Cytotype distribution and chloroplast phylogeography of the Actinidia chinensis complex.

BACKGROUND: Plant phylogeographic studies of species in subtropical China have mainly focused on rare and endangered species, whereas few studies have been conducted on taxa with relatively wide distribution, especially polyploid species. We investigated the cytotype and haplotype distribution pattern of the Actinidia chinensis complex, a widespread geographically woody liana with variable ploidy in subtropical China comprising two varieties, with three chloroplast fragments DNA (ndhF-rpl132, rps16-trnQ and trnE-trnT). Macroevolutionary, microevolutionary and niche modeling tools were also combined to disentangle the origin and the demographic history of the species or cytotypes. RESULTS: The ploidy levels of 3338 individuals from 128 populations sampled throughout the species distribution range were estimated with flow cytometry. The widespread cytotypes were diploids followed by tetraploids and hexaploids, whereas triploids and octoploids occurred in a few populations. Thirty-one chloroplast haplotypes were detected. The genetic diversity and genetic structure were found to be high between varieties (or ploidy races) chinensis and deliciosa. Our results revealed that these two varieties inhabit significantly different climatic niche spaces. Ecological niche models (ENMs) indicate that all varieties' ranges contracted during the Last Inter Glacial (LIG), and expanded eastward or northward during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). CONCLUSIONS: Pliocene and Plio-Pleistocene climatic fluctuations and vicariance appear to have played key roles in shaping current population structure and historical demography in the A. chinensis complex. The polyploidization process also appears to have played an important role in the historical demography of the complex through improving their adaptability to environmental changes.

Comparative analysis of volatile and carotenoid metabolites and mineral elements in the flesh of 17 kiwifruit.

Kiwifruit contains abundant nutritive compounds and is highly favored by the consumers worldwide. Therefore, detailed metabolic profiling is important to provide theoretic basis for the improvement of kiwifruit quality. In this study, the levels of volatiles, carotenoids, and mineral elements in the flesh of 17 kiwifruit accessions were evaluated. Acids and esters were the main volatiles in kiwifruit. During these 17 kiwifruit accessions, "Chenhong," three "Jinyan," and two "Guichang" germplasms were specifically rich in aromatic esters, which might be associated with their special taste. The main carotenoids were lutein, ß-carotene, and zeaxanthin, and their levels were also genotype specific, with the green-fleshed "Guichang" having the highest level of carotenoids, and red-fleshed "Fuhong" and "Chenhong" being rich in zeaxanthin. Partial correlation analysis showed that the contents of some mineral elements were significantly correlated with those of specific volatiles and carotenoids, indicating the impacts of mineral elements on the accumulation of volatiles and carotenoids in the kiwifruit flesh. These results indicated that the contents of carotenoids and volatiles seemed to be affected by mineral elements and also provided a new potential method for improving fruit flavor quality in production.

Characterization of free, conjugated, and bound phenolics in early and late ripening kiwifruit cultivars.

BACKGROUND: Kiwifruit (Actinidia) has long been called the 'king of fruits' because of its unique flavor and the wide range of bioactive compounds which contains ascorbic acid, phenolics and minerals. These bioactivities are influenced by species and cultivar. However, to date few studies are concerned with the effect of ripening time on fruit quality. Here, early and late ripening kiwifruits were investigated to determine their content of ascorbic acid, organic acid, and phenolic compounds. RESULTS: Early ripening cultivars contained higher quinic acid and malic acid, while citric acid were found in large amounts in late ripening kiwifruits. Most of the early ripening cultivars contained higher free phenolic fractions than the late ripening fruits, mainly due to the high levels of epicatechin. However, conjugated phenolics, mainly including caffeic and 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzoic acid, achieved higher levels in the late ripening cultivars. Free phenolics were higher than conjugated phenolics in the early ripening cultivars. Principal component analysis revealed some key compounds that differentiated the kiwifruits, and all the kiwifruits were divided into two subgroups as early and late ripening cultivars. CONCLUSION: Ripening time had a great impact on the accumulation of bioactive compounds. The early ripening cultivars, compared to the late ripening ones, were characterized by higher levels of free neochlorogenic acid and epicatechin, while the late ripening kiwifruits contained higher amounts of conjugated phenolics. Results from this study provide further insights into the health-promoting phenolic compounds in kiwifruit, and also provide good evidence to aid consumer selection. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

The proanthocyanin-related transcription factors MYBC1 and WRKY44 regulate branch points in the kiwifruit anthocyanin pathway.

