OBJECTIVETo identify the botanical origin of the Guijiu in Shosoin of Japan from Tang Dynasty, and trace its medicinal history.

METHODAnatomical characteristics of the underground parts of Guijiu in Shosoin were compared with those of Hosta plantaginea and H. ventricosa, and research on the medicinal history of Guijiu was made based on its original identification results and describes in herbals.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONGuijiu in Shosoin of Japan was derived from the underground parts of H. plantaginea and is one of Guijiu used in Tang Dynasty and earlier on.

China ; History, Medieval ; Hosta ; anatomy & histology ; Japan ; Pharmacognosy ; history ; Plant Roots ; anatomy & histology ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology

OBJECTIVETo identify Radix Scutellariae (Huangqin) of different growth years, to distinguish whether it's wild or cultivated and to provide useful information for the quality control of Huangqin crude drug.

METHODBy using morphological and histological methods, we studied 87 individuals of 45 specimens from 12 habitats of 5 provinces of China, which grew wild or were cultivated in different growing years. Moreover, 22 commercial samples of Huangqin from 7 provinces were also investigated.

RESULTThe identification was performed base on morphological and histological characteristics, such as, the shape, color, cork, remaining stems, decayed central xylem, and vessels arrangement, xylem cork ring, growth rings, etc.

CONCLUSIONWe established an identification method for distinguishing Huangqin wild or cultivated in different growing years. Furthermore, the structure of annual rings in the transection of Radix Scutellariae has been discovered for the first time.

China ; Ecosystem ; Pharmacognosy ; Plant Roots ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; Quality Control ; Scutellaria baicalensis ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETaking Caulis Aristolochiae Manshuriensis (Guanmutong in Chinese, derived from the stem of Aristolochia manshuriensis) as an example, to study the affection of different preparations on the content of toxic constituents in traditional Chinese medicines.

METHODThe separation was performed on a zorbax SB-C18 column with mobile phase of acetonitrile-3.7 mmol x L(-1) phosphoric acid buffer, detected at 260 nm.

RESULTThe extraction percentage of aristolochic acids I, II and IV a in water extraction (1 h x 2) of Guanmutong were 53.4%, 75.5% and 61.9%, respectively; the remaining quantity of aristolochic acids I, II and IVa in the dregs of the decoction were 22.3%, 15.7% and 30.3%, respectively; Aristolochic acid I was still main substance among these aristolohic acids in the decoction of Guanmutong.

CONCLUSIONThe content of toxic constituents of the traditional Chinese medicines varies evidently with different preparations of Guanmutong. So the preparation methods of traditional Chinese medicines should be suitably selected according to characteristics of the toxic constituents so as to lessen the body damages of human.

Aristolochia ; chemistry ; Aristolochic Acids ; analysis ; Drug Residues ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Pharmaceutical Solutions ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Powders ; chemistry