Comparative Phytochemical Analysis of Chinese and Bay Starvine (Schisandra spp.): Potential for Development as a New Dietary Supplement Ingredient.

Schisandra chinensis (Chinese starvine) is a popular dietary supplement with a rich history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. Schisandra glabra (bay starvine) is the only North American representative of the genus, and little is known about its history of traditional use, chemistry, and potential biological activity. In this study, we conducted comparative high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) analysis on S. glabra and S. chinensis fruits. Additional characterization of S. glabra was performed by liquid chromatography-Fourier transform mass spectrometry (LC-FTMS). Quantitative analysis of four bioactive marker compounds revealed that S. glabra does not have statistically higher levels of schisandrin A or schisandrol B than S. chinensis. S. glabra has lower levels of schisandrol A and γ-schisandrin. Total phenolic contents of the two species' fruits were not statistically different. S. glabra had higher total tannin content than S. chinensis. We discuss the relevance of this analytical analysis to the study of S. glabra as a potential dietary supplement ingredient and give specific consideration to the conservation challenges involved in commercially developing a regionally threatened species, even in semicultivated conditions.

A pilot study of herbal medicine use in a Midwest Latino population.

BACKGROUND: Herbal medicine use is common in the United States, especially in immigrant populations. Understanding of this plant use is incomplete, with significant gaps in the literature for people living in the Midwest, about the plant species used, and about how home herbal medicine use interacts with allopathic medicine. METHODS: This pilot project used a qualitative research approach (interviews and focus groups, convenience sampling) to explore this topic for Latin America immigrants living in Madison, Wisconsin. RESULTS: Eight interviews and focus groups consisting of 42 people yielded 199 minutes of audio recordings and the mention of 57 medicinal plants. These plants were obtained from gardens, relatives and friends (abroad and local), mail order, and local retail establishments. Retail sites sold fresh plants, dried plants, spices, foods, and packaged products, ranging from 20 to over 150 plant products per site. A preponderance of plants, especially in Latino-focused stores, was food that also served a medicinal purpose. Participants mentioned 35 distinct health and disease categories for which herbal medicines were used, and sometimes, but not always, discussed plant use with their health care provider. When compared with likely Latin binomial taxonomic names, clinically relevant confusions with the use of common plant names also were identified. DISCUSSION: Overall, the findings presented illustrate the complexities surrounding herbal medicine use and create a case for future work to involve other demographics, and focus on botanical identification, the quantification of disclosure rates, and the development of educational interventions for physicians and patients.

Geographic differences in patterns of genetic differentiation among bitter and sweet manioc (Manihot esculenta subsp. esculenta; Euphorbiaceae).

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Manioc (Manihot esculenta subsp. esculenta), one of the most important tropical food crops, is commonly divided according to cyanide content into two use-categories, "sweet" and "bitter." While bitter and sweet varieties are genetically differentiated at the local scale, whether this differentiation is consistent across continents is yet unknown. • METHODS: Using eight microsatellite loci, we genotyped 522 manioc samples (135 bitter and 387 sweet) from Ecuador, French Guiana, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, and Vanuatu. Genetic differentiation between use-categories was assessed using double principal coordinate analyses (DPCoA) with multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and Jost's measure of estimated differentiation (D(est)). Genetic structure was analyzed using Bayesian clustering analysis. • KEY RESULTS: Manioc neutral genetic diversity was high in all sampled regions. Sweet and bitter manioc landraces are differentiated in South America but not in Africa. Correspondingly, bitter and sweet manioc samples share a higher proportion of neutral alleles in Africa than in South America. We also found seven clones classified by some farmers as sweet and by others as bitter. • CONCLUSIONS: Lack of differentiation in Africa is most likely due to postintroduction hybridization between bitter and sweet manioc. Inconsistent transfer from South America to Africa of ethnobotanical knowledge surrounding use-category management may contribute to increased hybridization in Africa. Investigating this issue requires more data on the variation in cyanogenesis in roots within and among manioc populations and how manioc diversity is managed on the farm.