The groups of plant flavonoid metabolites termed anthocyanins and proanthocyanins (PA) are responsible for pigmentation in seeds, flowers and fruits. Anthocyanins and PAs are produced by a pathway of enzymes which are transcriptionally regulated by transcription factors (TFs) that form the MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) complex. In this study, transcriptomic analysis of purple-pigmented kiwifruit skin and flesh tissues identified MYBC1, from subgroup 5 of the R2R3 MYB family, and WRKY44 (highly similar to Arabidopsis TTG2) as candidate activators of the anthocyanin pathway. Transient over-expression of MYBC1 and WRKY44 induced anthocyanin accumulation in tobacco leaves. Dual luciferase promoter activation assays revealed that both MYBC1 and WRKY44 were able to strongly activate the promoters of the kiwifruit F3'H and F3'5'H genes. These enzymes are branch points of the pathway which specifies the type of anthocyanin accumulated. Stable over-expression of MYBC1 and WRKY44 in kiwifruit calli activated the expression of F3'5'H and PA-related biosynthetic genes as well as increasing levels of PAs. These results suggest that while previously characterised anthocyanin activator MYBs regulate the overall anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway, the PA-related TFs, MYBC1 and WRKY44, more specifically regulate key branch points. This adds a layer of regulatory control that potentially balances anthocyanin and PA levels.

Chemical composition and bioactive properties of byproducts from two different kiwi varieties.

Kiwis are an example of fruits with excellent bioactive properties worldwide appreciated and consumed generating tons of waste. Thus, the objective of this work was to compare two varieties of kiwi: Actinidia deliciosa cv. "Hayward" (green) and Actinidia spp. (red) regarding the nutritional value of their pulps, chemical composition and bioactivities of each pulp and peel. The results revealed that pulps have a high water content and low amount of other macronutrients. Both parts of red kiwi presented the highest tocopherols content and red kiwi pulp presented the highest content in ascorbic acid. In general, the peels exhibited the highest antioxidant activity and green kiwi peels showed cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activity, which could be related to its higher content in phenolic compounds, especially B-type (epi)catechin dimer. Therefore, kiwi components currently underutilized may be indicated as a source of natural functionalizing ingredients with several benefits for human health.

Chromosome-scale genome assembly of kiwifruit Actinidia eriantha with single-molecule sequencing and chromatin interaction mapping.

BACKGROUND: Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) is a dioecious plant with fruits containing abundant vitamin C and minerals. A handful of kiwifruit species have been domesticated, among which Actinidiaeriantha is increasingly favored in breeding owing to its superior commercial traits. Recently, elite cultivars from A. eriantha have been successfully selected and further studies on their biology and breeding potential require genomic information, which is currently unavailable. FINDINGS: We assembled a chromosome-scale genome sequence of A. eriantha cultivar White using single-molecular sequencing and chromatin interaction map-based scaffolding. The assembly has a total size of 690.6 megabases and an N50 of 21.7 megabases. Approximately 99% of the assembly were in 29 pseudomolecules corresponding to the 29 kiwifruit chromosomes. Forty-three percent of the A. eriantha genome are repetitive sequences, and the non-repetitive part encodes 42,988 protein-coding genes, of which 39,075 have homologues from other plant species or protein domains. The divergence time between A. eriantha and its close relative Actinidia chinensis is estimated to be 3.3 million years, and after diversification, 1,727 and 1,506 gene families are expanded and contracted in A. eriantha, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We provide a high-quality reference genome for kiwifruit A. eriantha. This chromosome-scale genome assembly is substantially better than 2 published kiwifruit assemblies from A. chinensis in terms of genome contiguity and completeness. The availability of the A. eriantha genome provides a valuable resource for facilitating kiwifruit breeding and studies of kiwifruit biology.

