role. While tubers started expanding, the accumulation of dry matter in fibrous roots and stem leaves quickly slowed to stop eventually, and the accumulation of root dry matter increased rapidly in the early stage, and it kept basically dynamic balance in mid and late March, and the whole behavior of medicinal materials was in the process from dry to full. Conclusion The results show the apparent change rules of O. japonicus root tuber in the expanding process, which proves the direction and goal for research on the mechanism of root tuber development of O. japonicus.

Influence of ultrafiltration membrane on ophiopogonins and homoisoflavonoids in Ophiopogon japonicus as measured by ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry / 中国天然药物

Ultrafiltration is one of the most fascinating technologies, which makes it possible to improve the quality of traditional medicines for application in the pharmaceutical industry. However, researchers have paid little attention to the effect of ultrafiltration membrane on traditional medicines chemical constituents. In this work, Ophiopogon japonicus (L.f) Ker-Gawl. was used as an example to illuminate the influence of ultrafiltration with different material and molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) membrane on natural chemical constituents as measured by ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UFLC-IT-TOF/MS). Our results indicated that ultrafiltration membrane significantly impacted homoisoflavonoids, especially homoisoflavonoids that were almost completely retained on the polyethersulfone (PES) membrane. We also found that the larger number of aglycone hydroxy and sugar moiety in steroid saponins, the higher the transmittance. Furthermore, the passage rate (%) of ophiogenin type saponins was higher than that of others. The possible adsorptive mechanisms were hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and benzene ring interaction by π-π stacking. In conclusion, it is crucial to choose appropriate ultrafiltration membrane based on the characteristics of produce products for application of ultrafiltration technique.

Optimization of processing technology for sulfur smoked Ophiopogon japonicus based on changes in chemical composition / 中草药

Objective: To optimize the suitable technology of Ophiopogon japonicus (OJ) fumigation based on the changes of relative indexes after the different levels of sulfur fuming. Methods: The phenol-sulfuric acid method was used to determine the content of polysaccharide. HPLC-ELSD method was used to determine the contents of Ophiopogon saponins D (OPD) and D' (OPD') with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-water (50:50), drift tube temperature at 40℃, and nitrogen volumetric flow of 2.0 L/min. The fingerprints of OJ were determined by HPLC-UV method, the mobile phase was eluted with acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid gradient, and the detection wavelength was 297 nm. The contents of ethylophiopogonanones A (MA) and B (MB) were determined using the same method. Using the contents of total polysaccharides of OJ, OPD and OPD', MA and MB, and the contents of other components in the fingerprints as control indexes, and the dosage of sulfur and the time of sulfur fumigation as factors, the central composite design-response surface methodology (CCD-RSM) was used to optimize sulfur fumigation process. Results: In the experimental design range, the content of polysaccharides increased first and then decreased with the increase of sulfur dosage and sulfur fumigation time, and the contents of OPD and OPD' increased slightly and then decreased. The contents of MA and MB were slightly reduced. The sulfur fuming process was determined as follows: sulfur dosage was 120-200 g/m3, sulfur fuming time was 0.6-1.5 h, binomial equation: Y = 0.574 + 0.054 3 X1-0.008 13 X2-0.518 X12 + 0.131X22 + 0.153 X1X2 (R-Sq = 0.971). Process validation: the absolute value of deviation was less than 3%. Conclusion: In this study, the changes of chemical composition of OJ were studied, and the sulfur smelting process suitable for OJ was established.

Simultaneous determination of 23 plant growth regulator residues in Chinese materia medica by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry / 中草药

Objective: To establish an ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of 23 plant growth regulator (PGR) residues in Chinese materia medica (CMM). Methods: Samples were extracted with acetontrile, and then determined by UPLC-MS/MS directly without further clean up. The matrix-matched external standard method was used for quantitative analysis. Results: The calibration curves showed good linearity in each range with correlation coefficients greater than 0.99. The limits of detection (LODs) were 0.01-20.80 ng/mL for the 23 PGRs spiked in Codonopsis pilosula and Angelica dahurica. The recoveries of the 23 PGRs spiked in C. pilosula and A. dahurica at three levels of 0.01, 0.04, and 0.1 mg/kg were in the range of 71.0%-101.4%, the relative standard deviation (RSDs) were 0.8%-15.2%. Commonly used CMM including eight species (63 batches) was analyzed by this method. Conclusion: The method proved to be simple, rapid, sensitive, accurate, and suitable for the simultaneous determination of 23 PGR residues in CMM

