Effects of Different Pre-drying and Drying Methods on Volatile Compounds in the Pericarp and Kernel of Amomum tsao-ko.

The effects of twelve different pre-drying and drying methods on the chemical composition in the pericarp and kernel of Amomum tsao-ko were studied. The volatile components were isolated from the samples by simultaneous distillation and extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Sixty and thirty-eight compounds were identified from pericarp and kernel, respectively, and the main constituents were oxygenated monoterpenes. These compounds were not only significantly affected by pre-drying and drying methods but also varied in content due to different tissue locations. The total volatile content of pericarp varied from 0.70 to 1.55%, with the highest obtained by microwave-dried samples (150 W) and the lowest in freeze-dried samples. The total volatile content of the kernel varied from 6.11 to 10.69%, with the highest content obtained during sun drying (SD) and the lowest content in samples treated with boiling water for 2 min. Oxygenated monoterpenes were the highest compounds in pericarp and kernel, which were also the most affected by drying methods. The highest content of oxygenated monoterpenes in the pericarp (0.77%) could be obtained by boiling water treatment for 5 min, and the highest content of oxygenated monoterpenes in the kernel (7.48%) could be obtained by SD. Additionally, the main components such as 1,8-cineole, 2-carene, (Z)-citral, nerolidol, (Z)-2-decenal, (E)-2-dodecenal, citral, (E)-2-octenal, 4-propylbenzaldehyde, and phthalan showed remarkable variations in pre-drying and drying methods.

Fraud Detection of Herbal Medicines Based on Modern Analytical Technologies Combine with Chemometrics Approach: A Review.

Fraud in herbal medicines (HMs), commonplace throughout human history, is significantly related to medicinal effects with sometimes lethal consequences. Major HMs fraud events seem to occur with a certain regularity, such as substitution by counterfeits, adulteration by addition of inferior production-own materials, adulteration by chemical compounds, and adulteration by addition of foreign matter. The assessment of HMs fraud is in urgent demand to guarantee consumer protection against the four fraudulent activities. In this review, three analysis platforms (targeted, non-targeted, and the combination of non-targeted and targeted analysis) were introduced and summarized. Furthermore, the integration of analysis technology and chemometrics method (e.g., class-modeling, discrimination, and regression method) have also been discussed. Each integration shows different applicability depending on their advantages, drawbacks, and some factors, such as the explicit objective analysis or the nature of four types of HMs fraud. In an attempt to better solve four typical HMs fraud, appropriate analytical strategies are advised and illustrated with several typical studies. The article provides a general workflow of analysis methods that have been used for detection of HMs fraud. All analysis technologies and chemometrics methods applied can conduce to excellent reference value for further exploration of analysis methods in HMs fraud.

[Research progress in chemical constituents in plants of Polygonatum and their pharmacological effects].

Polygonatum plants are perennial plants of Liliaceae. There are about 60 species reported at home and abroad,32 species in China,mainly distributed in the north temperate zone. Their main chemical components are steroidal saponins,polysaccharides,flavonoids,alkaloids,etc. They have anti-aging,anti-tumor,immunomodulation,antibacterial,antiviral,hypoglycemic and blood lipid effects. With the development of health industry,Polygonati Rhizome used as medicine and food has attracted great attention in recent years,and has become a research hotspot. However,the material basis of its efficacy is unclear and the product quality is uneven,which seriously limited the rapid upgrading of the industry. This review summarizes Polygonatum plants system classification,the chemical composition and pharmacological activity to provide theoretical basis for the development and utilization of Polygonatum plants.

[Species and ecological control of disease on cultivated Gentiana rigescens in Yunnan].

OBJECTIVE: To find out variety of the fungal diseases of cultivated Gentiana rigescens and provide important basis for prevention. METHODS: The diseases were diagnosed based on field investigate, symptoms observation, pathogen isolation, determination the size of morphological and verification following the Koch's Postulate procedures. RESULTS: Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), grey mould (Botrytis cinerea), brown spot (Alternaria tenuis), rust (Aecidiumpers), circular spot (Pestalotiopsis), leaf blight (Stemphylium, Ascochyta, Pleospora) and nematodes (Heterodera spp., Meloidogyne spp.) were found on Gentiana rigescens. Anthracnose was the first main disease, the diseased plant rate was over 40% and disease severity was 4 - 5 degree and second disease was rust, incidence of rate was less 10% and other diseases rate was not enough 2%. CONCLUSION: All these diseases on Gentiana rigescens are reported for the first time and Gentiana rigescens is the new host plant of the diseases.