Analysis of the Volatile Components in Different Parts of Three Species of the Genus Amomum via Combined HS-SPME-GC-TOF-MS and Multivariate Statistical Analysis.

The study used headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-TOF-MS) to analyze volatile compounds in leaves and fruits of Amomum tsaoko, Amomum paratsaoko, and Amomum koenigii. The composition and aroma of distinct metabolites were analyzed using multivariate statistical methods. A total of 564 volatile compounds were identified from three species of the genus Amomum, which were further divided into nine categories: terpenoids, carboxylic acids, alcohols, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, phenols, ethers, and other compounds. Terpenoids and alcohols were the most abundant. The content and types of compounds vary in A. tsaoko, A. paratsaoko, and A. koenigii, so mixing or substituting them is not advisable. We selected 45 metabolites based on the criteria of the variable importance in projection values (VIP > 1.5) and one-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). The top 19 metabolites with the most significant VIP values were chosen. Interestingly, (Z)-2-decenal was only found in Amomum koenigii, while nitroethane and nonanal were only present in cultivated A. tsaoko. Additionally, linalool, cineole, and (D)-limonene were the main components affecting the aroma of three species of the genus Amomum. The volatile components identified in this study provide a theoretical basis for analyzing the unique flavor of A. tsaoko, A. paratsaoko, and A. koenigii.

Motor Imagery EEG Signal Classification Using Distinctive Feature Fusion with Adaptive Structural LASSO.

A motor imagery brain-computer interface connects the human brain and computers via electroencephalography (EEG). However, individual differences in the frequency ranges of brain activity during motor imagery tasks pose a challenge, limiting the manual feature extraction for motor imagery classification. To extract features that match specific subjects, we proposed a novel motor imagery classification model using distinctive feature fusion with adaptive structural LASSO. Specifically, we extracted spatial domain features from overlapping and multi-scale sub-bands of EEG signals and mined discriminative features by fusing the task relevance of features with spatial information into the adaptive LASSO-based feature selection. We evaluated the proposed model on public motor imagery EEG datasets, demonstrating that the model has excellent performance. Meanwhile, ablation studies and feature selection visualization of the proposed model further verified the great potential of EEG analysis.

Comparison of Metabolites and Species Classification of Thirteen Zingiberaceae Spices Based on GC-MS and Multi-Spectral Fusion Technology.

Due to a similar plant morphology in the majority of Zingiberaceae spices, substitution and adulteration frequently take place during the sales process. Therefore, it is important to analyze the metabolites and species classification of different Zingiberaceae spices. This study preliminarily explored the differences in the metabolites in thirteen Zingiberaceae spices through untargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and combined spectroscopy, establishing models for classifying different Zingiberaceae spices. On one hand, a total of 81 metabolites were successfully identified by GC-MS. Thirty-seven differential metabolites were screened using variable important in projection (VIP ≥ 1). However, the orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model established using GC-MS data only explained about 30% of the variation. On the other hand, the partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) models with three spectral data fusion strategies were compared, and their classification accuracy reached 100%. Among them, the mid-level data fusion model based on latent variables had the best performance. This study provides a powerful tool for distinguishing different Zingiberaceae spices and assists in reducing the occurrence of substitution and adulteration phenomena.

Untargeted GC-MS and FT-NIR study of the effect of 14 processing methods on the volatile components of Polygonatum kingianum.

Introduction: Polygonatum kingianum is a traditional medicinal plant, and processing has significantly impacts its quality. Methods: Therefore, untargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform-near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) were used to analyze the 14 processing methods commonly used in the Chinese market.It is dedicated to analyzing the causes of major volatile metabolite changes and identifying signature volatile components for each processing method. Results: The untargeted GC-MS technique identified a total of 333 metabolites. The relative content accounted for sugars (43%), acids (20%), amino acids (18%), nucleotides (6%), and esters (3%). The multiple steaming and roasting samples contained more sugars, nucleotides, esters and flavonoids but fewer amino acids. The sugars are predominantly monosaccharides or small molecular sugars, mainly due to polysaccharides depolymerization. The heat treatment reduces the amino acid content significantly, and the multiple steaming and roasting methods are not conducive to accumulating amino acids. The multiple steaming and roasting samples showed significant differences, as seen from principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) based on GC-MS and FT-NIR. The partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) based on FT-NIR can achieve 96.43% identification rate for the processed samples. Discussion: This study can provide some references and options for consumers, producers, and researchers.

