Molecular pharmacognosy is a science of classification and identification, cultivation and protection, and production of active ingredients of graduated drugs at the molecular level. The proposal of molecular pharmacognosy allows the research of crude drugs to advance from the microscopic level to the genetic level. Pueraria lobata root, as a medicinal and edible plant, has high application value and economic value. There are many varieties that are easy to cause confusion, and it is not easy to distinguish and identify according to traditional identification methods. Moreover, the research of P. lobate root at the genetic level is still relatively shallow. the study received extensive attention of scholars. This article reviews recent research on molecular identification of P. lobate, transcriptome sequencing, cloning and synthesis of functional genes of P. lobate root in recent years in order to provide references for further promoting the development and utilization of P. lobate root and its active ingredients.
Pharmacognosy ; Plant Roots/genetics* ; Pueraria

Puerarin is a naturally occurring isoflavone C-glycoside,isolated from the root of Pueraria lobata,which has attracted extensive attention in the medical circles because of its various pharmacological effects,such as vasodilation,cardioprotection,neuroprotection,antioxidant,anticancer,anti-inflammation,alleviating pain,promoting bone formation,inhibiting alcohol intake,and attenuating insulin resistance. However,its low oral bioavailability has limited its clinical application. This review gives a comprehensive summary of the researches on physicochemical properties,pharmacokinetics( absorption,distribution,metabolism and excretion,pharmacokinetic parameters) in oral administration,and pharmaceutics research strategies of puerarin in recent years,and the in vivo behavior difference between multicomponent and single component environment was also summarized. The reasons( low water solubility,poor membrane permeability,short half-life,inhibition of P-gp efflux and first-pass metabolic effects of intestinal enzymes,etc.) for low bioavailability were concluded and the idea that multicomponent enviroment would affect the bioavailability was clarified. The aim of this review is to provide literature basis for the development of new dosage forms and new technologies for multivariate compound drug delivery system to improve the bioavailability of oral puerarin,and to propose ways to improve the bioavailability of BCS Ⅳ drugs derived from traditional Chinese medicine by fully enlarging the synergistic effect of multi-components or reasonably using the inhibitory effect between components.
Administration, Oral ; Biopharmaceutics ; Isoflavones ; Pueraria

Phytochemical investigation of the stems of Pueraria lobata (Wild) Ohwi (Leguminosae), led to the isolation of eighteen known compounds: β-amyrone (1), (+)-pinoresinol (2), (+)-syringaresinol (3) (+)-syringaresinol-O-β-D-glucoside (4), (+)-lariciresinol (5), (-)-tuberosin (6), naringenin (7), liquiritigenin (8), isoliquiritigenin (9) genistein (10), daidzein (11) daidzin (12) daidzein 4',7-diglucoside (13) 2,4,4'-trihydroxy deoxybenzoin (14), S-(+)-1-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-hydroxy-2-methoxy-phenyl)propan-2-one (15), methyl 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosylbenzoate (16), pyromeconic acid 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside 6'-(O-4''-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoate) (17), and allantion (18). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated from spectroscopic data and by comparison of those data with previously published results. The effects of isolated compounds on mushroom tyrosinase enzymatic activity were screened. The results indicated that, chloroform extract of P. lobata stems turned out to be having tyrosinase inhibitory effect, and only compounds 5, 8, 9, and 11 showed enzyme inhibitory activity, with IC₅₀ values of 21.49 ± 4.44, 25.24 ± 6.79, 4.85 ± 2.29, and 17.50 ± 1.29 µM, respectively, in comparison with these of positive control, kojic acid (IC₅₀ 12.28 ± 2.72 µM). The results suggest that P. lobata stems extract as well as its chemical components may represent as potential candidates for tyrosinase inhibitors.
Agaricales ; Chloroform ; Fabaceae ; Genistein ; Monophenol Monooxygenase* ; Pueraria*

OBJECTIVETo study the tissue culture and rapid-proliferation techniques of Pueraria mirifica.

METHODThe tender branch were used as explants and cultivated in different media. The optimum media for inducing buds, proliferation and rooting were selected by adjusting the kinds and doses of plant hormones and special compounds.

RESULTThe medium of MS + IBA 0.05 mg L(-1) + BA 0.5 mg L(-1) was suitable for buds inducing and could be used in the first generation cultivation; MS + IBA 0. 02 mg L(-1) + BA 0.2 mg L(-1) and MS +BA 0.1 mg L(-1) were employed by turns in subculture, 25 days propagation coefficient was 3.0; and the medium of 1/2MS + IBA 0.1 mg L(-1) + IAA 0.2 mg L(-1) + C (special compound) 10 mg L(-1) was used for roots inducing, the rooting rate was 76.9%. Rooting plantlets were transplanted in spring and summer; the surviving rate was 81.0%.

CONCLUSIONThis technique system could be employed for rapid propagation of P. mirifica.

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between photosynthetic characteristics and environmental factors in leaves of P. lobata.

METHODPhotosynthetic characteristics and environmental factors were measured by using CIRAS-2 portable photosynthesis system.

RESULTThe apparent quantum yield in leaves was 0.0173 micromol CO2 x micromol(-1) photon. The dark respiration rate was 2.9333 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1). The light compensation point of photosynthesis was 180 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1). The light saturation point was 1600 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1). The carboxylation efficiency was 0.0338 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1). The light respiration rate was 2.5 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1). The CO2 compensation point was 100 micromol x mol(-1), The CO2 saturation point was 1 600 micromol x mol(-1).

CONCLUSIONPhoto flux density and air temperature are major environmental factors influencing diumal changes of net photosynthetic rate.

OBJECTIVETo determine the interspecies relationships of 18 Pueraria thomsonii cultivars in molecular level.

