[Cloning and functional analysis of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid glycosyltransferases from Arnebia euchroma]

Caffeic acid and its oligomers are the main water-soluble active constituents of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) Arnebiae Radix. These compounds possess multiple biological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, cardiovascular protective, liver protective, anti-liver fibrosis, antiviral and anticancer activities. The phenylpropanoid pathway in plants is responsible for the biosynthesis of caffeic acid and its oligomers. Glycosylation can change phenylpropanoid solubility, stability and toxic potential, as well as influencing compartmentalization and biological activity. In view of the important role played by de-glycosylation in the regulation of phenylpropanoid homeostasis, the biosynthesis of caffeic acid and its oligomers are supposed to be under the control of relative UDP-glycosyltransferases(UGTs). Through the data mining of Arnebia euchroma transcriptome, we cloned 15 full-length putative UGT genes. After recombinant expression using the prokaryotic system, the crude enzyme solution of the putative UGTs was examined for the glycosylation activities towards caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid in vitro. AeUGT_01, AeUGT_02, AeUGT_03, AeUGT_04 and AeUGT_10 were able to glycosylate caffeic acid and/or rosmarinic acid resulting in different mono-and/or di-glycosylated products in the UPLC-MS analyses. The characterized UGTs were distantly related to each other and divided into different clades of the phylogenetic tree. Based on the observation that each characterized UGT exhibited substrate or catalytic similarity with the members in their own clade, we supposed the glycosylation abilities towards caffeic acid and/or rosmarinic acid were evolved independently in different clades. The identification of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid UGTs from A. euchroma could lead to deeper understanding of the caffeic acid oligomers biosynthesis and its regulation. Furthermore, these UGTs might be used for regiospecific glycosylation of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid to produce bioactive compounds for potential therapeutic applications.

[Variety evolution and herbal textual research on "Dihuang" in Chinese classical prescriptions]

Rehmanniae Radix (Dihuang in Chinese) is a commonly used medicinal herb in a long history, raw Dihuang, dried Dihuang, processed Dihuang and other varieties have been recorded in the classical prescriptions of past dynasties. In order to clarify the origin and variety evolution of different processed products of Dihuang in Chinese classical prescriptions, ancient herbal books were examined in this paper. Both ancient and modern Dihuang is derived from Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. in Scrophulariaceae, and R. chingii Li has been used as local medication. Dihuang has been cultivated since the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the cultivation technique was mature in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Huaiqing Prefecture of Henan Province has been regarded as its genuine producing area. "Dried Dihuang" in Shennong Bencao Jing(, Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica) included raw Dihuang and processed Dihuang. Mingyi Bielu(, Alternative Records of Famous Physicians) has described "raw Dihuang" and "Dried Dihuang" separately, in which "raw Dihuang" should be fresh Dihuang in modern times. Bencao Tujing(, Illustration of Materia Medica) in the Song Dynasty has recorded "raw Dihuang" and "processed Dihuang" correspondingly. The "raw Dihuang" was similar to today's raw Dihuang. "Processed Dihuang" has been recorded in the prescriptions of the Qin and Han Dynasties, which was independently described in the Song Dynasty. The processing methods of processed Dihuang were various in the Ming Dynasty. Processed Dihuang mainly refers to the dried products after stewing with wine or steaming until dark, and the processing methods tend to be simplified in modern times. "Raw and dried Dihuang" and "dried and processed Dihuang" have been independently recorded first in ancient herbal books of the Ming Dynasty, which is the raw Dihuang and processed Dihuang, respectively. This paper has sorted out the varieties of Dihuang, providing a basis of herbology for the origin and processing of traditional Chinese medicinal materials of Dihuang.

