A systematic approach for authentication of medicinal Patrinia species using an integration of morphological, chemical and molecular methods.

Four common Patrinia species, including P. heterophylla, P. monandra, P.

Ethnopharmacology of five flowers herbal tea, a popular traditional beverage in Hong Kong and South China.

Background: It has been a long-standing tradition of using herbal tea for preventive and therapeutic healthcare in Hong Kong and South China and Five Flowers Tea is one of the most popular herbal teas. Based on the principle of traditional Chinese medicine, the pharmacological functions are to clear heat and dispel dampness in the body. Heat and dampness are thought to contribute to a range of health problems, especially during the hot and humid season in South China and Hong Kong.

Determination of ITS1 haplotypes of Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus by amplicon sequencing.

Background: Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus is an antitussive and expectorant Chinese medicinal material derived from the dried bulbs of six Fritillaria species. In the 2015 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) is the officially listed method for their authenfication. Specifically, the ~ 300-bp ITS1 amplicon of only Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus but not other Fritillaria species can be cleaved into two smaller fragments with restriction enzyme SmaI.

The Complete Chloroplast Genomes of Nine Smilacaceae Species from Hong Kong: Inferring Infra- and Inter-Familial Phylogeny.

The Smilacaceae is a cosmopolitan family consisting of 200-370 described species. The family includes two widely accepted genera, namely and . Among them, the taxonomical status of has been continuously challenged.

Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genome of (L.) DC.

is a herb with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and wound healing properties. The complete chloroplast genome (cp genome) of the genus was sequenced for the first time. The cp genome of is 151,474 bp in length.

Comparison of DNA extraction methods on CITES-listed timber species and application in species authentication of commercial products using DNA barcoding.

Quality and quantity of DNA extracted from wood is important for molecular identification of wood species, which can serve for conservation of wood species and law enforcement to combat illegal wood trading. Rosewood (Dalbergia and Pterocarpus) and agarwood (Aquilaria) are the most commonly found hardwood in timber seizure incidents. To monitor international trade of timber and commercial wood products and to protect these endangered wood species from further population decline, in this study, we have compared three extraction protocols for DNA extraction from 12 samples of rosewood and agarwood timber logs, and later applied the best DNA extraction protocol on 10 commercial wood products claimed to be rosewood and agarwood.

Gut microbiota mediated hypoglycemic effect of polysaccharides in mice.

Gut microbiota has been reported to be closely associated with Type-II diabetes. Restoration of disordered gut microbiota ecosystem has been developed into a therapeutic strategy and gradually applied on Type-II diabetes treatment with both western drugs and herbal polysaccharides. Although polysaccharides (AMP) have also been used to treat Type-II diabetes, no study investigated correlations between gut microbiota regulation and its hypoglycemic effect.

Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genome of (L.) H. Rob.

is a member of the tribe Vernonieae from the family Compositae. The tribe was traditionally placed in the subfamily Cichorioideae, but is recently proposed to be placed in its own subfamily Vernonioideae. The complete chloroplast genome (cp genome) of the genus is sequenced for the first time.

The complete chloroplast genome of Hance, a rare and endangered plant native to Hong Kong.

is a rare and endangered plant first discovered in and native to Hong Kong. The whole chloroplast genome of is 152,368 bp in length. It contained a large single copy region (82,003 bp), a small single copy region (17,941 bp), and two inverted repeats (26,212 bp).

Comparative Analysis of Chloroplast Genomes of Species for Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis.

L.f. is a pantropical genus consisting of 269 species of trees, shrubs, and woody lianas.

Complete chloroplast genomes of Asparagus aethiopicus L., A. densiflorus (Kunth) Jessop 'Myers', and A. cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr.: Comparative and phylogenetic analysis with congenerics.

Asparagus species are widely used for medicinal, horticultural, and culinary purposes. Complete chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) genomes of three Asparagus specimens collected in Hong Kong-A. aethiopicus, A.

Strategies for molecular authentication of herbal products: from experimental design to data analysis.

Molecular herbal authentication has gained worldwide popularity in the past decade. DNA-based methods, including DNA barcoding and species-specific amplification, have been adopted for herbal identification by various pharmacopoeias. Development of next-generating sequencing (NGS) drastically increased the throughput of sequencing process and has sped up sequence collection and assembly of organelle genomes, making more and more reference sequences/genomes available.

Novel mechanistic insight on the neuroprotective effect of berberine: The role of PPARδ for antioxidant action.