METHODEighteen P. thomsonii cultivars were evaluated by using sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers, with P. lobata and P. peduncularis as contrast species. Systematic relationships were constructed based on the UPGMA method by TREECONW software.

RESULTThe results showed that 22 primer pairs produced 338 loci, out of which 216 were polymorphic, the percentage of polymorphic loci was 63.9%. An average of 15.4 loci and 9.8 polymorphic loci were generated by each pair of primers. Genetic distance was analyzed by TREECONW software. Genetic distance of 18 P. thomsonii were changed from 0.004 7 to 0.265 8, with an average of 0.316. Using cluster analysis (UPGMA) based on those polymorphism bands amplified with SRAP primers, the 22 cultivars were classified into three groups, groups 1 with 18 P. thomsonii, group 2 with 3 P. lobata, and group 3 with 1 P. peduncularis. Most of the P. thomsonii from the same region were not in the same group.

CONCLUSIONSRAP markers could be a good marker for genetic relationship research in the P. thomsonii.

OBJECTIVETo study the diurnal variation of net photosynthetic rate (P(n)) and main influencing factors in different types of Pueraria thomsonii, aimed at providing the theoretical basis for breeding the fine varieties of P. thomsonii suitable for the local light condition.

METHODDiurnal variations of photosynthesis in leaves of different types of P. thomsonii were determined with the Li-6400 Portable Photosynthesis System.

RESULT(1) Diurnal variation of P(n), transpiration Rate (T(r)), stomatal conductance (G(s)) in leaves of six varieties of P. thomsonii showed unimodal curve and asymmetric bimodal curve. Diurnal variation of water use efficiency (WUE), intercellular CO2 concentration (C(i)) showed single valley curve. Diurnal variation curve of stomatal limitation value (L(s)) was single peak and S-type. (2) P(n) in leaves of six varieties of P. thomsonii was positively correlated with photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), air temperature (T(a)), G(s), and negatively correlated with air relative humidity (RH), C(i), P(n) of all varieties were very significantly correlated with PAR, G(s).

CONCLUSIONDiurnal variations of photosynthesis in leaves of different types of P. thomsonii show significant difference. Jiuding, Chuanyu, Gange, Dijin No. 1 planted in Ya'an overcome "midday depression" phenomenon. Hechuan has the greatest photosynthetic potential, suitable for planting in forest understory and intercropping with high stalk to avoid the strong flashes. Planted in long-day region was beneficial to its growth. CO2 use efficiency of Geboshi No. 11 and Dijin No. 1 were significantly higher than that of the others. The accumulation efficiency of organics can be increased in cultivation management by fertilizing CO2.

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents in the roots of Pueraria lobata.

METHODVarious chromatographic methods were employed to separate of chemical constituents and the spectroscopic methods were used to elucidate the structure.

RESULTTwenty-two compounds were isolated and characterized as beta-sitosterol palmitate (1), beta-sitosterol (2), lupeol (3), lupeone (4) , puerarol (5), diisobutyl phthalate (6), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (7), sophoracoumestan A (8), coumestrol (9), allantion (10), dadzein (11), formononetin (12), 3'-methoxy daidzein (13), ononin (14), 3'-hydroxy dadzein (15), genistin (16), dadzin (17), 8-methoxy ononin (18), sissotorin (19), (-)-puerol B 2-O-glucopyranoside (20), (6S,9R)-roseoside (21) and sucrose (22), respectively.

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1, 5-8, 15, 18, 21 and 22 were isolated from P. lobata for the first time, and componds 1, 5-7, 15, 18, 21 and 22 were isolated from the genus Pueraria for the first time.

OBJECTIVETo develop a method for analyzing the chemical compositions of Gegen and Fenge extracts using high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE).

METHODSUsing HPCE/DAD, the chemical composition of the extracts was analyzed with the buffer solution of 40 mmol/L borax containing 16.7% methanol, with injection pressure at 137.9 kPa for 5 s, separation voltage at 25 kV in 0-5 min time range and at 22 kV in 5-25 min time range, and the temperature of the capillary of 20 degrees celsius.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONThe method for analysis of Gegen and Fenge extracts was established, which identified puerarin and daidzein as the two major components. This simple and rapid analysis method can be used for Gegen and Fenge extract fingerprinting.

Puerariae Lobatae Radix, the dried root of Pueraria lobata, is a traditional Chinese medicine with a long history. Puerariae Lobatae Caulis as an adulterant is always mixed into Puerariae Lobatae Radix for sales in the market. This study employed hyperspectral imaging(HSI) to distinguish between the two products. VNIR lens(spectral scope of 410-990 nm) and SWIR lens(spectral scope of 950-2 500 nm) were used for image acquiring. Multi-layer perceptron(MLP), partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), and support vector machine(SVM) were employed to establish the full-waveband models and select the effective wavelengths for the distinguishing between Puerariae Lobatae Caulis and Puerariae Lobatae Radix, which provided technical and data support for the development of quick inspection equipment based on HSI. The results showed that MLP model outperformed PLS-DA and SVM models in the accuracy of discrimination with full wavebands in VNIR, SWIR, and VNIR+SWIR lens, which were 95.26%, 99.11%, and 99.05%, respectively. The discriminative band selection(DBS) algorithm was employed to select the effective wavelengths, and the discrimination accuracy was 93.05%, 98.05%, and 98.74% in the three different spectral scopes, respectively. On this basis, the MLP model combined with the effective wavelengths within the range of 2 100-2 400 nm can achieve the accuracy of 97.74%, which was close to that obtained with the full waveband. This waveband can be used to develop quick inspection devices based on HSI for the rapid and non-destructive distinguishing between Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Lobatae Caulis.
Pueraria ; Hyperspectral Imaging ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Algorithms ; Neural Networks, Computer