[Discussion on high quality development and authentication system construction of Dao-di herbs based on blockchain]

Dao-di herbs are an important part of clinical medicine in traditional Chinese medicine. They are also precious wealth left to human beings from history, which contain deep traditional Chinese cultural connotations and play an important role in supporting and serving the Chinese medicine business. The relevant policy documents introduced by various national ministries and commissions have many contents and requirements related to the promotion of Dao-di herbs protection and industrial development. Due to the Dao-di herbs industry has a series of characteristics, such as a long chain, many involved links, long cycles, multiple production entities, multiple locations, and various types, the high-quality development of the industry has put forward higher requirements on the linkage between upstream and downstream, production entities, traceability of the whole process and information sharing. This article takes Dao-di herbs certification work as an application scenario and entry point, and discusses it from the perspective of block chain and information technology. It proposes the following work ideas: establish multi-party consensus from the macro-organizational management, business, and operational technical levels, and unblock channels for data and information, to achieve institutionalization of certification; establish certification-related standards and specifications to achieve certification standardization; build a certification hardware system to achieve certification networking; build a certification software system to develop functions for specific information content such as identity, origin, production, production process, quality, product and brand of authentic medicinal material production interactively, and realize certification programmatic; data security and sharing of related production activities to achieve socialization of certification. Make full use of modern technologies such as blockchain, the internet of things, big data and information technology, and through the joint participation of management, production, use and the public, the whole process information of Daodi herbs is integrated to form an interconnected information sharing application mode, thus, to serve and promote the high-quality development of Dao-di herbs industry.

[Study on degradation of silkworm excrement chemical components in vitro]

The purpose of this article is to study the degradation of chemical compositions after the silkworm excrement being expelled from the silkworm, and to determine its main metabolic compositions and their changing relationships. This research is based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology. Based on the systematic analysis of the main chemical compositions contained in silkworm excrement, the principal compositions analysis(PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) on commercial silkworm excrement and fresh silkworm excrement were analyzed for differences. The S-plot chart of OPLS-DA was used to select and identify the chemical compositions that contributed significantly to the difference. At the same time, the relative peak areas of the different compositions were extracted by Masslynx to obtain the relative content of different compositions in fresh silkworm excrement. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the chemical compositions between fresh silkworm excrement and commercial silkworm excrement. The difference compositions were mainly flavonoid glycosides and Diels-Alder type composition, and two types of compounds are degradated during the storage of silkworm sand. In this study, the chemical compositions of fresh silkworm excrement were systematically identified and analyzed for the first time by mass spectrometry, and it was found that some chemical compositions of silkworm excrement were degradated with time during storage.

[Textual research on "Gui" in Chinese classical prescriptions]

Through consulting the ancient herbs and medical books, combining with modern literature, this paper makes textual research on herbal medicine, and textual research on the name, origin, position and harvest and processing changes of the medicinal herbs in ancient classical prescriptions. According to research, Cinnamon medicinal materials were first listed in the Shennong's Herbal Classic, as the name of "Jungui" and "Mugui". Among them, Jungui has undergone the evolution of "Qungui-Jungui-Tonggui-Jungui". After the Northern and Southern Dynasties, a half-volume fatty "Gui" was added, but the usage of the three was no different. The names of Cinnamomi Ramulus and Cinnamomi Cortex did not appear until the Tang Dynasty, and they were preferably thick-skinned and with no cork cambium, and they were mostly used in the name of "Guixin"; Since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the medicinal parts of cassia have gradually separated. Cinnamomi Cortex is the trunk bark of sapling or branch bark, the twig is Cinnamomi Ramulus, and the tenderest twig is Liugui, Song Dynasty unified the name as "Guizhi"; After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Cinnamomi Cortex was used as the trunk bark, and Cinnamomi Ramulus was used as the tender twig; In modern times, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia stipulates that the Cinnamomi Ramulus is the young branch of C. cassia, which is Cinnamomum, and Cinnamomi Cortex was the dried trunk bark. From the plant morphology recorded in the previous herbals and the drawings, combined with the distribution of the origins described in the previous herbals, the mainstream plant used as a medicine in the past generations should be C. cassia, but there are other sect. Cinnamomum plants that are also used in medicine everywhere, such as C. chekiangensis, C. bejolghota, C. wilsonii, etc. Throughout the ages, different plant morphologies and medicinal traits have been used to distinguish different categories. The origins of the past dynasties are mostly present in Guangdong, Guangxi province and Vietnam, and are regarded as authentic. The methods for the harvest and processing of cinnamon medicinal materials are basically the same from ancient to modern times.

