[Knowledge discovery of Dao-di herbs based on traditional experience and literature data].

"Dao-di herbs" is the original comprehensive index for the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine, which has the characteristics of high quality and good effect. After more than 30 years of development, a large number of data, including text data, image data and other types, have been generated in the modern research on Dao-di herbs. It has the characteristics of large quantity, variety, scattered content and different structure, and the data types of each feature are isolated or less interrelated. Based on the literature published in CNKI journal database since 1999-2019, the data collection, selection and collation of 34 kinds of Dao-di herbs characteristics, micro characteristics, ecological characteristics and genetic characteristics were carried out. Using the knowledge base construction technology and combining these characteristics of the characteristics data of the herbs, the above characteristics data were standardized and regarded as a part of the knowledge base of the herbs. Based on a large number of data, this paper analyzes the knowledge composition, research status, comparison between modern and traditional producing areas of traditional Chinese medicine, and takes Salvia miltiorrhiza as an example to compare the ecological characteristics of modern and traditional producing areas. The construction of the knowledge base will facilitate the mining and utilization of the scientific data of Dao-di herbs, and provide resource management and basic guarantee for the transformation and promotion of scientific and technological achievements of Dao-di herbs.

[Biological research of color and quality evaluation in "quality discrimination by character" of Chinese medicine].

In the theories of empirical identification of "arguments on quality" and "five elephants and seven originals", color is regarded as one of the important indicators in the quality evaluation of Chinese medicine. The color of medicinal material including the surface color, the internal color, and the color after processing is caused by the pigment in the cells, which is a characteristic of the "optimal shape". Most pigments have a wide range of pharmacological activities such as anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, anti-atherosclerosis, prevention of coronary heart disease, protection of cardiovascular function, enhancement of immunity, etc. Therefore, the "optimal color" of medicinal materials is unified with the "high quality". This article systematically reviews the research status of "quality discrimination by color", the correlation between L~*, a~*, b~* color space and active ingredients such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes, etc. to explain the "quality discrimination by color" in quantitative characterization. We also summary the research progress on the biosynthesis and regulation of the main pigment components of traditional Chinese medicine, and analyze the biological causes that affect the accumulation of the main pigments. We aim to provide a reference for the theory "quality discrimination by color" in biological knowledge to establish a modern quality control system for Chinese herbal medicines.

Allele-specific PCR to identification of Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix and Cyathulae Radix formula granules / 中国中药杂志

To establish a robust and accuracy molecular method to identify Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix and Cyathulae Radix formula granules. ITS sequences of Achyranthes bidentata and Cyathula officinalis were aligned, specific SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) were excavated, specific primers were designed and allele-specific PCR method was established. The genomic DNA was successfully extracted from the herbal medicine and its formula granules by using an improved CTAB (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) method and then performed PCR with the designed primers. The 187 bp specific band could be amplified only in the presentation of C. officinalis and its granules when use of C. officinalis specific primers, whereas the 162 bp band could be amplified only in the presentation of A. bidentata and its granules when use of A. bidentata specific primers. This method was also successfully applied in the identification of commercial formula granules.