ResNet Model Automatically Extracts and Identifies FT-NIR Features for Geographical Traceability of Polygonatum kingianum.

Medicinal plants have incredibly high economic value, and a practical evaluation of their quality is the key to promoting industry development. The deep learning model based on residual convolutional neural network (ResNet) has the advantage of automatic extraction and the recognition of Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) features. Models are difficult to understand and interpret because of unknown working mechanisms and decision-making processes. Therefore, in this study, artificial feature extraction methods combine traditional partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machine (SVM) models to understand and compare deep learning models. The results show that the ResNet model has significant advantages over traditional models in feature extraction and recognition. Secondly, preprocessing has a great impact on the feature extraction and feature extraction, and is beneficial for improving model performance. Competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and variable importance in projection (VIP) methods screen out more feature variables after preprocessing, but the number of potential variables (LVs) and successive projections algorithm (SPA) methods obtained is fewer. The SPA method only extracts two variables after preprocessing, causing vital information to be lost. The VIP feature of traditional modelling yields the best results among the four methods. After spectral preprocessing, the recognition rates of the PLS-DA and SVM models are up to 90.16% and 88.52%. For the ResNet model, preprocessing is beneficial for extracting and identifying spectral image features. The ResNet model based on synchronous two-dimensional correlation spectra has a recognition accuracy of 100%. This research is beneficial to the application development of the ResNet model in foods, spices, and medicinal plants.

RGS6 Drives Spinal Cord Injury by Inhibiting AMPK Pathway in Mice.

Objective: Oxidative stress and inflammation play critical roles in the pathogenesis of spinal cord injury (SCI). Regulator of G protein signaling 6 (RGS6) is involved in controlling ROS generation and inflammatory response under different contexts. This study is aimed at investigating its role and underlying mechanism in SCI. Methods: Contusive SCI mouse models were generated, and lentiviral vectors were injected to silence or overexpress RGS6 in the spinal cord. To inhibit AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity, SCI mice were intraperitoneally injected with compound C (20 mg/kg) every two days. Oxidative and inflammatory markers were detected. Results: Spinal RGS6 expression was elevated upon SCI stimulation. RGS6 knockdown suppressed, while RGS6 overexpression aggravated oxidative stress, inflammation, and SCI in mice. Mechanistically, RGS6 elevation during SCI deactivated AMPK pathway, thereby exacerbating oxidative stress and inflammation in SCI mice. Conclusion: RGS6 is required for the initiation and progression of SCI, and knocking down RGS6 may provide promising therapeutic strategies for SCI patients.

MiR-195-5p represses inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress in sepsis-induced myocardial injury by targeting activating transcription factor 6.

Myocardial injury (MI) is a common complication of sepsis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested as potential biomarkers of MI; however, their mechanisms in sepsis-induced MI remain unclear. A sepsis rat model was constructed by use of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The levels of miR-195-5p and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) expression were determined by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, and cytokine levels were detected by ELISA. The levels of oxidative stress (OS)-related indicators and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-related proteins were examined, and the regulatory effect of miR-195-5p on ATF6 was determined by using the luciferase reporter assay. Our results showed that miR-195-5p expression was downregulated and ATF6 expression was upregulated in lipopolysaccharide-induced cardiomyocytes and mice with CLP-induced sepsis. We also found that miR-195-5p could markedly attenuate the inflammation, apoptosis, OS, and ERS associated with sepsis-induced MI. Additionally, we verified that miR-195-5p could relieve sepsis-induced MI by targeting ATF6. This study identified potential targets for treating MI after sepsis.

Comparison of metabolites and variety authentication of Amomum tsao-ko and Amomum paratsao-ko using GC-MS and NIR spectroscopy.