[Textual research on Bupleuri Radix in Chinese classical prescriptions]

Through consulting the herbs and medical books of past dynasties, combining with modern literature and field investigation, this paper made textual research on the name, origin, producing area, harvesting and processing of Bupleuri Radix used in the Catalogue of Ancient Classical Prescriptions(the first batch).From Han to the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the source of Bupleuri Radix was a mixture of Bupleurum and Peucedanum, it's hard to define the origin of authentic products.In Tang Dynasty, Caryophyllaceae had been used as Bupleuri Radix. In Song Dynasty, it was clear that the genuine production area of Bupleuri Radix was Yinzhou, its origin was B. corzonerifolium and B. yinchowense.After the Ming Dynasty, B. chinense gradually became the mainstream. It has been confirmed that there were differences in the efficacy between Stellaria dichotoma in Caryophyllaceae and Bupleurum in Umbelliferae, however, the use of S. dichotoma is still attributed to Bupleuri Radix. In the Qing Dynasty, S. dichotoma was distinguished from Bupleuri Radix as another medicine. Among the prescriptions containing Bupleuri Radix included in the Catalogue of Classical Prescriptions in Ancient China(the first batch), the mainstream of genuine Bupleuri Radix should be B. scorzonerifolium and B. chinense. It is suggested that the genuine base of Bupleuri Radix should be selected according to the current resources and industrial development of Bupleuri Radix, and it should conform to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

[Textual research on "Zhu" in Chinese classical prescriptions]

Through consulting the ancient herbs and medical books,combining with modern literature and field investigation,this paper makes textual research on herbal medicine,and makes textual research on the name,origin,position and changes of collection and processing of the medicinal herbs in Ancient Classical Prescriptions. " Zhu" wasn't distinguished before the Northern and Southern Dynasties,but the efficacy of the techniques recorded in the documents at that time was similar to that of today's Atractylodis Rhizoma.Tao Hongjing put forward the theory of " red and white" in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. " Cangzhu" and " Baizhu" gradually differentiated,but there was no clear distinction between them. Since Song and Yuan Dynasties, " Baizhu" has been respected and classified in the literature. In Ming Dynasty, " Baizhu" was cultivated and differentiated into different quality specifications according to its growth pattern and origin. Maoshan is the genuine production area of " Cangzhu". The quality of wild " Baizhu" produced in Yuqian city is the best. In modern times,the origins of " Cangzhu" and " Baizhu" were defined according to plant taxonomy. " Zhu" before Song Dynasty was close to Atractylodes lancea, " Baishu" had been respected since the Song Dynasty. So when Song people revised the previous literature,they unified " Zhu" into " Baizhu" and used it for later generations. Its safety and effectiveness have been confirmed,and the wild resources of modern atractylodes are scarce. Therefore,it is suggested that when classical famous prescriptions are developed,the prescription recorded as " Baizhu" does not need to be changed in its origin,that is,A. macrocephala at present or can choose the appropriate basis according to the principle of local righteousness.Textual research shows that the origin of " Cangzhu" in the classical prescription should be A. lancea.

[Herbal textual research on Chinese medicine "Manjingzi"(Viticis Fructus)]

To clarify the change and development of original plants of " Manjingzi"( Viticis Fructus),a traditional Chinese medicine,we investigated Vitex species on the ancient Chinese herbal texts. The study concluded that the Vitex trifolia and V. trifolia var.simplicifolia included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia( 2015 edition) are only two sources of ancient medicinal Viticis Fructus. There are many sources of vines used in ancient times,which are not fixed and unified. The early use of Viticis Fructus is likely to be the V. quinate var. quinata,V. negundo var. cannabifolia and V. negundo var. negundo. From the Tang Dynasty,the use of V. trifolia var. simplicifolia has been appeared. Until Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty,the V. trifolia has been used as a source of medicine for the Viticis Fructus,but even so,the source of medicinal plants of Viticis Fructus has not been unified. We suggested V. trifolia var. simplicifolia be used as mainly species for " Manjingzi" due to its widely used in ancient China.

