Comparative authentication of crude drugs from subgenus Asarum species in China based on microscopic features

doi:10.5246/jcps.2020.12.076

Journal of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences ›› 2020, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (12): 855-867.DOI: 10.5246/jcps.2020.12.076

• Original articles • Previous Articles Next Articles

Comparative authentication of crude drugs from subgenus Asarum species in China based on microscopic features

Yaoli Li¹, Zhong Liu², Jie Yu³, Mingying Shang¹, Baibo Xie⁴, Feng Xu¹, Shao-Qing Cai¹^,^*()

1 Division of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
2 School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
3 School of pharmacy, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming 650500, China
4 Fushun Longsheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Fushun 113007, China

Received:2020-08-25 Revised:2020-09-12 Accepted:2020-09-18 Online:2020-12-30 Published:2020-12-30
Contact: Shao-Qing Cai

About author:

Dr. Shao-Qing Cai is a professor of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, and is the Director of International Cooperative Center for Researches of Medicinal Resources at PEKING UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER and the UNIVERSITY OF TOYAMA. Dr. Cai got his B.Sc. at School of Pharmacy, Beijing Medical College in 1982. He got his Ph.D. degree in 1989 at Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan. Since then Dr. Cai has been working at Peking University, with the following research activities: Identification and quality evaluation of crude drugs; Chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Chinese drugs; Effective substances of traditional Chinese medicines and their mechanism of actions. He has published over 300 related articles in a number of journals including JNP, Chromatography A, Phytochemistry, Planta Medica, Talanta and so on. He proposes the "Efficacy Theory" hypothesis of the traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) (China J Chinese Materia Medica, 2015, 40 (17): 3435): A TCMs exerts its action through both the 'Additive Effects' of numerous effective forms (including constituents or/and their metabolites) on the same target and the 'Synergistic Effects' based on the overall action of the additive effects on individual targets, and the TCMs weakens its toxicities through their 'Toxicity Scattering Effects'. Dr. Cai is a vice-chairman of Specialty Committee of Medical Resources Utilization and Conservation, World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies. He was a vice dean of School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University; a vice-chairman of the Chinese Committee of Traditional Chinese and Natural Medicines, Chinese Pharmaceutical Association. He serves also as a member of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission, and editorial board members of China J. Chinese Materia Medica, J. Natural Medicines, J. Ginseng Research etc.

Abstract

Abstract:

According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the Chinese medicinal material (Asari Radix et Rhizoma) Xixin is derived from the species Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum, A. sieboldii, and A. sieboldii var. seoulense. However, many species of the genus Asarum are labeled as "Xixin", "Tu-Xixin" or "Nan-Xixin" for sale in producing areas. To distinguish Chinese Asarum species and to ensure their safety and efficacy, we examined the microscopic characteristics of subg. Asarum plants in China (including subg. Asarum plants in the classification system of Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae and the later published Asarum yunnanense) using a hand microtome and a microscopic digital imaging system based on our previous research. Microscopic features of the blades, petioles, and roots of A. yunnanense were investigated for the first time. Moreover, we compared nine species and one variety of the subg. Asarum (i.e. , A. yunnanense, A. caudigerellum, A. himalaicum, A. pulchellum, A. debile, A. caulescens, A. renicordatum, A. caudigerum, A. caudigerum var. cardiophyllum and A. geophilum) in China based on microscopic characteristics of the blades. Several parameters, such as morphological characteristics and distribution of hairs on both upper and lower leaf epidermises; morphological characteristics of hair cells; anticlinal walls of lower epidermal cells; size relationship between outer periclinal walls and cavity outlines of oil cells on lower leaf epidermis; presence or absence of the irregular cells containing red to brown substances among mesophyll cells; and the diameter of the largest vessels in midribs of the blades, were used for discrimination among species. To the best of our knowledge, we provided the first identification key for the 10 taxa based on blade microscopic characteristics that could be used to distinguish these taxa. Based on the key, 23 commercial samples collected from seven provinces of China were authenticated as whole dried herbs of A. himalaicum, A. caudigerellum, A. caudigerum, A. pulchellum and A. caulescens. These findings indicated that microscopic approach and related techniques were convenient and feasible and could be used for the authentication of crude drugs from Chinese subg. Asarum species.

Key words: Authentication, Microscopic characteristics, Xixin, Subg. Asarum, Asarum yunnanense

Supporting:

Yaoli Li, Zhong Liu, Jie Yu, Mingying Shang, Baibo Xie, Feng Xu, Shao-Qing Cai. Comparative authentication of crude drugs from subgenus Asarum species in China based on microscopic features[J]. Journal of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2020, 29(12): 855-867.

Figures/Tables 9

Table 1. Experimental samples and their sources.

Key 1. Identification key to the 10 taxa of the subg. Asarum in China based on the microscopic characteristics of the blades.

Table 2. Microscopic characteristics of the upper epidermis of the blade of subg. Asarum plants in China.

Table 3. Microscopic characteristics of the lower epidermis of the blade of subg. Asarum plants in China.

Table 4. Identification of commercial samples.

References 19

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Comparative authentication of crude drugs from subgenus Asarum species in China based on microscopic features

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