Classification of the genus mentha on the basic of morphology is very difficult since their biodiversity and the genus mentha is quite easy to turn into morphological variation, or develop to hybrid species. These species chemical composition of essential oils have been intensively studied. On the basic of the major constituents, the following chemotypes of wild mints from Vietnam were found: piperitone oxide -pulegone, pulegone - menthol, menthylacetate - menthol, menthol - isomenthone, dihydrocarvylacetate - carvone - limonene, limonene - carvone - dihydrocarvone. It is necessary now for governmental offices and people from country side and high mountain to take an active role in the conservation of this genus for their economical and ecological reasons.
Mentha ; Species Specificity

A new species of Stepphnia rotunda Lour. in Langson province had total alcaloid and L-tetrahydropatin component is quite high. In addition, it was isolated and detemined a structure of stepharin in the species. Scientific name is Stephania kuinanensis H.S.Lo et M.Yang
diagnosis ; Species Specificity ; Plants, Medicinal ; Medicine, Traditional

Recently forensic scientists have focused on extending the applicability of STR to degraded or tiny amount DNA. Short amplicon may be one of the solutions to these samples and several commercial kits are available for this purpose. Before practical casework, validation is necessary for newly introduced kit. We tried to check how newly introduced STR kit, AmpFLSTR(R) MiniFiler(TM) PCR Amplification Kit, reacts with some animal DNAs. We tried 27 animal DNA samples and checked whether the above kit amplify animal DNA, and next how the band appears on electropherogram. We compared the results with popular STR kits. With AmpFLSTR(R) MiniFiler(TM) PCR Amplification Kit, we could get several bands on electropherogram for some species, but we could not designate proper allelic number compared to allelic ladder for most loci except the following loci, D13S317, D2S1338, D21S11, D18S51, FGA. The D18S51 locus was outstanding in that some species showed definite designated alleles, but the allelic number was not different depending on species. This was the same with another popular STR kit, AmpFLSTR(R) Identifiler(TM) PCR Amplification Kit, which was from the same company. The another kit from another company, PowerPlex(R) 16 System showed different phenomenon with more increased number of amplified bands which were usually differ on size when compared to allelic ladder.
Alleles ; Animals ; DNA ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Species Specificity

Acupoint laterality is defined as the non-equivalence effect and the diversity of intermediate links resulted from stimulating isonym acupoints on the different side respectively. This kind of study is the important supplement to acupoint specificity and can provide the basis for acupoint selection in clinical practice. On the other side, acupoints relevance deduced by acupoint laterality (symmetry/symmetry breaking) can be reference for acupoint diagnosis and the changes of acupuncture treatment model in clinic.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Functional Laterality ; Humans ; Species Specificity

Twenty-three temperate China species of Lachnum, Lachnum abnorme, L. angustum, L. brevipilosum, L. calosporum, L. calyculiforme, L. carneolum, L. ciliare, L. controversum, L. flavidulum, L. cf. fushanese, L. indicum, L. kumaonicum, L. lushanese, L. minutum, L. montanum, L. cf. pteridophyllum, L. pygmaeum, L. sclerotii var. sclerotii, L. sclerotii var. sichuanense, L. subpygmeaum, L. tenuissimum, L. virgineum and L. willisii are reported, whose main characteristics are given in a formula of the described species, some of which are discussed below.
Ascomycota ; classification ; cytology ; isolation & purification ; Biodiversity ; China ; Climate ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo study the pollen morphology of ten species of Achillea.

METHODThe pollen morphology of ten species of Achillea was examined with LM and SEM.

RESULTThe pollen grains were usually 3-colporate, subspheroidal. The exine ornamentation consisted of verrucate, spinulate and foveolate. But some differences in size, colpae and exine ornamentation were found.

CONCLUSIONThe slight differences of the pollen morphology are useful to some extent for the classification of the ten species of Achillea.

Achillea ; classification ; ultrastructure ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Pollen ; ultrastructure ; Species Specificity

Macroautophagy is an evolutionarily conserved intracellular degradation system used by life ranging from yeasts to mammals. The core autophagic machinery is composed of ATG (autophagy-related) protein constituents. One particular member of the ATG protein family, Atg7, has been the focus of recent research. Atg7 acts as an E1-like activating enzyme facilitating both microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)-phosphatidylethanolamine and ATG12 conjugation. Thus, Atg7 stands at the hub of these two ubiquitin-like systems involving LC3 and Atg12 in autophagic vesicle expansion. In this review, I focus on the pleiotropic function of Atg7 in development, maintenance of health, and alternations of such control in disease.
Animals ; Disease ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Organ Specificity ; Species Specificity ; Ubiquitin-Activating Enzymes ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo develop a TaqMan real-time PCR for the detection of Aeromonas hydrophila.