[Textual research on Chinese herbaceous peony in Chinese classical prescriptions]

In this paper,the name,origin,producing area,harvesting and processing changes of Paeonia lactiflora used in classical prescriptions were studied by textual research of herbal medicine and field investigation. Chinese herbaceous peony wasn' t distinguished before the Northern and Southern Dynasties; Tao Hongjing proposed that there were two kinds of P. lactiflora in the Northern and Southern Dynasties,but they were not clearly defined; since the Song and Yuan Dynasties,the method of distinguishing P. lactiflora by flower color and root color was proposed. In the Ming Dynasty,people put forward the criteria similar to modern ones,that is,to divide red peony and white peony by means of harvesting and processing,and to continue for future generations. Since modern times,different growth patterns and processing methods have been used to classify red peony and white peony. Paeoniae Radix Alba has gradually formed three major cultivation genuine producing areas: Hangzhou,Sichuan and Bozhou,while Paeoniae Radix Rubra in modern times has praised the wild medicinal materials produced in Inner Mongolia,Toronto and other places. According to textual research,Paeoniae Radix Alba was highly praised in Song Dynasty. When people in Song Dynasty revised the previous literature,they changed " Shaoyao" into " Baishao" and continued to use Paeoniae Radix Alba for future generations. Therefore,the origin of P. lactiflora in classical prescriptions before the Song Dynasty should be determined by the combination of prescription function and prescription meaning evolution; After the Song Dynasty,the origins of " Red Paeonia Root" and " White Paeonia Root" in prescriptions are basically the same as those in today's prescriptions,which should be recorded in ancient prescriptions. For the medicinal flavor of " Paeonia Root" recorded in prescriptions after the Song Dynasty,the origins can be determined by functional domination and the evolution of prescriptions.

[Textual research on classical prescription of Acorus tatarinowii]

Based on the prescription books of herbs and medical books of all dynasties,this article makes a textual research on the name,origin,position,quality,collection,processing and concocting of Acorus tatarinowii used in the classical prescription,and clarifies the relationship between ancient and modern,so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of the classical famous prescription.According to research,A. tatarinowii has many aliases and is often remembered as " Chang pu" when use as medicine; It has a wide distribution of resources in our country,all over the country have produced and mostly wild,its producing areas there is a trend of migration to the southeast; It is recorded in the ancient books of Chinese herbs that most of its medicinal parts are roots,and to root thin,solid quality,dense,aromatic smell,full taste,chewing less slag of high quality; It is harvested in February,May,August and December,and dried in the shade after harvesting; Its concocting methods are more than 20 species have been recorded; Before the Tang Dynasty,the basis of the medicinal A. tatarinowii was relatively chaotic,through textual research,it is concluded that A. tatarinowii should be the mainstream in all dynasties,and that its quality is superior to that of other species in the same genus.It is recommended to be used in " Kaixin san" and " rehmannia drink".

[Herbal textual research on triditional Chinese medicine "Baihe"( Lilii Bulbus)]

To clarify the species and preparation of " Baihe"( Lilii Bulbus),a traditional Chinese medicine,we investigated the relative ancient Chinese literature on this medicine. The study concluded that Lilium brownii var. viridulum is the authentic lily for medical use. In the Ben Cao Yan Yi and some medical books in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,L. lancifolium( Juandan) was also mistakenly used as genuine lily,but most doctors believe that this variety should not be used for medicinal purposes; L. pumilum( Shandan)began to be used as a medicine from Ri Hua Zi Ben Cao,but mainly for surgery,the effect is also different from L. brownii var. viridulum. We suggested Shandan be used as the species for another medicine as " Hong Bai He( red lily) " due to its red flower. All above three species recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia are not corresponded to the condition of ancient doctors' uses. Therefore,as for developing of traditional classical formula,L. brownii var. viridulum should be chosen and used as Baihe. The birth places for Baihe include Gansu,Hubei,Anhui and Shandong province. The drug preparations of Baihe include crude medicine,roasting and steaming,which preparation should be chosen depends on the formula which contains Baihe.