Untargeted and Targeted Metabolomics and Tryptophan Decarboxylase In Vivo Characterization Provide Novel Insight on the Development of Kiwifruits (Actinidia deliciosa).

Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa cv. Hayward) is a commercially important crop with highly nutritional green fleshy fruits. The post-harvest maturation of the fruits is well characterized, but little is known about the metabolic changes that occur during fruit development. Here we used untargeted metabolomics to characterize the non-volatile metabolite profile of kiwifruits collected at different time points after anthesis, revealing profound metabolic changes before the onset of ripening including the depletion of many classes of phenolic compounds. In contrast, the phytohormone abscisic acid accumulated during development and ripening, along with two indolamines (serotonin and its precursor tryptamine), and these were monitored in greater detail by targeted metabolomics. The role of indolamines in kiwifruit development is completely unknown, so we also characterized the identity of genes encoding tryptophan decarboxylase in A. deliciosa and its close relative A. chinensis to provide insight into the corresponding biological processes. Our results indicate that abscisic acid and indolamines fulfill unrecognized functions in the development and ripening of kiwifruits.

Genome-Wide Bioinformatics Analysis of MAPK Gene Family in Kiwifruit (Actinidia Chinensis).

Mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are universal signal transduction modules that play crucial roles in various biotic and abiotic stresses, hormones, cell division, and developmental processes in plants. Mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK/MPK), being a part of this cascade, performs an important function for further appropriate cellular responses. Although MAPKs have been investigated in several model plants, no systematic analysis has been conducted in kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis). In the present study, we identified 18 putative MAPKs in the kiwifruit genome. This gene family was analyzed bioinformatically in terms of their chromosome locations, sequence alignment, gene structures, and phylogenetic and conserved motifs. All members possess fully canonical motif structures of MAPK. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that AcMAPKs could be classified into five subfamilies, and these gene motifs in the same group showed high similarity. Gene structure analysis demonstrated that the number of exons in AcMAPK genes ranged from 2 to 29, suggesting large variation among kiwifruit MAPK genes. The expression profiles of these AcMAPK genes were further investigated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), which demonstrated that AcMAPKs were induced or repressed by various biotic and abiotic stresses and hormone treatments, suggesting their potential roles in the biotic and abiotic stress response and various hormone signal transduction pathways in kiwifruit. The results of this study provide valuable insight into the putative physiological and biochemical functions of MAPK genes in kiwifruit.

Draft genome of the kiwifruit Actinidia chinensis.

The kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) is an economically and nutritionally important fruit crop with remarkably high vitamin C content. Here we report the draft genome sequence of a heterozygous kiwifruit, assembled from ~140-fold next-generation sequencing data. The assembled genome has a total length of 616.1 Mb and contains 39,040 genes. Comparative genomic analysis reveals that the kiwifruit has undergone an ancient hexaploidization event (γ) shared by core eudicots and two more recent whole-genome duplication events. Both recent duplication events occurred after the divergence of kiwifruit from tomato and potato and have contributed to the neofunctionalization of genes involved in regulating important kiwifruit characteristics, such as fruit vitamin C, flavonoid and carotenoid metabolism. As the first sequenced species in the Ericales, the kiwifruit genome sequence provides a valuable resource not only for biological discovery and crop improvement but also for evolutionary and comparative genomics analysis, particularly in the asterid lineage.

Actinidia DRM1--an intrinsically disordered protein whose mRNA expression is inversely correlated with spring budbreak in kiwifruit.

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are a relatively recently defined class of proteins which, under native conditions, lack a unique tertiary structure whilst maintaining essential biological functions. Functional classification of IDPs have implicated such proteins as being involved in various physiological processes including transcription and translation regulation, signal transduction and protein modification. Actinidia DRM1 (Ade DORMANCY ASSOCIATED GENE 1), represents a robust dormancy marker whose mRNA transcript expression exhibits a strong inverse correlation with the onset of growth following periods of physiological dormancy. Bioinformatic analyses suggest that DRM1 is plant specific and highly conserved at both the nucleotide and protein levels. It is predicted to be an intrinsically disordered protein with two distinct highly conserved domains. Several Actinidia DRM1 homologues, which align into two distinct Actinidia-specific families, Type I and Type II, have been identified. No candidates for the Arabidopsis DRM1-Homologue (AtDRM2) an additional family member, has been identified in Actinidia.