Identification of Ophiopogon japonicus from Sichuan by Polymerase Chain Reaction / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To design specific PCR primers and establish the PCR identification method of Ophiopogon japonicas from Sichuan. METHODS: The gene footprint of Ophiopogon japonicas from Sichuan named CM503 was screened from random amplified polymorphic DNAC(RAPD) amplification. Reclaimed CM503 gene was inserted into T-vector to be cloned and sequenced. One pair of specific primers CM1/CM2 were designed according to the CM503 sequence and applied in specific PCR using the genomic DNA of Ophiopogon japonicas from Sichuan as template. RESULTS: A specific band around 297 bp was detected in Ophiopogon japonicus from Sichuan at 68℃, while nothing appeared for the other varieties. CONCLUSION: The method is convenient, reproducible, and precise, with broad application prospects.

Effects of polysaccharide from Ophiopogon japonicus on immune response to Newcastle disease vaccine in chicken

In order to investigate the immune enhancement effects of Ophiopogon japonicus polysaccharide Ophiopogon japonicus (OJPS) on Newcastle disease (ND) live vaccine, chickens vaccinated against ND live vaccine was orally administered with the OJPS at high, medium and low concentrations respectively. In negative control group, chickens were given orally equal volume of physiological saline. On day 14, 21 and 28, the serum antibody titer, erythrocyte-C3b receptor rosette rate (E-C3bRR), erythrocyte-C3b immune complex rosette rate (E-ICRR) and peripheral lymphocyte proliferation were measured. The results showed that at most time points, the antibody titer, peripheral lymphocyte proliferation, E-C3bRR and elimination rate of immune complex of three OJPS administrating groups were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those in negative control group. It indicated that OJPS could significantly improve the immune efficacy of Newcastle disease live vaccine, Ophiopogon japonicus polysaccharide possessed synergistical immunoenhancement.(AU)

Inhibition of tumor growth and inducing autophagy effects of Ophiopogon Japonicus alcohol extract on lung cancer / 中草药

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Ophiopogon japonicus alcohol extract (OJAE) on tumor growth of lung cancer and the regulation on autophagy of lung cancer cells. Methods: Lewis tumor-bearing mice model was established to observe the effect of OJAE on tumor growth. The volume of tumor was observed and calculated by Visual Sonics Vevo 2100 Animal Dedicated High-frequency Color Ultrasound. To detect Ki67 and P53 protein expression in lung cancer tissue by Western blotting assay method and immunohistochemical assay method. The induction of OJAE on autophagy of A549 cells was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, combining with Western blotting assay and RT-PCR methods. Results: OJAE had certain inhibitory effect on Lewis lung cancer tumor growth. It also could make the expression of Ki67 significantly reduced and the expression of P53 significantly enhanced. It could induce autophagy. Conclusion: OJAE has obvious inhibitory effect against lung cancer, and has the ability to induce autophagy. This study reveals the anti-lung cancer effect of OJAE may be related to its induction on autophagy, thus provides the basis for the research on anti-lung cancer effect of OJAE.

Influence of different drying methods on steroidal saponins and homoisoflavonoids in Ophiopogon japonicus / 中国中药杂志

To study the influence of three different drying methods (including 50 ℃-drying, 80 ℃-drying and －70 ℃-freeze-drying methods) on steroidal saponins and homoisoflavonoids in Ophiopogon japonicus,a HPLC-DAD-ELSD-MSn method was investigated to screen and identify the differential components. Through comparing the HPLC chromatograms with that of fresh O. japonicus, 50 ℃-drying medicine was similar with fresh medicine whereas the other two drying methods had great influence on the components of O. japonicus. In this study, 36 differential components were screened, among which 24 constituents(13 homoisoflavonoids and 11 steroidal saponins) were identified via HPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS.As a result, it was revealed that different drying methods had significant influences on the components of steroidal saponins and homoisoflavonoids. Among them, 50 ℃-drying method was the most suitable drying approach when the stability of components, cost and practicability were considered.

