Botanical origin and chemical constituents of commercial Saposhnikoviae radix and its related crude drugs available in Shaanxi and the surrounding regions.

Saposhnikoviae radix (SR) is described in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia as a crude drug derived from the root of Saposhnikovia divaricata Schischkin (Umbelliferae). According to Flora of China, the root of Peucedanum ledebourielloides K. F. Fu is used as a regional substitute for SR. Therefore, we surveyed the botanical origin of the drug used in China, especially Shaanxi and the surrounding regions, through nucleotide sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA. As a result, several samples from Shaanxi () and Shanxi () provinces were identified as Peucedanum ledebourielloides. To prevent this substitute from being distributed as genuine SR, we developed a thin-layer chromatography analysis condition to enable a specific compound of this species to be easily detected. The specific compound was identified as xanthalin, based on 1D- and 2D-NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry data. The established TLC conditions were as follows-extraction solvent, n-hexane; applied volume, 5 µL; chromatographic support, silica gel; developing solvent, n-hexane:ethyl acetate:acetic acid (20:10:1); developing length, 7 cm; detection, UV (365 nm); R f value, 0.4 (blue fluorescence; xanthalin).

Automated Planning With Multivariate Shape Descriptors for Fibular Transfer in Mandibular Reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: This paper introduces methods to automate preoperative planning of fibular segmentation and placement for mandibular reconstruction with fibular flaps. METHODS: Preoperative virtual planning for this type of surgery has been performed by manual adjustment of many parameters, or based upon a single feature of the reconstruction. We propose a novel planning procedure formulated as a nonconvex minimization problem of an objective function using the multilateral shape descriptors. RESULTS: A retrospective study was designed and 120 reconstruction plans were reproduced using computed tomography images with oral surgeons. The proposed automated planning model was quantitatively compared with both the existing model and the surgeons' plans. CONCLUSION: The results show that the developed framework attains stable automated planning that agrees with the surgeons' decisions. SIGNIFICANCE: This method addresses tradeoff problems between symmetric reconstruction and restoration of the native contour of the mandible.

Statistical Analysis of Interactive Surgical Planning Using Shape Descriptors in Mandibular Reconstruction with Fibular Segments.

This study was performed to quantitatively analyze medical knowledge of, and experience with, decision-making in preoperative virtual planning of mandibular reconstruction. Three shape descriptors were designed to evaluate local differences between reconstructed mandibles and patients' original mandibles. We targeted an asymmetrical, wide range of cutting areas including the mandibular sidepiece, and defined a unique three-dimensional coordinate system for each mandibular image. The generalized algorithms for computing the shape descriptors were integrated into interactive planning software, where the user can refine the preoperative plan using the spatial map of the local shape distance as a visual guide. A retrospective study was conducted with two oral surgeons and two dental technicians using the developed software. The obtained 120 reconstruction plans show that the participants preferred a moderate shape distance rather than optimization to the smallest. We observed that a visually plausible shape could be obtained when considering specific anatomical features (e.g., mental foramen. mandibular midline). The proposed descriptors can be used to multilaterally evaluate reconstruction plans and systematically learn surgical procedures.

Sparse shape model for fibular transfer planning in mandibular reconstruction.

In this paper, we propose an automated preoperative planning method that estimates a plan fitted to the data of a new patient using a planned dataset of previous patients. Although mandibular reconstruction with fibular segments needs preoperative planning for the precise placement of segments, recent interactive planning software cannot secure objectivity of the planning and time-consuming trial-and-error processes are required. The proposed method employs sparse shape modeling; in this modeling, we select a subset of the data from a prepared preoperative planning dataset to make an example or instance of reconstruction via a linear combination of the data. We conduct experiments using the dataset planned by medical doctors and compare the instance estimated by the proposed method to the manual placement by these doctors.

Species identification of licorice using nrDNA and cpDNA genetic markers.