Nutritional and pharmaceutical properties of bioactive compounds in organic and conventional growing kiwifruit.

The bioactivity of two kiwifruit's cultivars growing under organic and conventional conditions were studied and compared. The bioactive compounds were extracted with water and ethanol using similar conditions which are applied in pharmaceutical applications and for daily fruit consumption such as tea drink. Antioxidant radical scavenging assays [ferric-reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP); cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC); 2, 2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS)], fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and ultraviolet spectroscopy, two (2D-FL) and three-dimensional (3D-FL) fluorometry were used for the detection of biologically active metabolites derived from kiwifruits (total phenols, flavonoids, chlorophylls, carotenoids and ascorbic acid). The correlation between the total phenol content (TPC) and other bioactive compounds, and their total antioxidant capacities (TAC) was calculated for studied kiwifruit's extracts. The interaction between drugs and human serum albumin (HSA) plays an important role in the distribution and metabolism of drugs. The properties of kiwifruit's phenol extracts showed their ability to quench HSA, forming the complexes similar to the ones between the proteins and pure flavonoids such as quercetin. The cultivar 'Bidan' exhibited significantly higher TAC than the classic 'Hayward'. In conclusion, for the first time 'Bidan' organic kiwifruit was analyzed and compared with widely consumed 'Hayward', using its bioactive and fluorescence properties. The influence of physiologically active kiwifruit's compounds on human health, through our investigations in vitro and scientifically proven information, was explained. Relatively high content of bioactive compounds, high antioxidant and fluorescence properties of kiwifruit justify its use as a source of valuable antioxidants.

Maternal inheritance of mitochondrial genomes and complex inheritance of chloroplast genomes in Actinidia Lind.: evidences from interspecific crosses.

The inheritance pattern of chloroplast and mitochondria is a critical determinant in studying plant phylogenetics, biogeography and hybridization. To better understand chloroplast and mitochondrial inheritance patterns in Actinidia (traditionally called kiwifruit), we performed 11 artificial interspecific crosses and studied the ploidy levels, morphology, and sequence polymorphisms of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of parents and progenies. Sequence analysis showed that the mtDNA haplotypes of F1 hybrids entirely matched those of the female parents, indicating strictly maternal inheritance of Actinidia mtDNA. However, the cpDNA haplotypes of F1 hybrids, which were predominantly derived from the male parent (9 crosses), could also originate from the mother (1 cross) or both parents (1 cross), demonstrating paternal, maternal, and biparental inheritance of Actinidia cpDNA. The inheritance patterns of the cpDNA in Actinidia hybrids differed according to the species and genotypes chosen to be the parents, rather than the ploidy levels of the parent selected. The multiple inheritance modes of Actinidia cpDNA contradicted the strictly paternal inheritance patterns observed in previous studies, and provided new insights into the use of cpDNA markers in studies of phylogenetics, biogeography and introgression in Actinidia and other angiosperms.

Metabolic profiling and outer pericarp water state in Zespri, CI.GI, and Hayward kiwifruits.

The metabolic profiling of aqueous extracts of Zespri Gold ( Actinidia chinensis ) and CI.GI (a controlled crossbreed from different species of Actinidia deliciosa ) kiwifruits and the water state of the outer pericarp of entire fruits were monitored over the season by means of high-field NMR spectroscopy and T(2) relaxation time measurements, respectively, and compared with the corresponding ones of Hayward kiwifruits previously investigated. A more complete assignment of the (1)H spectrum with respect to that obtained previously was reported: histidine, phenylalanine, quercetin 3-rhamnoside, and epicatechin were identified. Metabolic profiling confirmed Zespri's earlier maturation compared with the two other varieties. The water state of entire kiwifruits was measured nondestructively on fruits attached to the plants or detached from the plants. T(2) relaxation times were found to be sensitive to the kiwifruit developmental stage.

A single Mid-Pleistocene long-distance dispersal by a bird can explain the extreme bipolar disjunction in crowberries (Empetrum).