Cerebral ischemic stroke ranks the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability in lifetime all around the world, urgently necessitating effective therapeutic interventions. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in stroke pathogenesis and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are prominent targets for ROS management. Although recent research has shown antioxidant effect of berberine (BBR), little is known regarding its effect upon ROS-PPARs signaling in stroke.

A specific and bioactive polysaccharide marker for Cordyceps.

Cordyceps is one of the most expensive and widely used functional foods. But the authenticity is still a concern due to the lack of appropriate markers. By targeting polysaccharides, this study aimed to develop a specific, and bioactive marker for Cordyceps.

Assessing the reliability of medicinal Dendrobium sequences in GenBank for botanical species identification.

DNA-based method is a promising tool in species identification and is widely used in various fields. DNA barcoding method has already been included in different pharmacopoeias for identification of medicinal materials or botanicals. Accuracy and validity of DNA-based methods rely on the accuracy and taxonomic reliability of the DNA sequences in the database to be compared against.

Rapid detection of CITES-listed shark fin species by loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay with potential for field use.

Shark fin is a delicacy in many Asian countries. Overexploitation of sharks for shark fin trading has led to a drastic reduction in shark population. To monitor international trade of shark fin products and protect the endangered species from further population decline, we present rapid, user-friendly and sensitive diagnostic loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and effective polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for all twelve CITES-listed shark species.

Specific DNA identification of Pheretima in the Naoxintong capsule.

Background: Pheretima is a minister drug in Naoxintong capsule (NXTC), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Owing to the loss of morphological and microscopic characteristics and the lack of recognized chemical marker, it is difficult to identify Pheretima in NXTC. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using DNA techniques to authenticate Pheretima, especially when it is processed into NXTC.

Medicinal Materials DNA Barcode Database (MMDBD) version 1.5-one-stop solution for storage, BLAST, alignment and primer design.

Authentication of medicinal materials by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology is gaining popularity. In 2010, our team has created Medicinal Materials DNA Barcode Database (MMDBD) version 1.0 to provide an interactive database for documenting DNA barcode sequences of medicinal materials.

Isolation of novel biflavonoids from Cardiocrinum giganteum seeds and characterization of their antitussive activities.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Seeds of Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense (Leichtlin ex Elwes) Stearn (Liliaceae), also known as Doulingzi, have been used as a folk substitute for conventional antitussive herb "Madouling" (Aristolochia species) to treat chronic bronchitis and pertussis. The active antitussive phytochemicals in C.

Preparative expression and purification of a nacreous protein N16 and testing its effect on osteoporosis rat model.

N16, a nacreous protein isolated from Pinctada martensii, is related to nacreous layer formation. Our previous study indicated that N16 showed dual regulatory effects by inducing osteoblast biomineralization as well as inhibiting osteoclast formation. In order to obtain large quantity of N16 for animal experiment and clinical trial, a fermentation and preparative purification method was established.

Structures and Chemotaxonomic Significance of Stemona Alkaloids from Stemona japonica.

A pair of new alkaloid stereo-isomers, stemocochinin (1) and isostemocochinin (2), was obtained from the roots of Stemona japonica Miq., along with seven known alkaloids, stemonamine (3), isostemonamine (4), maistemonine (5), isomaistemonine (6), croomine (7), stemonine (8), and protostemonine (9). The complete structure and stereochemistry of the pair of isomers were established by extensive analysis of the spectral data.

Isolation and identification of polyphenols from Marsilea quadrifolia with antioxidant properties in vitro and in vivo.

Marsilea quadrifolia is an edible aquatic medicinal plant used as a traditional health food in Asia. Four new polyphenols including kaempferol 3-O-(2″-O-E-caffeoyl)-β-d-glucopyranoside (1), kaempferol 3-O-(3″-O-E-caffeoyl)-α-l-arabinopyranoside (3), 4-methy-3'-hydroxypsilotinin (4) and (±)-(E)-4b-methoxy-3b,5b-dihydroxyscirpusin A (18) together with 14 known ones (2, 5-17) were isolated from the ethanol extract of M. quadrifolia.

Cell survival, DNA damage, and oncogenic transformation after a transient and reversible apoptotic response.

Apoptosis serves as a protective mechanism by eliminating damaged cells through programmed cell death. After apoptotic cells pass critical checkpoints, including mitochondrial fragmentation, executioner caspase activation, and DNA damage, it is assumed that cell death inevitably follows. However, this assumption has not been tested directly.