Haplotype-resolved genome assembly and allele-specific gene expression in cultivated ginger.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the most valued spice plants worldwide; it is prized for its culinary and folk medicinal applications and is therefore of high economic and cultural importance. Here, we present a haplotype-resolved, chromosome-scale assembly for diploid ginger anchored to 11 pseudochromosome pairs with a total length of 3.1 Gb. Remarkable structural variation was identified between haplotypes, and two inversions larger than 15 Mb on chromosome 4 may be associated with ginger infertility. We performed a comprehensive, spatiotemporal, genome-wide analysis of allelic expression patterns, revealing that most alleles are coordinately expressed. The alleles that exhibited the largest differences in expression showed closer proximity to transposable elements, greater coding sequence divergence, more relaxed selection pressure, and more transcription factor binding site differences. We also predicted the transcription factors potentially regulating 6-gingerol biosynthesis. Our allele-aware assembly provides a powerful platform for future functional genomics, molecular breeding, and genome editing in ginger.

[Application of synchronous fluorescence in identification of spilled oil at sea].

In order to screen and identify the source of spilled oils at sea, synchronous fluorescence scans combined with clustering analysis are proposed and applied to different crude oil and weathering crude oil. SFS data of deltal = 25 nm were recorded and dealt with clustering analysis. The cluster results of SFS data in the range of 300 - 500 nm show that the crude oil and the weathering oil could separate completely. And the crude oils from different sea areas, also collected at different time, clustered into different groups, respectively. The results indicate that this method could preliminarily selected, and maybe serves as an assistant method in oil spill identification.

[Content of gentiopicroside and loganic acid in Radix gentianae and their fingerprints].

To develop a HPLC-DAD-ESI-TOF/MS analysis method for the determination of gentiopicroside and loganic acid in Radix gentianae samples and for the research of their fingerprints. The samples were extracted using ASE for 10 min under 100 degrees C and 9.65 MPa, and divided into water phase and chloroform phase and analyzed them with HPLC-DAD-ESI-TOF/MS method respectively. Based on this method, the HPLC fingerprints of Radix gentianae were established. Comparing the spectrogram and mass spectrum of the chromatogram peak with the reference value, three compounds in water phase were identified as gentiopicroside, asafetida acid and loganic acid. There is no report of the compounds in chloroform phase. The content of gentiopicroside and loganic acid in samples of different groups were determined, separately. The fingerprints were compared by the software of the similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint. The water phase fingerprint congruence coefficients of samples from six different areas were above 0.90, however, the chloroform phase fingerprint congruence coefficients were within 0.62 -0.99. This method can be used for determination of potent component in Radix gentianae and its quality control. Radix gentianae from different producing areas have the largest diversities, and the diversities embodied in the content of chloroform phase compounds.

[Determination of elements related to reducing blood sugar (ERBS) in tea and tea polysaccharide by ICP-MS].

Contents of elements related to reducing blood sugar (ERBS) in several kinds of green tea of Wuyuan county, their tea infusion extracted by warm water and boiling water and tea polysaccharide (TP) were determined by ICP-MS, after the samples were digested with acids by microwave method. The relation between the amount of ERBS and tea quality and the relation between the content of ERBS in TP and the total content in tea were discussed. The results showed that the amounts of ERBS in tea and TP are different in various samples. The amount of ERBS in TP extracted from coarse tea was higher than that from fresh tea. The percentage of certain ERBS in TP accounting for the ERBS in tea ranged from 0.03% to 9.57%. As to the total ERBS in TP extracted from Mt. Zhang super grade tea and grade 5 tea, the percentages were 1.11% and 2.10% respectively. As to Mt. Gu old tea, it was 0.85%. The results could provide data for selecting tea material used to extracting tea polysaccharide and for studying the mechanism of reducing blood sugar.

[Principal component analysis and cluster analysis of inorganic elements in Panax quinque folium. L].

The contents of elements such as Mg, Al, P, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd and Pb in twelve Panax quinque folium. L samples were determined by means of ICP/MS. The results were used for the development of element fingerprint chromatogram. The principal component analysis of SPSS was applied for the study of characteristic elements in Panax quinque folium. L. Five principal components which accounted for over 90% of the total variance were extracted from the original data. The analysis results show that Fe, Al, V, Mn, Mg, Sr, Mo, Ca and Cu may be the characteristic elements in Panax quinque folium. L. The results of Q-type cluster analysis show that the samples could be clustered reasonably into five groups, and the elemental distribution characteristics are related to the breeds of Panax quinque folium. L.

Direct analysis of mercury in Traditional Chinese Medicines using thermolysis coupled with on-line atomic absorption spectrometry.

The purpose of this study is to develop and apply a mercury analyzer system capable of quantitative analysis of mercury in Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) drugs in the concentrations range from ng g(-1) to mg g(-1). No sample pre-treatment was needed and this greatly simplifies the analytical procedure and minimizes potential sources of contamination. The precisions of analyzing solid mercury standard sample and real TCM materials were 2.1% and 2.5-8.2%, respectively; and the recovery based on the analysis of standard reference materials ranged from 95.2% to 105%. The performance of the method has been compared with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique and excellent agreements were observed between the two methods. The method has been applied to the investigation of Hg content in several TCM drugs containing or not containing cinnabar. Mercury concentration in the same TCM products differs widely with different manufacturers, suggesting that external contamination and the Hg presence in raw herbal materials are the main sources of Hg. In addition, comparison of mercury thermal releasing profiles between TCM drug and cinnabar suggests that mercury conversion from cinnabar to biological matrices-bound Hg could occur because of the aid of other ingredients in the formulated drug.

Surface molecularly imprinted nanowires for biorecognition.

