In China,over 40 species of the genus Salvia have been used as medicinal plants for various diseases,some for thousands of years.Recently,research has focused on the biological activities of Salvia medicinal plants used in traditional chinese medicine(TCM).However,to date a scientific survey of the genus Salvia in China has not been carried out.In this paper,we report the results of 10 field surveys of Salvia medicinal plants collected in 17 provinces including detailed information on their local names,growing environment,distribution and therapeutic effects.We also summarize the results of research on the materia medica,phytochemistry and pharmacology of some of the important Salvia medicinal plants.Our study reveals that 35 Salvia plants have been used in TCM in different regions of China,including 20 species used as Danshen to treat heart diseases,and 15 species used to treat a range of other conditions including gynecological diseases,muscular or skeletal problems,hepatitis,urological diseases,and mouth and eye conditions.It is clear that some species of Salvia L.possess significant pharmacological activity in the context of ethnopharmacological knowledge,especially in the treatment of heart disease.Further studies of the phytochemistry and pharmacology of Salvia species will no doubt improve their medical utilization and contribute to the development of new natural drugs.
Objective To investigate Mongolian medicinal plants called Digeda and the prescriptions in Inner Mongolia region and to establish a molecular method for authentication of Digeda Mongolian patent medicines(MPMs). Methods A field investigation was conducted on traditional uses of Digeda. After interviewed traditional healers in Mongolian, ethnopharmacological information of Digeda prescriptions was recorded in detail, including names, compositions, and traditional uses. And the total DNA from 10 MPMs has been amplified by three pairs of specific primers. Specific PCR products were further identified by sequence alignment with the known sequences already submitted in Gen Bank or own sequences. Results Fifteen Digeda plants and 29 Digeda prescriptions with their ethnopharmacological knowledge were collected. Ten MPM samples containing Lomatogonium rotatum, Viola philippica, and Corydalis bungeana were successfully evidenced by PCR with specific bands as raw materials. Conclusion Digeda should be further investigated in ethnopharmacology, which is a fundamental step toward developing efficacious natural drugs for various diseases. PCR amplification of specific allele is an easy and economical method, which can be used to identify highly processed MPMs and will assist in monitoring their qualities and legalities.
Le ZhangZhan-hu CuiYong-xu MuKun-hua WeiZhen-hua LiHong ZhuDa-wei YangYing-li WangPing LongChun-hong ZhangMin-hui Li
Objective To document the knowledge and the use of indigenous medicinal plants by traditional healers in Baotou,Inner Mongolia,China.Methods Data were collected from 112 randomly-selected interviewees using semistructured interviews in wild herbal plant collected from 2007 to 2010.The data from the interviewees were analyzed with two quantitative tools.With the informant consensus factor,the information homology was evaluated and with the fidelity level the most important species from the categories were found.Results One hundred and fifty-two species belonging to 112 genera in 48 families with medicinal values were recorded.The reported medicinal plants species were used to treat 63 kinds of diseases.And the medicinal plants in this district possessed significant potentials for their pharmacological activities in the context of ethnopharmacological knowledge,especially in the treatments of gastrointestinal,dermatological,and cardiovascular diseases.Conclusion In this work,152 medicinal plants with their ethnopharmacological information are reported.This study demonstrates that many species play an important role in healing practices among inhabitants from Baotou.More ethnopharmacological information of Mongolian medicinal plants should be gathered and documented in further studies,which is a fundamental step toward developing efficacious natural drugs for various diseases.
The rare earth elements(REEs)are a set of 17 chemical elements.They include the lanthanide series from lanthanum(La)to lutetium(Lu),scandium(Sc),and yttrium(Y)in the periodic table.Although REEs are used widely in industry and agriculture in China for a long time,there has been increasing interest in application of REEs to medicinal plants in recent years.In this paper,we summarize researches in the past few decades regarding the effects of REEs on the germination of seeds,the growth of roots,total biomass,and the production of its secondary metabolites,as well as their effects on the absorption of minerals and metals by medicinal plants.By compilation and analysis of these data,we found that REEs have promoting effects at low concentrations and negative effects at comparatively high concentrations.However,most studies focused only on a few REEs,i.e.,La,cerium(Ce),neodymium(Nd)and europium(Eu),and they made main emphasis on their effects on regulation of secondary meta bolism in tissue-cultured plants,rather than cultivated medicinal plants.Advanced research should be invested regarding on the effects of REEs on yields of cultivated plants,specifically medicinal plants.
Chunhong ZhangQianquan LiMuxin ZhangNa ZhangMinhui Li