The proposed age of the striking biogeographic disjunction between the Arctic and southernmost South America varies from more than 65 million to a few thousand years, but no estimates based on explicit models and molecular data are available. Here we address the origin of bipolarity in crowberries (Empetrum), which are heath-forming dwarf shrubs with animal-dispersed fruits. We apply a fossil-calibrated relaxed molecular clock to model sequence evolution in two nuclear low-copy and two plastid DNA regions from 41 individual plants (420 clones for the nuclear regions) representing the entire geographic distribution of crowberries. The plastid region matK and four fossil calibration points were used to infer the ages of the crowberry stem and crown groups. All analyses resolved three major crowberry clades (A-C). Clade A contained sequences from the eastern Canadian pink-fruited crowberry (E. eamesii) as sister to clades B and C, which both contained sequences from the black-fruited northern hemisphere crowberry (E. nigrum). Clade B also contained a subclade with all sequences from the red-fruited southern hemisphere crowberry, which is often referred to as a distinct species, E. rubrum. Its closest relatives were consistently identified as black-fruited plants from northwestern North America. The median time to the most recent common ancestor for northern and southern hemisphere crowberries was estimated to 0.56-0.93 Ma, and 0.26-0.59 Ma for the southern plants only. We conclude that a single dispersal by a bird from northwestern North America to southernmost South America, taking place in the Mid-Pleistocene, is sufficient to explain the disjunction in crowberries.

Quercetin, the active phenolic component in kiwifruit, prevents hydrogen peroxide-induced inhibition of gap-junction intercellular communication.

We evaluated the effects of the two main kiwifruit cultivars (gold kiwifruit (GOK) and green kiwifruit (GRK)) and their active phenolic compound, quercetin, on H2O2-induced inhibition of gap-junction intercellular communication (GJIC) in WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells. We found that both GOK and GRK protect WB-F344 cells from H2O2-induced inhibition of GJIC. The extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2)-connexin 43 (Cx43) signalling pathway is crucial for the regulation of GJIC, and both GOK and GRK blocked the H2O2-induced phosphorylation of Cx43 and ERK1/2 in WB-F344 cells. Quercetin alone attenuated the H2O2-mediated ERK1/2-Cx43 signalling pathway and consequently reversed H2O2-mediated inhibition of GJIC in WB-F344 cells. A free radical-scavenging assay using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl showed that the scavenging activity of quercetin was higher than that of a synthetic antioxidant, butylated hydroxytoluene, per mol, suggesting that the chemopreventive effect of quercetin on H2O2-mediated inhibition of ERK1/2-Cx43 signalling and GJIC may be mediated through its free radical-scavenging activity. Since the carcinogenicity of reactive oxygen species such as H2O2 is attributable to the inhibition of GJIC, GOK, GRK and quercetin may have chemopreventive potential by preventing the inhibition of GJIC.

Antioxidant activity and chemical difference in fruit of different Actinidia sp.

The present research aimed at evaluating the vitamin C, total phenolic content (TPC), phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and chlorophyll contents, as well as antioxidant activity (AAC) of six Actinidia species fruit. Vitamin C, phenolic compounds, carotenoids and chlorophylls were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. TPC was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent, and AAC using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The highest concentrations of vitamin C and TPC were found for Actinidia kolomikta fruit (1008.3 and 634.1 mg/100 g fresh weight [FW], respectively). Among phenolic compounds, seven phenolic acids and three flavonoids were identified. The 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid prevailed in A. kolomikta (425.54 mg/100 g FW), while tannic acid dominated in other species (4.63-100.43 mg/100 g FW). The largest amounts of chlorophylls and carotenoids were identified as Actinidia macrosperma (4.02 and 2.09 mg/100 g FW, respectively). The AAC of fruit extracts decreased in the order of A. kolomikta > Actinidia purpurea > Actinidia melanandra > A. macrosperma > Actinidia arguta > Actinidia deliciosa according to the DPPH assay.

The kiwifruit lycopene beta-cyclase plays a significant role in carotenoid accumulation in fruit.

