OBJECTIVETo provide some new evidences for the classfication and identification of medicinal plants of Curcuma.

METHODA numerical taxonomy by means of cluster analysis and principal Component analysis is used. Combined with RAPD analysis, computer image analysis and chemical analysis, the taxonomical relationships of the plants of Curcuma in China were characterized qualitatively and quantitatively.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONThe plants of Curcuma is systematized into 9 species, 1 species complex, 3 cultivated varieties. A lot of taxonomic confusion and disputations were consequently expounded.

Cluster Analysis ; Curcuma ; anatomy & histology ; classification ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; classification ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique

OBJECTIVETo provide some new evidences for the identification of medicinal materials of Curcuma.

METHODMicroscopic observation was made to characterize the rhizomes of Curcuma.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONThere were no obvious histological and morphological differences among the rhizomes of Curcuma. The distribution of oil cells and vascular bundles as well as the number and diameter of xylem vessels were considered to be the distinguishing features of their rhizomes.

China ; Curcuma ; anatomy & histology ; classification ; cytology ; Pharmacognosy ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; classification ; cytology ; Rhizome ; anatomy & histology ; cytology

This article aims to identify four commonly applied herbs from Curcuma genus of Zingiberaceae family,namely Curcumae Radix( Yujin),Curcumae Rhizoma( Ezhu),Curcumae Longae Rhizoma( Jianghuang) and Wenyujin Rhizoma Concisum( Pianjianghuang). The odor fingerprints of those four herbal medicines were collected by electronic nose,respectively. Meanwhile,XGBoost algorithm was introduced to data analysis and discriminant model establishment,with four indexes for performance evaluation,including accuracy,precision,recall,and F-measure. The discriminant model was established by XGBoost with positive rate of returning to 166 samples in the training set and 69 samples in the test set were 99. 39% and 95. 65%,respectively. The top four of the contribution to the discriminant model were LY2/g CT,P40/1,LY2/Gh and LY2/LG,the least contributing sensor was T70/2. Compared with support vector machine,random forest and artificial neural network,XGBoost algorithms shows better identification capacity with higher recognition efficiency. The accuracy,precision,recall and F-measure of the XGBoost discriminant model forecast set were 95. 65%,95. 25%,93. 07%,93. 75%,respectively. The superiority of XGBoost in the identification of Curcuma herbs was verified. Obviously,this new method could not only be suitable for digitization and objectification of traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) odor indicators,but also achieve the identification of different TCM based on their odor fingerprint in electronic nose system. The introduction of XGBoost algorithm and more excellent algorithms provide more ideas for the application of electronic nose in data mining for TCM studies.
Algorithms ; Curcuma/classification* ; Discriminant Analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Electronic Nose ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Odorants/analysis* ; Plants, Medicinal/classification*

AIMTo study the fingerprint of Ezhu by GC-MS.

METHODSGC-MS analysis was performed for 18 samples of three species of Curcuma used as Ezhu. TIC profiles were evaluated by "Computer Aided Similarity Evaluation System" (MATLAB5.3 based, Ver. 1.240, developed by Research Center for Modernization of Chinese Medicine, Central South University). The characteristic peaks in chromatograms were identified by comparing mass data with literatures. Hierarchical clustering analysis was performed by SPSS based on the relative peak area (RPA) of identified peak to germacrone in 18 samples.

RESULTSResemblance values of 18 samples of Ezhu were pretty low. The mutual mode fingerprint plots of Ezhu were failed to develop. However, 18 samples were divided into two main clusters based on hierarchical clustering analysis, Curcuma wenyujin cluster and Curcuma phaeocaulis cluster, but the samples of Curcuma kwangsiensis were dispersive. Therefore, based on hierarchical clustering analysis, two mutual mode fingerprint plots of Curcuma wenyujin and Curcuma phaeocaulis were developed. But that of Curcuma kwangsiensis was failed because of low resemblance among samples.

CONCLUSIONThe mutual mode fingerprint is the basis for quality control of Chinese materia medica from multi-origins. Development of GC-MS fingerprint of Ezhu was failed, which indicates that the chemical components in different species of herbs used as one Chinese materia medica may be significantly different. The relationship of chemical components and pharmacological activities should be further studied so as to elucidate the rationality of Chinese materia medica from multi-origins.

Cluster Analysis ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; classification ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Phylogeny ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sesquiterpenes ; analysis ; Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo provide some new evidences for the classification and identification of medicinal materials of Curcuma.

METHODThe optical microscope and electronic microsccopic scaning were used to characterize the leaves of Curcuma.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONThere were no obvious histological and morphological differences among the leaves of Curcuma. But the differences in the hair distribution, stoma density and size , shape and size of epidermic cells could be considered to be the main features for the microscopic identification of leaves of Curcuma.

China ; Curcuma ; classification ; ultrastructure ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Pharmacognosy ; Plant Epidermis ; cytology ; ultrastructure ; Plant Leaves ; cytology ; ultrastructure ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; ultrastructure ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo determine the best processing technology parameters.

METHODThe changes of the weights, volatile constituents, total extract quantities by MeOH or CHCl3 and curcumenol contents of the roots of Curcuma wenyujin and C. kwangsiensis roots before and after water soaking were determined, so as to determine the quality control index for the process of preparing Yujin slices. The shortest soaking and moistening time and the appropriate drying temperature were studied.