[Research progress on chemical constituents and bioactivities of Lepidium meyenii]

Maca( Lepidium meyenii) known as the " national treasure of Peru" and " South American ginseng",is annual or biennial herbs of the genus Lepidium in Cruciferae. It mainly contains proteins,amino acids,polysaccharides,alkaloids( including:macamides,imidazoles,hydroxypyridines,carbazoles,organic amines and so on),glucosinolates,macaenes,thioethylurea,sterols and other chemical constituents. In recent years,more and more studies have found that it could treat osteoporosis and improve prostatehyperplasia,and possessed anti-cancer,female climacteric syndrome,rheumatism,antioxidant and other pharmacological effects. In this paper,the chemical constituents and bioactivity of Maca were reviewed,which could provide the basis for the further development and utilization of Maca.

[Textual research of "Huangbo" in classical prescriptions]

"Huangbo" is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in clinic,which is mainly divided into " Chuanhuangbo" and " Guanhuangbo" in the market today. It's better to use thick and dark stem bark as medicine. This study combed the germplasms of " Huangbo" in Chinese herbal medicines and ancient medical books,which showed that the name,origin and processing of " Huangbo" had undergone evolution and changes since the ancient times. The results showed that " Huangbo" was first known as " Bomu" from " Sheng Nong's Herbal Classic". There was an attached name " Tanhuan" and the alias " Huangbo" besides " Bomu" in herbal books in Tang and Song Dynasty. Before Tang Dynasty, " Bomu" was mainly originated from stems or roots of Berberis species in Berberiaceae,and then it was mainly derived from the dry bark of Phellodendron chinense in Rutaceae since Song Dynasty. In Ming Dynasty,some herbal books recorded it name as " Huangbo",whose origin and medicinal parts remained unchanged,taking Sichuan as the best producing area. During the Republic of China era,the name " Huangbo" has evolved to " Huangbo",and the variety differentiation of " Chuanhuangbo", " Guanhuangbo" and " Yanghuangbo" appeared,in which " Guanhuangbo" was mainly derived from Ph. amurense Rupr.. In modern times,although species differentiation still exists in " Huangbo",the market is still dominated by " Chuanhuangbo".

[Research on grade standard and quality evaluation of Pinelliae Rhizoma for merchandise specification]

The study aims at investigating the grade standard and the quality characteristic of Pinelliae Rhizoma for commodity specification, which provides the reference for its grade standard formulation. 42 Pinelliae Rhizoma simples were collected from 5 medicinal materials markets and 2 producing areas. Based on the previous herbalogical study and market investigation, we combined with the data analysis to select the grading indicators using SPSS software for descriptive statistical analysis, analysis of variance, K-cluster analysis and correlation analysis. According to the actual production condition, we developed the grading standards of Pinelliae Rhizoma. Moreover, we compared the internal indicators(water, total ash, leachate and guanosine) of Pinelliae Rhizoma at various grade levels, and analyzed the correlation between appearance traits and internal indicators. The herbalogical study and market research found that the Pinelliae Rhizoma was better in large, solid and white. The results from descriptive and variance analysis showed that the appearance of Pinelliae Rhizoma was significantly different in weight per grain and grain number of 500 g. Referring to the 2015 Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the production practice, we use the length, weight per grain and grain number of 500 g as the classification index of Pinelliae Rhizoma. The results from correlation analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between the appearance of Pinelliae Rhizoma and the intrinsic quality index. In addition, we found there was no significant difference in the content of the intrinsic index except for the total ash and the extract. The current study established the classification index of the product specification and grade standard of Pinelliae Rhizoma with length, weight per grain and grain number of 500 g as the index, which can provide the basis for the classification of the product specification and grade of Pinelliae Rhizoma market.

[Study on commodity specification and grade standard and quality evaluation of Galla Chinensis]