The composition of carotenoids, along with anthocyanins and chlorophyll, accounts for the distinctive range of colour found in the Actinidia (kiwifruit) species. Lutein and beta-carotene are the most abundant carotenoids found during fruit development, with beta-carotene concentration increasing rapidly during fruit maturation and ripening. In addition, the accumulation of beta-carotene and lutein is influenced by the temperature at which harvested fruit are stored. Expression analysis of carotenoid biosynthetic genes among different genotypes and fruit developmental stages identified Actinidia lycopene beta-cyclase (LCY-beta) as the gene whose expression pattern appeared to be associated with both total carotenoid and beta-carotene accumulation. Phytoene desaturase (PDS) expression was the least variable among the different genotypes, while zeta carotene desaturase (ZDS), beta-carotene hydroxylase (CRH-beta), and epsilon carotene hydroxylase (CRH-epsilon) showed some variation in gene expression. The LCY-beta gene was functionally tested in bacteria and shown to convert lycopene and delta-carotene to beta-carotene and alpha-carotene respectively. This indicates that the accumulation of beta-carotene, the major carotenoid in these kiwifruit species, appears to be controlled by the level of expression of LCY-beta gene.

Fruits of the actinidia genus.

Kiwifruit is the most well-known crop in the genus Actinidia. Although Actinidia fruit sales in the international market are dominated by a single kiwifruit cultivar Actinidia deliciosa "Hayward," there are a considerable number of cultivars and selections in the genus that have widely diverse shape, size, and hairiness. They also offer a wide variation in sensory attributes such as flesh color, flavor, and taste, and in nutritional attributes such as the vitamin C level and carotenoid content. The level of actinidin, which is a cysteine protease in kiwifruit, also varies greatly among cultivars. This chapter reviews available information related to several important components, allergenic properties, and health benefits of Actinidia fruits.

Comparison of the allergenicity of Actinidia deliciosa (kiwi fruit) and Actinidia chinensis (gold kiwi).

Actinidia chinensis (gold kiwi) is a newly available fruit which has been shown to have in vitro immunoglobulin E (IgE) cross-reactivity with green kiwi. This is the first study to investigate clinical reactivity of gold kiwi. Five patients clinically allergic to green kiwi were investigated by skin test and double-blind placebo controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) with gold kiwi fruit. IgE-binding patterns of individual sera from the five challenged patients and a pool of sera from a further nine patients with kiwi allergy were compared in the two fruits by Western blotting. Cross reactivity of proteins in the two fruits was assessed by inhibition of immunoblots and by IgE enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) inhibition. Four of the five patients had a positive DBPCFC to gold kiwi. Western blotting showed marked differences in the allergen patterns of green and gold kiwi. However, inhibition of the immunoblots and ELISA assay reveals extensive inhibition of IgE binding to proteins in each fruit by the alternative species. Gold kiwi fruit is allergenic and patients allergic to green kiwi are at risk of reacting to the gold kiwi fruit. Despite having different protein profiles and IgE-binding patterns, the two species have proteins that extensively cross-inhibit the binding to IgE.

[Spectral analysis of maorenshen (Actinidia valvata) and its confusable materials].

This article reports the spectral analysis of Maorenshen (Actinidia valvata) and its confusable materials Actinidia chinennsis and Actinidia polygama by fluorescence test, ultraviolet spectrophotometry and fluorescence spectrophotometry. Strong green or blue fluorescence was observed at UV 254 nm in aqueous solutions of Actinidia chinesis and Actinidia polygama, and was barely seen in that of Maorenshen. There were also obvious differences among the ultraviolet spectra and fluorescence spectra of the extracted solutions of the three materials. No obvious absorption band was observed in the UV spectra of ethanol-extracted solution of Maorenshen, an absorption band at 280 nm was observed in the UV spectra of Actinidia chinensis and Actinidia polygama in ethanol extract-solutions. There were also different wavelength and strength in fluorescence spectra among extracted solutions of Maorenshen, Actinidia chinensis and Actinidia polygama. Therefore, it is feasible to identify Maorenshen (Actinidia valvata) and its confusable materials by ultraviolet spectrophotometry and fluorescence spectrophotometry.