Herein we present a novel method for preparation of surface molecularly imprinted size-monodisperse nanowires. The imprint molecule is immobilized on the pore walls of a silane-treated nanoporous alumina membrane. The nanopores are then filled with the monomer mixture, and the polymerization is initiated. The alumina membrane is subsequently removed by chemical dissolution, leaving behind polypyrrole nanowires with glutamic acid binding sites situated at the surface. These nanowires can be dissolved in aqueous media, and their applications therefore should be compatible with procedures in which biological antibodies might otherwise be used. For example, the analyte molecule can be tagged with various markers, such as fluorescence probes and enzymes, whereby the problem of steric hindrance is avoided. Furthermore, these surface-imprinted nanowires are likely suited for imprinting and recognition of large-molecular-weight peptides and proteins. Related work is currently being undertaken in our laboratory.

[Determination of mercury in Chinese medicinal material and biological samples using pyrolysis atomic absorption spectrometry].

In this paper a rapid and simple method using pyrolysis coupled with atomic absorption spectrometry for the analysis of total mercury in Chinese medicinal material and biological samples is presented. No sample digestion was needed and this greatly simplifies the analytical procedure and minimizes potential sources of contamination. Under optimum conditions, the reproducibility of the method was 2.1% for peak area and 9.1% for peak height. The detection limit (3sigma) was 6.3 ng x g(-1), and the recovery was within the range of 95%-105%. Several standard reference materials were analyzed and the results were obtained with satisfaction. The performance of the method was compared with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and excellent agreements were observed between these two methods.

[Oil spill identification by near-infrared spectroscopy].

Petroleum oil spill happens occasionally at sea. It's important to differentiate the exact products in order to carry out following actions to decrease harmfulness. In the present study, a rapid oil spill identification method by near infrared spectroscopy coupled with pattern recognition techniques is proposed. 56 simulated spilled oils of gasoline, diesel fuel and lubricating oil in marine were chosen to develop the method. Organic reagent of CCl4 was used to extract the oil. Pattern recognition techniques were established by principal component analysis (PCA) coupled with Mahalanobis' distance with the multiplicative signal correction (MSC) and Norris first derivative pretreatment. The study shows that PCA technique is a useful method to extract the main characteristics, and Mahalanobis' distance is an ellipsoidal boundary that circumscribes a data cluster. And oil spill samples with concentration above 0.4 microL x mL(-1) can be successfully identified by the method. The developed technique could be further applied to the identification of spilled oil in marine.

[Preparation and characterization of Radix Salvia reference material for heavy metals under GAP control].

OBJECTIVE: To prepare and characterize the heavy metal reference material of radix salvia planted in Zhongjiang, Sichuan province under the good agricultural procedure (GAP). METHOD: After being prepared, the reference material was digested with 65% HNO3 and H2O2 by microwave-assisted oven systems, and the heavy metals in Radix salvia reference material were accurately determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). RESULT: The measuring method was validated by running certificated reference materials, including bush twigs and leaves (GBW07602) and tea twigs and leaves (GBW07605) under the same conditions. The recoveries of the elements mostly ranged from 90% to 110%, and the RSD was within 5%. The measurement of radix salvia reference material was carried out by different laboratories with ICP-MS and by several time intervals in one year for the stability. The results showed that the concentration of the heavy metals provided were accurate and the reference material was stable. CONCLUSION: The reference material is suitable to be the criterions of heavy metals for radix salvia in the qualities controlling, and is also suitable to be the criterion of poisonous heavy metals of other herbs in the administration of GAP.

[Determination of andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide in Andrographis paniculata nees materials and related patent medicines by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography].

A simple and accurate method for the determination of andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide in andrographis paniculata Nees materials and patent medicines with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been developed. The two components were extracted from powdered samples by shaking with methanol. The resultant extracts were separated within 15 min on a BECKMAN C18 column (4.6 mm i. d. x 250 mm, 5 microm) and with a gradient elution of acetonitrile-water at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The detection wavelength was 225 nm and the injection volume was 20 microL. In gradient elution program the volume fraction of acetonitrile in mobile phase was as follows: 0 min - 1 min, 40%; 1 min - 5 min, 40% - 50%; 5 min - 15 min, 50% - 70%. Both andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide have good linearity in the range of 10 mg/L to 100 mg/L with the correlation coefficients of 0.997 6 and 0.998 6 respectively. This method has been successfully applied for the analysis of andrographis paniculata Nees materials and related patent medicines.

[The application of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry/mass spectrometry in the trace elements and speciation analysis of traditional Chinese Medicine].

A review on the content and speciation analysis of trace element in traditional chinese medicine (TCM) by ICP-AES/MS was presented. The study is mainly focused on the following subjects: sample digestion techniques; determination and speciation analysis of trace elements. The development trend of this area in the near future is briefly introduced. 58 references are cited. The results show that the microwave digestion techniques is a idea pretreatment method of sample for tradition chinese medicine; ICP-AES/MS and all kinds of hyphenated techniques for atomic optical/mass spectrometry/chromatography are very useful for the determination and speciation analysis of trace elements in TCM.

[Speciation of 9 trace elements in a traditional Chinese medicine long dan cao by flow injection-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with a focused microwave assisted extraction system].

A method based on focused microwave extraction for leaching 9 trace elements in traditional Chinese medicine Long Dan Cao was introduced. An online C18 enrichment-separation system and an HP4500 ICP mass spectrometer with a flow injection system was established for the separation and determination of inorganic speciation and organic speciation of the selected elements. Orthogonal design was applied for the optimization of microwave leaching conditions. The results showed that the temperature was the major factor for the leaching recoveries.