METHODSThe conserved region of major adhesion gene of Aeromonas hydrophila (aha) was used to design primers and TaqMan probe. A total of six concentration gradients for forward and reverse primers ranging from 200 -700 nmol/L were chosen, and four concentration gradients for probe ranging from 100 - 400 nmol/L were chosen. And then the concentration of primers and probe were optimized by ANOVA of completely randomized design respectively. The specificity of the established method was evaluated by using bacteria as contrast, including 45 strains Vibrio cholerae, 20 strains Vibrio parahaemolyticus, 10 strains Vibrio fluvialis, 4 strains Vibrio mimicus, 5 strains Vibrio vulnificus, 1 strain Vibrio alginolyticus, 1 strain Vibrio furnissii, 5 strains Salmonella, 10 strains Shigella and 2 strains Plesiomonas shigelloides. The sensitivity, bacterial sensitivity and DNA sensitivity included,were evaluated. The stool of healthy people was contaminated by Aeromonas hydrophila artificially, and the ability of the established TaqMan real-time PCR system for detection of Aeromonas hydrophila was also evaluated.

RESULTSThe cycle threshold (Ct) value deserved from 6 groups of primers concentration gradient was (x +/- s):20.69 +/- 0.33, 20.72 +/- 0.21, 20.81 +/- 0.12, 20.74 +/- 0.12, 20.51 +/- 0.16 and 20.69 +/- 0.11, respectively, and the concentration of forward primer and reverse primer was determined to be 200 nmol/L (F = 1.33, P = 0.28). The Ct value deserved from 4 groups of probe concentration gradient was (x +/- s):20.56 +/- 0.08, 20.82 +/- 0.05, 20.82 +/- 0.11 and 20.93 +/- 0.09, respectively, and the concentration of probe was determined to be 100 nmol/L (F = 5.26, P = 0.01). The bacterial sensitivity and DNA sensitivity were 80 CFU/ml and 100 fg/microl respectively, and the sensitivity to detect Aeromonas hydrophila from stool was 8 x 10(3) CFU/ml, which might be 8 CFU/ml after 8 hours' enrichment. No amplification was observed in the templates of other bacterial.

CONCLUSIONThe TaqMan real-time PCR method targeting the aha gene of Aeromonas hydrophila had a high sensitivity and specificity and might be used to detect Aeromonas hydrophila from pure bacterial and stool rapidly.

Aeromonas hydrophila ; genetics ; DNA Primers ; Genes, Bacterial ; Molecular Probes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo establish a derivative fluorometry method for the determination of sulfur dioxide residues in traditional Chinese medicine.

METHODThe optimal derivation condition was established. The fluorescence intensity was detected at excitation wavelength of 321 nm, and emission wavelength of 384 nm.

RESULTA linear relationship was obtained between the fluorescence intensity and the addition of reference substance in the range of 0.999 7-17.99 nmol with a correlation coeffient of 0.999 9, and the average recovery was 102.3% with RSD 4.6%.

CONCLUSIONThis method is simple and sensitive with quick and correct result. It can provide a reference for the determination of sulfur dioxide residues in traditional Chinese medicine.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Fluorescence ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Species Specificity ; Spectrometry, Fluorescence ; methods ; Sulfur Dioxide ; analysis ; Temperature

The aim of this study was to purify and characterize a keratinase produced by a new isolated Bacillus subtilis KD-N2 strain. The keratinase produced by the isolate was purified using ammonium sulphate precipitation, Sephadex G-75 and DEAE (diethylaminoethyl)-Sepharose chromatographic techniques. The purified enzyme was shown to have a molecular mass of 30.5 kDa, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis. The optimum pH at 50 degrees C was 8.5 and the optimum temperature at pH 8.5 was 55 degrees C. The keratinase was partially inactivated by some metal ions, organic solvents and serine protease inhibitor phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF). Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) had positive effect on the keratinase activity. Reducing agents including dithiothreitol (DTT), mercaptoethanol, L-cysteine, sodium sulphite, as well as chemicals of SDS, ammonium sulfamate and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) stimulated the enzyme activity upon a feather meal substrate. Besides feather keratin, the enzyme is active upon the soluble proteins ovalbumin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), casein and insoluble ones as sheep wool and human hair. Calf hair, silk and collagen could not be hydrolyzed by the keratinase.
Bacillus subtilis ; classification ; enzymology ; Enzyme Activation ; Enzyme Stability ; Peptide Hydrolases ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Species Specificity ; Substrate Specificity