Comparison on homoisoflavones extracted from Ophiopogon japonicus in Sichuan and Zhejiang and their anti-oxidative activity / 中草药

Objective: To compare the contents of three homoisoflavones and their anti-oxidative activity of Ophiopogon japonicus in Sichuan (OJS) and Zhejiang (OJZ). Methods: The determination was performed on ACQUITYTM UPLC BEH C18 column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 μm), the Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Photo-Diode Array (UPLC-PDA) technology was applied, and the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 0.2% formic acid aqueous solution (55:45) with gradient elution program, flow rate was 0.20 mL/min with 2 μL of sample quantity at 296 nm, and the anti-DPPH radical efficiency of water extract from Ophiopogonis Radix were evaluated by UV-photometer. Results: The average values of methylophiopogonone A, methylophiopogonanone A, and methylophiopogonanone B were (3.06±0.54), (40.10±5.63), and (29.51±5.06) μg/g in OJS, respectively; while those in OJZ were (9.22±3.52), (106.63±27.56), and (256.97±61.79) μg/g, separately. The IC50 value was 16.59 mg/mL in OJS, while that in OJZ was 14.48 mg/mL. The IC50 value of positive control VC was 7.06 μg/mL. Conclution: Compared with OJS, the contents of homoisoflavones in OJZ are higher, and the anti-radical efficiency of water extract from OJZ is stronger. It provides the basis for the quality evaluation and geo-authentic research of Ophiopogonis Radix.

Optimum extraction of polysaccharides from ophiopogon japonicus by response surface methodology / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective To optimize the extraction of polysaccharides from Ophiopogon japonicus by the use of response surface methodology.Method According to the design principle of Box-Behnken, effects of extraction temperature, extraction time , extraction times and solid-liquid ratio on the extraction yield of Ophiopogon japonicus polysaccharides were studied by response surface methodology,meanwhile regression analysis of these experimental data was used by Design-Expert 8.05b software.Results The optimum extraction conditions from Ophiopogon japonicus were concluded as follows: the extraction temperature was 93℃, extraction time was 2 h, extraction times was 3 times, and solid-liquid ratio was 1:15 g/ml.Conclusion Under these conditions, the extraction yield of Ophiopogon japonicus polysaccharides is up to 5.440%, and the relative error is 7.328%.

DT-13, a saponin of dwarf lilyturf tuber, exhibits anti-cancer activity by down-regulating C-C chemokine receptor type 5 and vascular endothelial growth factor in MDA-MB-435 cells / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To investigate the anticancer activity of DT-13 under normoxia and determine the underlying mechanisms of action.@*METHODS@#MDA-MB-435 cell proliferation, migration, and adhesion were performed to assess the anticancer activity of DT-13, a saponin from Ophiopogon japonicus, in vitro. In addition, the effects of DT-13 on tumor growth and metastasis in vivo were evaluated by orthotopic implantation of MDA-MB-435 cells into nude mice; mRNA levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) were evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR; and CCR5 protein levels were detected by Western blot assay.@*RESULTS@#At 0.01 to 1 μmol·L(-1), DT-13 inhibited MDA-MB-435 cell proliferation, migration, and adhesion significantly in vitro. DT-13 reduced VEGF and CCR5 mRNAs, and decreased CCR5 protein expression by down-regulating HIF-1α. In addition, DT-13 inhibited MDA-MB-435 cell lung metastasis, and restricted tumor growth slightly in vivo.@*CONCLUSION@#DT-13 inhibited MDA-MB-435 cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration in vitro, and lung metastasis in vivo by reducing VEGF, CCR5, and HIF-1α expression.

Comparison on histology of root tubers and fibrous roots of Ophiopogon japonicus and ophiopogonins content / 中草药

Objective: To study the yield of the fibrous roots of Ophiopogon japonicus in Sichuan province and to compare the microscopic characteristics and the content of total ophiopogonins between the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus. Methods: The ratio for root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus was compared by statistics; The microscopic characteristics of epidermal cell, cortex, stele arrangement, and pith were observed by microscope and photomicrography system; The total saponins in the extract from the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus were determined by UV, and the content of ophiopogonin D in the extract from the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus was determined by HPLC-ELSD. Results: The average ratio of fibrous root weight and root tuber weight was 0.68, and there were some differenes in the epidermal cell shape, stele arrangement, and proportion of the cortex between the fibrous roots and root tubers of O. japonicus. The average contents of total saponins in the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus were 1.204% and 2.847%, and the contents of ophiopogonin D were 0.034% and 0.041% in the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus. Conclusion: The resource of fibrous roots of O. japonicus is rich, which has the histological differences in the epidermal cell shape, stele arrangement, and proportion of the cortex between the fibrous roots and root tubers of O. japonicus. There is no significant difference in powder between the root tuber and fibrous root; The the content of total saponin in the fibrous roots is obviously higher than that in the root tubers while the content of ophiopogonin D between the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus is similar.