Differentiation of the Chinese minority medicinal plant genus Berchemia spp. by evaluating three candidate barcodes

The complete chloroplast genome of Berchemia lineata, an important medicinal plant from China

Brechemia lineata is a well-known medicinal plant in the Rhamnaceae family and widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Here, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome using Illumina pair-end sequencing data. The chloroplast genome was 154,962 bp in length, consisting of a large single-copy (LSC) region of 82,928 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,376 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 27,329 bp. The chloroplast genome consists of 112 unique genes, including 78 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA, and 4 ribosomal RNA genes. The overall GC content of the chloroplast genome was 37.0%. The phylogenetic analysis suggests close relationship of B. lineata with other Berchemia species. These genomic resources will be valuable resource for systematic and phylogenetic studies of Berchemia genus.

Identification and expression of DoCCaMK during Sebacina sp. symbiosis of Dendrobium officinale

Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo is a famous precious medicinal plant in China. Seed and seedling were cultivated with the mycorrhizal fungus Sebacina sp. CCaMK was initially cloned from D. officinale based on a SSH cDNA library of symbiotically germinated seeds with Sebacina sp. Phylogenetic analysis was performed among DoCCaMK and other CCaMKs. The particle bombardment technique was used to visualize DoCCaMK-GFP. qRT-PCR and western blot analysis were conducted to determine the tissue expression patterns of DoCCaMK with (SGS) and without (UGS) Sebacina sp. Furthermore, the effect of KN-93 on CCaMK expression was also examined. Using NMT the net Ca²⁺ fluxes and the CCaMK concentration were measured during D. officinale seed germination. DoCCaMK had the highest homology with Lilium longiflorum CCaMK. The DoCCaMK-GFP protein localized in the nucleus and cell membrane. CCaMK expression was significantly upregulated after symbiosis with Sebacina sp. KN-93 could be used as an inhibitor of CCaMK to inhibit D. officinale seed germination. Ca²⁺ influx and the concentration of the CCaMK in the SGS group was significantly more than that of the UGS group. The characterization of CCaMK provides certain genetic evidence for the involvement of this gene during seed germination and mycorrhizal cultivation in D. officinale.

Study on Hybrid Characteristics of Medicinally Used Cultivated Codonopsis Species Using Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) Sequencing

Codonopsis taxa, as a traditional Chinese medicinal and edible plant, has found expanding domestic and foreign applications in recent decades. However, the poor management in germplasm resources market has inevitably caused an unnecessary hybrid of the provenances. In order to clarify the hybrid characteristics of germplasm resources in the main production area, the Codonopsis cultivars collected from the provinces Gansu, Shannxi, Shanxi, and Hubei of China were researched, using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence technology. The confirmation of additive nucleotides based on the ITS sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mixture was optimized and used to study the hybrid of Codonopsis cultivars. The results showed that when the ratio of PCR mixture increased up to 15 percent, the presence of a double peak in the sequencing electrophoresis map could be confirmed, suggesting the existence of additive nucleotides. According to the method above, 46 samples of Codonopsis cultivars collected during 2016 and 2017 were studied and compared with the samples collected from the year 2009 to 2010. All of the samples collected during 2016 and 2017 were hybridized and no genetic pure lines were found. In addition, the sites of variable base reduced greatly, concentrating at positions 122 and/or 226. These phenomena suggested that the genetic diversity of Codonopsis cultivars declined and the germplasm resources gradually converged. More attention should be paid to the reasonable exploitation and genetic breeding of Codonopsis taxa.

DNA authentication of animal-derived concentrated Chinese medicine granules

Concentrated Chinese medicine granules (CCMG) offer patients a convenient option for traditional therapy. However with morphological and microscopic characteristics lost, it is difficult to authenticate and control the quality of these medicinal products. This study is the first to examine the feasibility of using DNA techniques to authenticate animal-derived CCMG, which has so far lacking of effective means for authentication. Primers targeting amplicons of different sizes were designed to determine the presence of PCR-amplifiable DNA fragments in two types of CCMG, namely Zaocys and Scorpio. Species-specific primers were designed to differentiate the genuine drugs from their adulterants. The specificity of the designed primers was evaluated in crude drugs (including genuine and adulterant) and CCMG. Results showed that by using species-specific primers, DNA fragments of less than 200bp could be isolated from the CCMG and the concerned source materials. This study demonstrated the presence of small size DNA in animal-derived CCMG and the DNA is effective in species identification. The work has extended the application of DNA techniques in herbal medicine and this approach may be further developed for quality control and regulatory compliance in the CCMG industry.