Amomum tsao-ko, as an edible and medicinal variety, has been cultivated for more than 600 years in China. Recently, two cultivars, A. tsao-ko and Amomum paratsao-ko, were found in A. tsao-ko planting area. The two cultivars are often confused because of the similar phenotype and difficult to distinguish through sensory judgment. In this study, the non-targeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics combined with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) were used for dissecting the two cultivars with phenotypic differences. According to principal component analysis (PCA) loading diagram and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) S-plot of the metabolites, the accumulation of major components including 1,8-cineole, α-phellandrene, (E)-2-decenal, (-)-ß-pinene, (E)-2-octenal, 1-octanal, D-limonene, and decanal, were present differences between the two cultivars. Seven metabolites potential differentiated biomarkers as ß-selinene, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, (E,Z)-2,6-dodecadienal, (E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-decenal, isogeranial, 1,8-cineole and ß-cubebene were determined. Although A. tsao-ko and A. paratsao-ko belong to the same genera and are similar in plant and fruit morphology, the composition and content of the main components were exposed significant discrepancy, so it is necessary to distinguish them. In this study, the discriminant model established by GC-MS or NIRS combined with multivariate analysis has achieved a good classification effect. NIRS has the advantages of simple, fast and nondestructive and can be used for rapid identification of varieties and fruit tissues.

Spectral analysis of heart rate variability for trauma outcome prediction: an analysis of 210 ICU multiple trauma patients.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to test and compare short-term spectral HRV indices with most used trauma scorings in outcome prediction of multiple trauma, and then to explore the efficacy of their combined application. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted for patients with blunt multiple trauma admitted to an emergency intensive care unit (ICU) between January 2016 and December 2017. Short-term spectral HRV indices on admission were measured, including normalized low-frequency power (nLF), normalized high-frequency power (nHF), and the nLF/nHF ratio. Injury severity score (ISS), new injury severity score (NISS), and revised trauma score (RTS) were evaluated for each patient, as well as probability of survival (Ps) by trauma and injury severity score (TRISS) model. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality and secondary outcomes were incidence of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and length of ICU stay. RESULTS: Two hundred and ten patients were recruited. The nLF/nHF ratio, RTS, and Ps(TRISS) were independent predictors of 30-day mortality, while nLF/nHF, NISS and RTS were independent predictors of MODS. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of nLF/nHF for 30-day mortality prediction was 0.924, comparable to RTS (0.951) and Ps(TRISS) (0.892). AUC of nLF/nHF-RTS combination was 0.979, significantly greater than that of each alone. Combination of nLF/nHF and Ps(TRISS) showed an increased AUC (0.984) compared to each of them. The nLF/nHF ratio presented a similar AUC (0.826) to NISS (0.818) or RTS (0.850) for MODS prediction. AUC of nLF/nHF-RTS combination was 0.884, significantly greater than that of nLF/nHF. Combination of nLF/nHF and NISS showed a greater AUC (0.868) than each alone. The nLF/nHF ratio, NISS, RTS, and Ps(TRISS) were correlated with length of ICU stay for survivors, with correlation coefficients 0.476, 0.617, - 0.588, and - 0.539. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the short-term spectral analysis of HRV might be a potential early tool to assess injury severity and predict outcome of multiple trauma. Combination of nLF/nHF and conventional trauma scores can provide more accuracy in outcome prediction of multiple trauma.

Potential role of lncRNA HULC/miR­128­3p/RAC1 axis in the inflammatory response during LPS­induced sepsis in HMEC­1 cells.

Sepsis is a serious clinical condition characterized by systemic inflammation. The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) highly upregulated in liver cancer (HULC) was validated to partake in the development of sepsis. The present study aimed to investigate the potential mechanism of HULC in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)­induced sepsis. Reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR) and western blot analysis was employed to examine the expression of HULC, microRNA (miR)­128­3p, Rac family small GTPase 1 (RAC1) and pro­inflammatory factors [IL­6, TNF­α, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM1)] in the serum of patients with sepsis or LPS­induced human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC­1). Flow cytometry and western blot assays were performed to detect cell apoptosis. The targeted relationship among HULC, miR­128­3p and RAC1 was confirmed by a dual­luciferase reporter assay, RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and RNA pull­down assay. HULC and RAC1 were found to be upregulated, and miR­128­3p was downregulated in the serum of patients with sepsis and LPS­stimulated HMEC­1 cells. LPS promoted apoptosis and inflammation, which were decreased by silencing of HULC. HULC targeted miR­128­3p and negatively regulated its expression. HULC knockdown protected HMEC­1 cells from LPS­induced injury by upregulating miR­128­3p. RAC1 was a target of miR­128­3p, and gain of RAC1 also relieved the silencing of HULC­mediated suppressive effects on apoptosis and inflammation in LPS­stimulated HMEC­1 cells. In conclusion, HULC knockdown partially reversed LPS­induced sepsis via the regulation of miR­128­3p/RAC1 axis.

MicroRNA-26a inhibits wound healing through decreased keratinocytes migration by regulating ITGA5 through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Keratinocyte migration is essential for skin wound healing and recent studies demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the differentiation, migration and apoptosis in keratinocytes. However, the function of miR-26a in wound healing remains to be largely explored. METHODS: Northern blot and quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) were used to detect the miR-26a expression and Western blot was used to detect integrin α-5 (ITGA5), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), p-PI3K, protein kinase B (AKT) and p-AKT protein expression in immortalized human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT and normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) after 2 ng/ml transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) treatment for 0, 6, 12 and 24 h. Transwell assay and Wound healing assay were introduced to measure the cell migration of HaCaT cells. TargetScan online database, luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were employed to confirm the relationship between miR-26a and ITGA5. RESULTS: The RNA expression of miR-26a was down-regulated and ITGA5 protein expression was up-regulated by TGF-ß1 treatment in HaCaT and NHEK cells in a time-dependent manner. MiR-26a overexpression inhibited the migration of HaCaT cells induced by TGF-ß1 while miR-26a inhibitor enhanced the migration. ITGA5 was a downstream target mRNA and regulated by miR-26a. ITGA5 overexpression reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-26a on migration in HaCaT, while ITGA5 knockdown attenuated the stimulative effect of miR-26a inhibitor in HaCaT via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: MiR-26a overexpression inhibited TGF-ß1 induced HaCaT cells migration via down-regulating ITGA5 through activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Prognostic Value of C-Reactive Protein in Patients With Coronavirus 2019.

BACKGROUND: An elevated serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level was observed in most patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: Data for COVID-19 patients with clinical outcome in a designated hospital in Wuhan, China, were retrospectively collected and analyzed from 30 January 2020 to 20 February 2020. The prognostic value of admission CRP was evaluated in patients with COVID-19. RESULTS: Of 298 patients enrolled, 84 died and 214 recovered. Most nonsurvivors were male, older, or with chronic diseases. Compared with survivors, nonsurvivors showed significantly elevated white blood cell and neutrophil counts, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic immune inflammation index (defined by platelet count multiplied by NLR), CRP, procalcitonin, and D-dimer and showed decreased red blood cell, lymphocyte, and platelet counts. Age, neutrophil count, platelet count, and CRP were identified as independent predictors of adverse outcome. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of CRP (0.896) was significantly higher than that of age (0.833), neutrophil count (0.820), and platelet count (0.678) in outcome prediction (all P < .05). With a cutoff value of 41.4, CRP exhibited sensitivity of 90.5%, specificity of 77.6%, positive predictive value of 61.3%, and negative predictive value of 95.4%. CRP was also an independent discriminator of severe/critical illness on admission with an AUC (0.783) comparable to age (0.828) and neutrophil count (0.729) (both P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with COVID-19, admission CRP correlated with disease severity and tended to be a good predictor of adverse outcome.

[Research progress in chemical constituents in plants of Polygonatum and their pharmacological effects].

Polygonatum plants are perennial plants of Liliaceae. There are about 60 species reported at home and abroad,32 species in China,mainly distributed in the north temperate zone. Their main chemical components are steroidal saponins,polysaccharides,flavonoids,alkaloids,etc. They have anti-aging,anti-tumor,immunomodulation,antibacterial,antiviral,hypoglycemic and blood lipid effects. With the development of health industry,Polygonati Rhizome used as medicine and food has attracted great attention in recent years,and has become a research hotspot. However,the material basis of its efficacy is unclear and the product quality is uneven,which seriously limited the rapid upgrading of the industry. This review summarizes Polygonatum plants system classification,the chemical composition and pharmacological activity to provide theoretical basis for the development and utilization of Polygonatum plants.

Guiding Effect of Serum Procalcitonin (PCT) on the Antibiotic Application to Patients with Sepsis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the guiding effect of serum procalcitonin (PCT) on the antibiotic application to patients with sepsis. METHODS: Ninety-eight patients with sepsis treated in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, China from 2015-2017 were enrolled. They were divided into two equal groups of control group and the observation group. Patients in the observation group received the antibiotic therapy guided by PCT while patients in the control group received the regular antibiotic therapy. The conventional indexes, prognosis and clinical effects of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: There were no statistical significance in the differences of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE-II) scores C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC) levels between the two groups. The duration of the antibiotic application to patients in the observation group was (7.74±0.61) d which was (10.22±0.78) d shorter than that to patients in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay time and the hospital stays of patients in the observation group were shorter than those of patients in the control group. The difference had statistical significance (P<0.05). The difference in 30-day-recurrence rate and 30 day-mortality of the patients in the two groups had no statistical significance. There was statistically significant difference in the comparison of the clinical effects between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Guiding effects of the serum PCT on the application of antibiotics to patients with sepsis shorten the usage time of the antibiotics, ICU stay time and hospital stays.

[Study on the Genetic Relationship of Panax Notoginseng and Its Wild Relatives Based on Fourier Translation Infrared Spectroscopy].

Wild relatives play a very important role in enriching germplasm resources and improving the quality and yield of cultivated species. In this paper, the genetic relationship between Panax notoginseng and its wild relatives has been investigated by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in order to provide theoretical bases in the variety improvement of P. notoginseng as well as the development and utilization of germplasm resources. The FTIR spectra of P. notoginseng and its wild relatives (P. japonicus var. major, P. stipuleanatus, P. vietnamensis, P. japonicus var. bipinnatifidus) as well as Panax notoginsenosides were collected. The original infrared spectra of P. notoginseng and its wild relatives were pretreated by automatic baseline correction, smoothing, ordinate normalization and second derivative. The genetic relationship between P. notoginseng and its wild relatives has been studied together with the aid of principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). By comparing the infrared spectra of P. notoginseng with that of panax notoginsenosides, some common peaks such as 3 400, 2 930, 1 635, 1 385, 1 075 and 927 cm-1 has been found. It showed that the peak heights of P. notoginseng samples may relate with the content of panax notoginsenosides. The original infrared spectra of P. notoginseng are similar to its wild relatives and the absorption peaks of the functional groups of C­H, CO, O­H, C­N and C­O were presented. There were some differences in the fingerprint region (1 800～500 cm-1) of the second derivative spectra of these five species samples. The characteristic absorption peaks such as 1 385 and 784 cm-1 has an obviously differentiation. Then the fingerprint region of second derivative spectra is subjected to be analyzed by PCA and PLS-DA. By comparing the 3D score plots of these two methods, the classification result of PLS-DA is significantly better than PCA. In addition, the result of HCA which based on the six principal components of PLS-DA has shown that P. japonicus var. major and P. vienamensis have close relationship with P. notoginseng while P. stipuleanatus and P. japonicus var. bipinnatifidus are far from P. notoginseng. The use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics methods could effectively investigate the genetic relationship between P. notoginseng and its wild relatives. Furthermore, it could provide reference for the research of medicinal plants.

Microwave synthesis of 3D rambutan-like CuO and CuO/reduced graphene oxide modified electrodes for non-enzymatic glucose detection.

A novel type of cupric oxide (CuO) particles-reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) modified electrode has been fabricated through a facile, simple and fast microwave method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to characterize the morphologies and structures of the as-prepared samples. The results reveal that the CuO/r-GO composite was a porous 3D rambutan-like microstructure with high surface area. Then the CuO and CuO/r-GO electrodes were constructed for their use as non-enzymatic glucose biosensors owing to their high-performance and sensitivity under alkaline conditions. The proposed biosensor exhibits glucose concentrations in the range from 0.50 µM to 3.75 mM. Besides, chronoamperometry demonstrates a desirable sensitivity of 52.1 µA mM-1 at an applied potential of 0.50 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), with a detection limit of 0.10 µM (signal/noise = 3). Most importantly, this non-enzymatic glucose biosensor has highly stable characteristics and can be manufactured into a long-term stability electrode for its application in various complicated circumstances. All these results confirm that this CuO/r-GO biosensor is a promising active material with excellent analytical properties for non-enzymatic glucose detection.

[Species and ecological control of disease on cultivated Gentiana rigescens in Yunnan].

OBJECTIVE: To find out variety of the fungal diseases of cultivated Gentiana rigescens and provide important basis for prevention. METHODS: The diseases were diagnosed based on field investigate, symptoms observation, pathogen isolation, determination the size of morphological and verification following the Koch's Postulate procedures. RESULTS: Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), grey mould (Botrytis cinerea), brown spot (Alternaria tenuis), rust (Aecidiumpers), circular spot (Pestalotiopsis), leaf blight (Stemphylium, Ascochyta, Pleospora) and nematodes (Heterodera spp., Meloidogyne spp.) were found on Gentiana rigescens. Anthracnose was the first main disease, the diseased plant rate was over 40% and disease severity was 4 - 5 degree and second disease was rust, incidence of rate was less 10% and other diseases rate was not enough 2%. CONCLUSION: All these diseases on Gentiana rigescens are reported for the first time and Gentiana rigescens is the new host plant of the diseases.

[Correlation and path analysis on agronomic traits of Gentiana rigescens].

OBJECTIVE: The interrelation of yield and agronomic traits of Gentiana rigescens was studied for the germplasm and breeding variety of this species. METHOD: Twelve agronomic traits, root diameter, root length, root number, root biomass, stem diameter, plant height, the first branch number, leaf length, leaf width, leaf length/leaf width ratio, calyx length, and calyx number of G. rigescens from 26 wild populations in Yunnan were determined for correlation analysis, multiple stepwise regression analysis and path analysis. RESULT: Correlation analysis showed that there were significantly positive correlation between the traits of aboveground part and the length, diameter, number, and biomass of the root. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that length, width, and number of root, plant height, the first branch number, and the calyx number were the main factors that affected the root biomass. Path analysis showed that the diameter, length, and number of the root, the stem height, and the first branch number had a direct positive effect on the root biomass. CONCLUSION: The traits, such as high and strong stem, high number of first branch number and shrubby shape could be selected for the breeding and high yielding of G. rigescens.

[Seed germination characteristics of Gentiana rigescens].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influences of temperature, lightness, storage method, storage time, and gibberellin on seed germination of Gentiana rigescens. METHOD: The germination rates of G. rigescens in different treatments were observed. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The most suitable temperature for the seed germination was 25 degrees C, at which the germination rate was 76.33%. The effect of lightness on the seeds was significantly; the germination rate of the seed was very low. Under the natural condition, the best storage method was dry storage (within 6 months), which could promote the after-ripening of the seed. 100-1 000 mg x L(-1) gibberellic acid could significantly reduce the seed germination time, and 500 mg x L(-1) gibberellic acid increased the germination rate of the seed to 95.00%.

[Breeding strains of Panax notoginseng by using EST-SSR markers].

OBJECTIVE: To comparatively determine the genetic variation and differentiation of different breeding strains of Panax notoginseng for providing the basic information for genetic breeding. METHOD: The genetic diversity and genetic structure of the 17 breeding strains of P. notoginseng were assayed by using EST-SSR molecular marker. RESULT: A total of 136 polymorphic loci of EST-SSR were detected in the 17 breeding strains of P. notoginseng, with the PIC (polymorphism information content) being 0.78, H (the gene diversity within population) being 0.139, the I (the Shannon's information index) being 0.208. Gst (coefficient of gene differentiation) was 0.382 among the 17 strains. The cluster analysis of genetic similarity showed that the 17 strains of P. notoginseng and P. stipuleanatus were classified into 4 groups, while the 17 strains of P. notoginseng were classified into three subgroups. CONCLUSION: The genetic differentiation was detected among the 17 strains of P. notoginseng from the same cultivation population by bulk selecting. And it was feasible to detect the effect of bulk selection by EST-SSR markers.