This paper is aimed to study the commodity specification and grade standard of Galla Chinensis,for standardizing market order and guide the market circulation,and provide a basis for standardization of Galla Chinensis. With 33 samples of Galla Chinensis from market as the object of the research,the herbal textual research and market research were carried out. Then the grading indicator were selected by the descriptive statistics,principal component analysis and cluster analysis,combining with production practice,the commodity specification and grade standard of Galla Chinensis were set out. The data of moisture,ash,gallic acid as the internal index were used to analyze the relationship between the quality difference between grades and the appearance characters and the intrinsic composition. Herbal textual research and market research found that the high quality of Galla Chinensis characterized with large,complete,wall thick,grayish brown characteristics,and Galla Chinensis could be divided into gallnuts and horned gall. Through principal component analysis and cluster analysis,combining actual production and herbal record,screening,the length,diameter,single weight,the number of 500 g were determined as 4 grading indicators,the commodity specification was divided into two: gallnuts and horned gall,the grades was divided into two: selected goods and mixed goods. The result of correlation analysis showed there was no significant correlation between the internal index and the appearance characters of Galla Chinensis. The result of multiple comparison showed that the ash content of the selected goods was smaller than that of the mixed goods,but it did not reach significant. The content of gallic acid of the selected goods and the mixed goods of gallnuts were higher than selected goods of horned gall,and higher than mixed goods of horned galls. Using the length,diameter,single weight,the number of 500 g as the appearance characters index. Combining with the herbal textual research and market research,we have divided two specifications and two grades for the commodity specification and grade standard of Galla Chinensis,which can provide a basis for industry standards and national standards.

[Textual research on origin and genuine of Lilii Bulbus]

Lilii Bulbus, which comes from many medicinal plants，is a frequently-used traditional Chinese medicine，the records in previous herbal literatures of it's origin and quality were inconstant. To trace back it's sources, we conducted a systematical study on it's origin and quality by textual research and investigation in this paper,The result showed that the origins of Lilii Bulbus are mainly source from white-flowers, red-yellow-flowers and red-flowers of Lilium， L. brownii var. viridulum, which were believed authentic or good quality in all previous herbal literatures,and L. pumilum and L. concolor which belong to white-flowers,and L. lancifolium which belong to red-yellow-flowers were believed low-quality and unfit for medicinal uses, or they were listed below and often have different effect with L. brownii var. viridulum. Among them, only L. concolor does not belong to Lilii Bulbus according to Chinese Pharmacopeia (2015 edition), The mainstream varieties of Lilii Bulbus became L. lancifolium now according to our practical investigation, which were very different from previous herbal literatures. Although chemical and pharmacological studies provided a reference for L. lancifolium，we should respect the actual records of the previous herbal literatures，the research of material foundation of efficacy should be more sufficient，and provide science evidence for clinical application of different species of Lilii Bulbus.

[Study on commodity specification and grade standard and quality evaluation of Dipsaci Radix]

Through the records of herbal and market investigations,the samples collected from different market and origin were analyzed,and the appearance character indexes were determined in order to revise the commodity specification and grade standard of Dipsaci Radix combined with production practice. This is also to analyze association of the appearance with quality different of intrinsic components. The investigation results indicated the root's long and thick was better,and atrovirens of fracture surface,there are most of the market is dominated by the ungraded goods. Through principal component analysis,variance analysis and cluster analysis,combining with the feasibility of actual operation and herbal record,the length,middle diameter and phloem color were filtrated and the specification was divided into 2 ranks: the selection and ungraded goods,and the grade was divided into 2 ranks for the selection goods: big,small selected goods. Moreover,there were no significant correlation between the appearance and the intrinsic quality index of Dipsaci Radix,the content of extractum were significantly positive correlation with the moisture,but had extremely negative correlation with the total ash. Multiple comparisons indicated that the content of the moisture,extractum and asperosaponin VI of the selected goods were higher than the ungraded goods,while the total ash content were lower,and they hasn't significant difference. The commodity specification and grade standard of Dipsaci Radix as a basis provide commodity specification and grade standard of communities and standardizing market trade order.

Development of a colloidal gold-based lateral flow dipstick immunoassay for rapid detection of chlorogenic acid and luteoloside in Flos Lonicerae Japonicae

Flos Lonicerae Japonicae (FLJ), known as golden-and-silver honeysuckle, is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine with pharmacological activities and edibleness in China. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) and luteoloside are the quality control markers of FLJ regulated by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 edition). For rapid evaluation of the quality of FLJ, dipsticks for CGA and luteoloside detection were developed. The detection limit of the dipsticks for CGA and luteoloside, defined as the lowest concentration of the target analyte between which the test line was invisible, were 100 ng/mL and 200 ng/mL, respectively. The dipsticks were used for determination of CGA and luteoloside contents in FLJ, and the results were confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The developed dipsticks, with their simplicity of use, lack of dependence on instruments and environmental friendliness, could be used to evaluate the quality of FLJ within 10 min.

