[New method of processing on Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma and study on quality control of its processing products].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a simple, rapid and usable new method of processing on Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma and the quality control standard on its processing products. METHODS: The studies of processing on Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma were proceed using yellow rice wine as solvent, through spray, soften and dry at 60-70 degrees C. The contents of total and uncombined chrysophanol and emodin in multi-Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma and its processing products were determined by HPLC. RESULTS: The new method of processing on Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma was simple, rapid and usable. The contents of uncombined chrysophanol and emodin in its processing products was 80%. CONCLUSION: This study provides a new method of processing on Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma and quality control standard on its processing products.

[matK and its nucleotide sequencing of crude drug chuanxiong and phylogenetic relationship between their species from China and Japan].

AIM: To provide more molecular evidences for species relationship between Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.) from China and Japanese Chuanxiong (Senkyu in Japanese) (Cnidium officinale Makino). METHODS: To sequence such two genes as internal transcribed spacer (ITS) from nuclear rDNA and maturase for lysine (matK) in tRNA(lys) (UUU) intron from chloroplast DNA of both Ligusticum chuanxiong and Cnidium officinale using PCR direct sequencing and to analyze the sequence variation of two genes between these two species. RESULTS: The matK gene sequence of Ligusticum chuanxiong and Cnidium officinale is 1268 bp in length, coding 422 amino acids of maturase protein. ITS gene sequence 699 bp, consisting of 54 bp of 18S rRNA-3', 215 bp of ITS1, 162 bp of 5.8S rRNA, 222 bp of ITS2, 46 bp of 26S rRNA-5'. Multiple sequence alignment shows that the sequence of two genes between dried crude drug and fresh voucher material of Ligusticum chuanxiong and Cnidium officinale, there is 1 variable site (T-->C) in matK (upstream at 595 nt) and ITS (ITS1 at 54 nt) between Ligusticum chuanxiong and Cnidium officinale. CONCLUSION: Based on homology analysis of two genes plastid matK and nuclear ITS, the origin of Chuanxiong from China and Japan ought to be identical, the scientific name Cnidium officinale of Japanese Chuanxiong should be changed to Ligusticum chuanxiong.