For the accurate identification of medicinal licorice species, nucleotide sequences of four types of DNA regions were researched for 205 specimens, including three species used as licorice: Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Glycyrrhiza glabra, and Glycyrrhiza inflata. The four DNA regions were the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) on nuclear ribosomal DNA, the rbcL gene, the matK gene, and the trnH-psbA intergenic region on chloroplast DNA (cpDNA). Ten genotypes were consequently recognized as combinations of the sequence data obtained from the four DNA regions. Species-specific genotypes were defined from the frequency of the appearance of species in each genotype and from the phylogenetic relationships of the 10 genotypes. This revealed the possibility of identifying licorice species based on the 10 genotypes. Next, comparison of species identifications by each DNA region suggested that efficient identification of licorice species is possible using the genetic information obtained from the ITS and trnH-psbA intergenic region. Additionally, concerning the phylogenetic relationships of the Glycyrrhiza species used as licorice, it is suggested from the genetic information of the four types of DNA regions that G. glabra is more closely related to G. inflata than to G. uralensis. In the G. uralensis examined, four genotypes were recognized as intra specific variations. The appearance frequency of each genotype in G. uralensis differed according to the area in China. G. uralensis may have expanded its distribution areas from western to eastern China because many licorices with the phylogenetic ancestral genotype were observed in western areas, while many with the derivative genotype were observed in eastern areas.

Constituent properties of licorices derived from Glycyrrhiza uralensis, G. glabra, or G. inflata identified by genetic information.

Constituent properties of licorices derived from Glycyrrhiza uralensis, G. glabra, and G. inflata are revealed by comparing 117 of licorice identified using four genetic markers; internal tracscribed spacer (ITS) on nuclear ribosomal DNA, rbcL gene, matK gene, and trnH-trnK1 intergenic region on chloroplast DNA. Regarding six main constituents of licorice; glycyrrhizin, liquiritin, liquiritin apioside, isoliquiritin, isoliquiritin apioside, and liquiritigenin, the constituent property of G. glabra resembles to that of G. inflata. On the other hand, the constituent property of G. uralensis is not similar to that of G. glabra or G. inflata and is characterized by a wide content variation of the six constituents compared to those of G. glabra and/or G. inflata. The mean contents of liquiritin, isoliquiritin, or liquilitigenin in G. uralensis are significantly higher than those of G. glabra or G. inflata. Therefore, the licorice species should be selected depending on these constituent properties for the traditional Chinese medicines or the Japanese Kampo medicines. Additionally, glycycoumarin, glabridin, and licochalcone A were reconfirmed as the species-specific typical constituents of G. uralensis, G. glabra, and G. inflata respectively. Therefore, it is resulted that the determination of the three species-specific constituents may be useful for the species identification of licorice. However, since 6% of licorice examined and hybrids were exceptions to the rule, their genetic information is necessary for the accurate species identification of licorice.

Identification of medicinal Atractylodes based on ITS sequences of nrDNA.

Dried rhizomes of five species of Atractylodes (A. japonica, A. macrocephala, A. lancea, A. chinensis, and A. koreana), Compositae, have been used as crude drugs mainly for the treatment of stomach disorders and for their diuretic properties in Chinese and Japanese traditional medicines. The identification of the botanical origins of these crude drugs is generally difficult from their morphological and chemical features only. In this study, for identification with more reliable, nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of five species of medicinal Atractylodes were sequenced. As a result, specific ITS genotypes were recognized by each species. The four species (A. japonica, A. macrocephala, A. lancea, and A. chinensis) prescribed in Chinese and Japanese Pharmacopoeias as botanical origins of crude Atractylodes drugs could be distinguished by their ITS sequences because they had difference genotypes on the ITS sequences. However, the genotype of A. koreana was the same as that of A. chinensis. Additionally, hybrids between A. lancea and A. chinensis were also recognized as nucleotide additives on their ITS sequences. In this study, several morphological characteristics were researched by their genotype, too. As this result, the hybrids recognized from the genetic analysis had intermediate morphological characteristics between A. lancea and A. chinensis. It was also recognized that A. lancea and A. chinensis except for their hybrids were significant differences. It is therefore suggested that ITS sequences of nrDNA would be useful for the identification of the crude drugs derived from Atractylodes species and their interspecific hybridizations.