Chemical profiling in Moutan Cortex after sulfuring and desulfuring processes reveals further insights into the quality control of TCMs by nontargeted metabolomic analysis

As a traditional processing method, sulfuring has been used in the processing of many traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Desulfuring, which has emerged in recent years, is a new method applied to sulfured herbs so they can comply with regulations regarding residual SO₂. Due to the chemical transformations and the residual SO₂ in the herbs, both sulfuring and desulfuring have negative effects on the safety and therapeutic effects of TCMs, and Moutan Cortex is one of the TCMs most susceptible to these effects. Here, a new strategy was developed to differentiate normal, sulfured and desulfured Moutan Cortex, and the transformations of compounds in sulfuring and desulfuring processes were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MSE) method based on metabolomic analysis. Our findings were as follows: (1) a total of 119 compounds were identified or tentatively identified, including 9 compounds that are being reported for the first time as natural products; (2) 15 sulfocompounds were generated during the sulfuring process; (3) these sulfocompounds could not be converted back into their corresponding glycosides by the desulfuring process, and the desulfuring decreased the residual SO₂,while also removing some soluble compounds in the sulfured Moutan Cortex; and (4) 28 compounds were screened and tentatively identified as markers for distinguishing normal, sulfured and desulfured Moutan Cortex. Our findings provide a new practical strategy for evaluating how sulfuring and desulfuring affect the quality of TCMs.

[Research progress on quality evaluation of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(Danshen)]

Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Danshen) is one of the commonly used bulk medicinal materials in China. It is widely used in clinical practice, and has many pharmacological effects, such as antithrombotic，antibacterial，anti-inflammatory，anti-oxidative and immunomodulatory activities. The quality of Danshen determines the quality of the curative effect. The current wild resources of Danshen gradually decrease, the cultivation area is widely distributed, among them, Shandong, Sichuan, Anhui, Shanxi, Hebei, Henan and other provinces have large acreage for Danshen. However, germplasm, origin, cultivation, harvest, process and other factors have a certain impact on the active ingredients of Danshen, which lead to the quality of Danshen good and bad mixed. This paper is based on the systematic analysis of literature on quality evaluation of Danshen. To provide a new idea for the further research on the quality of Danshen, we summarized the main factors affecting the quality of Salvia miltiorrhiza that of germplasm, origin, cultivation, harvest, process, storage, product specifications and so on.

[Research actuality and quality-influencing factor of Epimedii Folium]

Epimedii Folium has a long history in China as a common traditional Chinese medicine. Key factors of Epimedii Folium quality were summarized based on ancient literatures, Chinese Pharmacopoeias and modern research in different period of history. The main reason for unqualified Epimedii Folium is unstable icariin. Therefore, it's suggested that: the precondition of the quality control of epimedium is to find the proper quality marker. It's suggested that the medicinal parts should be reverted to "dry whole plant overground" to solve Epimedium resource shortage problem. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the standardized cultivation, so as to ensure germplasm, production area, and producing method to guarantee the quality of Epimedium Folium. In the drying method, it is recommended to change "dry in the sun or shade" to "dry", namely dry in the sun, shade or drier, in order to provide a new method to improve the quality control and quality standard of Epimedii Folium.

[Study on formation and changes of Dao-di herbs production origin of Gastrodia elata]

Gastrodia elata has been used in China for more than 2 000 years and it is a kind of valuable traditional Chinese medicine. The originrecords of G. elata were Mount Tai of Shandong and and Mount Song of Henan, which began in Wupu Bencao of Wei Jin Dynasties, and Tai'an and its surrounding areas had been the Do-di herbs production areas. But from the beginning of the Republic of China, G. elata origin has undergone major changes, Do-di herbs production areas moved westward to the southwest.In this paper,through literature research and field visits, we studied the formation and changes of Do-di herbs production areas of G. elata. The cultivation history and current main producing area of G. elata was also introduced. On this basis, we profoundly summarized the reasons of Do-di herbs production areas formation and changes from the nature, society, transportation, humanities and germplasm resources.Combining the ancient herbal medicine and the characteristics of modern producing areas, the planting strength of G. elata could be strengthened in the hope of providing reference for the quality evaluation and cultivation of G. elata.