RESULT AND CONCLUSION(1) The weight was decreased and the quantities of volatile constituents were changed during water soaking process. But the total extracts quantities and the curcumenol contents didn't change obviously. So the quality control index was decided as soaking as short as possible. (2) The soaking time could be decreased by using high pressure. The soaking time was related with the short diameter of the cross section of the root. (3) The soaking under pressure technology is that soaking on -0.095 MPa for 0.5 h, then on 0.14 MPa for 10-16 h, and moistening for 36-48 h, cutting drying in room temperature or less than 40 degrees C.

Curcuma ; chemistry ; classification ; Oils, Volatile ; analysis ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pressure ; Quality Control ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Time Factors ; Water

OBJECTIVETo explore genetic relationships of the 39 materials in six species of Curcuma.

METHODThe peroxidase isozyme (POD) and esterase isozyme (EST) were studied using vertical slab polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) technique, and the zymograms were analyzed using the software of NTSYSpc2. 1.

RESULTThe interspecific zymogramatic differences were obvious. Each species possessed its own specific zymogram distinguishing form the others. In the analysis of EST isozyme, C. phaeocaulis, C. wenyujin, C. kwangsiensis and C. chuanhuangjiang had their own specific zymogram. In the analysis of POD isozyme, just C. phaeocaulis and C. kwangsiensis had their specific zymogram.

CONCLUSIONThe genetic relationships are not associated with the geographical distributions and the genetic relationship between C. longa and C. sichuanensis are very close.

Cluster Analysis ; Curcuma ; classification ; enzymology ; genetics ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Esterases ; analysis ; genetics ; Isoenzymes ; analysis ; genetics ; Peroxidase ; analysis ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo establish a ICP-MS method for the determination of heavy metals, including As, Hg, Pb, Cd, in four traditional Chinese medicines.

METHODThe samples were digested by closed-versel microwave. The four heavy metals were directly analyzed by ICP-MS. Select internal standard element in for the method by which the analyse signal drife is corrected by the signal of another element (internal standard elements) added to both the standard solution and sample.

RESULTFor all of the analyzed heary methals, the correlative coefficient of the calibration curves was over 0.999 2. The recovery rates of the procedure were 97.5%-108.0%, and its RSD was lower than 11.6%.

CONCLUSIONThis method was convenient, quick-acquired, accurate and highly sensitive. The method can be used for the quality control of trace elements in traditional Chinese medicines and for the contents determination of traditional Chinese medicines from different habitats and species.

Arsenic ; analysis ; Cadmium ; analysis ; Codonopsis ; chemistry ; classification ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; classification ; Ecosystem ; Gentiana ; chemistry ; classification ; Lead ; analysis ; Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Mercury ; analysis ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Platycodon ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity

AIMTo establish a rapid and simple molecular identification method for six medicinals: Curcuma: C. longa, C. phaeocaulis, C. sichuanensis, C. chuanyujin, C. chuanhuangjiang, and C. chuanezhu in Sichuan Province.

METHODSA molecular approach (trnK nucleotide sequencing) was used in this study.

RESULTSThe sequenced entire chloroplast trnK gene region spanned 2,699-2,705 bp. The matK gene (an intron embodied in trnK gene) sequence and the intron spacer region of the trnK gene have great diversity within these six medicinal Curcuma species. There were six single bases substitutions between trnK coding region and matK region, the 9-bp deletion and 4-bp or 14-bp insertion repeat at some sites of matK region in each taxon.

CONCLUSIONThese relatively variable sequences were potentially informative in the identification for these six Curcuma species at the DNA level.

Base Sequence ; Chloroplasts ; genetics ; Curcuma ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Genes, Plant ; Introns ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; RNA, Transfer, Lys ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; methods ; Sequence Deletion

Curcuma drugs have been used discriminatingly for invigorating blood circulation, promoting digestion, and as a cholagogic in China. However, there is confusion about the drug's botanical origins and clinical uses because of morphological similarity of Curcuma plants and drugs. Comparative sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene in nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and trnK gene in chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) was carried out in order to examine interspecies phylogeny and to identify ultimately Curcuma species. A total of a hundred of accessions of eighteen species were analyzed. This resulted in an aligned matrix of 1810 bp for 18S rDNA and 2 800 bp for trnK. 18S rDNA sequence divergence within the ingroup ranged from 0-0.05%, trnK ranged from 0-0.19%. One base transversion-substituted site (from cytosine to thymine) was observed from the upstream of 18S rDNA at nucleotide position 234 in C. kwangsiensis and Japanese population of C. zedoaria which have separated genetic distance to other Curcuma taxa. Two noncoding regions embedded in trnK intron showed higher variability, including nucleotide substitutions, repeat insertion and deletions. Based on consensus of relationship, eighteen major lineages within Curcuma are recognized at the species level. The results suggest that Curcuma is monophyletic with 100% bootstrap support and sister to the genera Hedychium and Zingiber. The trnK sequences showed considerable variations between Curcuma species and thus were revealed as a promising candidate for barcoding of Curcuma species, which provide valuable characters for inferring relationship within species but are insufficient to resolve relationships among closely related taxa.
China ; Curcuma ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA, Chloroplast ; genetics ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Introns ; Japan ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; Plastids ; genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA