Rapid characterization of non-volatile phenolic compounds reveals the reliable chemical markers for authentication of traditional Chinese medicine Xiang-ru among confusing Elsholtzia species.

The aerial parts of Mosla chinensis Maxim. and Mosla chinensis cv. 'Jiangxiangru' (MCJ) are widely utilized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), known collectively as Xiang-ru. However, due to clinical effectiveness concerns and frequent misidentification, the original plants have increasingly been substituted by various species within the genera Elsholtzia and Mosla. The challenge in distinguishing between these genera arises from their similar morphological and metabolic profiles. To address this issue, our study introduced a rapid method for metabolic characterization, employing high-resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. Through detailed biosynthetic and chemometric analyses, we pinpointed five phenolic compounds-salviaflaside, cynaroside, scutellarein-7-O-D-glucoside, rutin, and vicenin-2-among 203 identified compounds, as reliable chemical markers for distinguishing Xiang-ru from closely related Elsholtzia species. This methodology holds promise for broad application in the analysis of plant aerial parts, especially in verifying the authenticity of aromatic traditional medicinal plants. Our findings underscore the importance of non-volatile compounds as dependable chemical markers in the authentication process of aromatic traditional medicinal plants.

The functionalities and applications of whey/whey protein in fermented foods: a review.

Whey, a major by-product of cheese production, is primarily composed of whey protein (WP). To mitigate environmental pollution, it is crucial to identify effective approaches for fully utilizing the functional components of whey or WP to produce high-value-added products. This review aims to illustrate the active substances with immunomodulatory, metabolic syndrome-regulating, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities produced by whey or WP through fermentation processes, and summarizes the application and the effects of whey or WP on nutritional properties and health promotion in fermented foods. All these findings indicate that whey or WP can serve as a preservative, a source of high-protein dietary, and a source of physiologically active substance in the production of fermented foods. Therefore, expanding the use of whey or WP in fermented foods is of great importance for converting whey into value-added products, as well as reducing whey waste and potential contamination.

Characterization of the complete plastid genome of Gaultheria griffithiana (Ericaceae).

Gaultheria griffithiana is an evergreen shrub in the family Ericaceae. It is used as a source of the Chinese traditional medicine, Tougucao, with distribution of the junction of eastern Himalaya and Hengduan Mountain. The chloroplast genome of G. griffithiana is 175,649 bp in length with 135 genes, including eight rRNA genes, 39 tRNA genes, and 85 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis has converged on the placement of G. griffithiana as sister to G. praticola, G. nummularioides, and G. hookeri within the Leucothoides clade of Gaultheria in this study.