A practical protocol for comprehensive evaluation of sulfur-fumigation of Gastrodia Rhizoma using metabolome and health risk assessment analysis

Gastrodia Rhizoma is one of the most heavily sulfur-fumigated edible and medical herbs in the marketplace. We developed a practical protocol using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight-MS^E (UPLC/QTOF-MS^E)-based metabolome and health risk assessment model to identify characteristic sulfur-fumigated markers, dissect chemical transformation mechanisms, and control the quality of sulfur-fumigated Gastrodia Rhizoma. Two sulfur-containing p-hydroxybenzyl products, one sulfur-containing disaccharide, one glycolipid, and two phospholipids were selected and identified as markers based on multivariate statistical analysis. In particular, the sulfur-containing markers p-hydroxybenzyl hydrogen sulfite and trace p-mercaptobenzyl hydrogen sulfate were positively correlated with the active major phenolics. Moreover, a practical index the time of the minimum content was useful for evaluating the extent of the sulfur-fumigation under different weight ratios of the sulfur to herbal materials (1:20, 1:40, and 1:80). Ultimately, the 1:40 ratio within 1h of sulfur-fumigation was considered as safe and efficient for herb quality preservation under the maximum residue limit of 750mg/kg. This study shows that the practical protocol-based discriminated markers and practical limits can be applied to quality assurance of sulfur-fumigation and non-fumigation Gastrodia Rhizoma and other edible or medical materials.

[Exploration and thoughts about zoological origin and macroscopical identification of Chinese material medica "Haima" in China Pharmacopoeia]

"Haima" (Hippocampus) has a long history in China as an important traditional animal medicine, but many closely-related members of the Hippocampus genus are also used as Haima in particular regions. To investigate the real origin of "Haima", a herbalogical studies, particularly inpictures and photographs of the ancient literature are corroborated with seahorse specimens in museum, we confirm Chinese material medica "Haima" in China Pharmacopoeia is origin from H. kelloggi, 1901, H.spinosissimus, 1913, H. kuda, 1852, H. trimaculatus, 1814, or H. mohnikei, 1853. The so-called "Ci Haima" is H. spinosissimus, instead of H. histrix, 1856. The paper also suggests to revise of "macroscopical identification" item and add identification methods of "Haima" in China Pharmacopoeia, which may improve quality controls tandards of "Haima".

[Historical evolution and change of differentiation on dried ginger, fresh ginger and baked ginger]

Ginger is commonly used as dietetic Chinese herbs, medicinal ginger mainly divided into dried ginger, fresh ginger and baked ginger. In this article, by sorting and studying literature of Chinese materia medica, textual criticism the historical evolution and change of differentiation on dried ginger, fresh ginger and baked ginger. Results indicate that, as the changes of the dynasty, dried ginger, fresh ginger and baked ginger gradually differentiation in producing area and processing method. Dried ginger beginning in Shennong Bencao Jing（Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica）, Mingyi Bielu（Records of Famous Physicians） respectively included fresh ginger and dried ginger for the first time. Dried ginger and fresh ginger differentiation in producing area. Between the period of Shennong Bencao Jing（Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica）and Bencao Gangmu（Compendium of Materia Medica）, dried ginger was made from fresh ginger by water, peeled and sunlight; After Bencao Gangmu（Compendium of Materia Medica）, most herbalists support the view of Li Shizhen, thought that dried ginger was made by mother ginger. Baked ginger appeared in Han Dynasty. Depei Bencao（De Pei Materia Medica） in Qing Dynasty listed the baked ginger separately as a herb medicine ingredient, thought that baked ginger was made by dried ginger. As the changes of the dynasty, genuine producing areas of ginger were changed, but mainly concentrated in Yangtze river basin. Sichuan Qianwei is the main authentic region of modern medicinal ginger, in accordance with all previous dynasties materia medica. Since the Ming Dynasty, a lot of herbalists thought that good quality of dried ginger is meat thick full, color white and texture solid.