Field Survey of Ephedra Plants in Central Asia (1). Characterization of Ephedra equisetina, Ephedra intermedia, and Their Putative Hybrids Collected in the Zaravshan Mountains of Tajikistan.

Field surveys of Ephedra plants were conducted in the Zaravshan Mountains of Tajikistan. E. equisetina, E. intermedia, and their putative hybrids were collected. They were identified based on their phenotypes and their sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region. Sequencing and species-specific PCR analyses of their ITS1 sequences revealed six putative hybrids of E. equisetina and E. intermedia. The total ephedrine and pseudoephedrine content of most of the Ephedra samples collected in Tajikistan were higher than the 0.7% lower limit prescribed by the Japanese pharmacopoeia, 17th edition (JP17), and varied from 0.34 to 3.21% by dry weight. The total alkaloid level of E. intermedia (11E08-1) cultivated in Japan varied from 1.77 to 2.30% by dry weight, which was much higher than the 0.7% lower limit prescribed by JP17.

Field Survey of Glycyrrhiza Plants in Central Asia (5). Chemical Characterization of G. bucharica Collected in Tajikistan.

One triterpene and five triterpene glycosides, including four new compounds, have been identified in the underground parts of Glycyrrhiza bucharica, which was shown to be closely related to Glycyrrhizin-producing Glycyrrhiza species, G. uralensis, G. glabra and G. inflata, based on their chloroplast rbcL sequences. Two known compounds were identified squasapogenol and macedonoside C. The structures of four new compounds, bucharosides A, B, C, and D, were determined to be 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1→2)-ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl-22-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl squasapogenol, 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1→2)-ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl-macedonic acid, 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1→2)-ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl-squasapogenol, and 22-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl squasapogenol, respectively. Contents of these triterpene glycosides were less than 0.5% of dry weight, and no main saponin, like glycyrrhizin or macedonoside C found in other Glycyrrhiza species, was found in the underground parts of G. bucharica.

Field Survey of Glycyrrhiza Plants in Central Asia (4). Characterization of G. glabra and G. bucharica Collected in Tajikistan.

The characteristics of 2 Glycyrrhiza plants, G. glabra and G. bucharica (=Meristotropis bucharica), were investigated in Tajikistan. The glycyrrhizin content in the underground parts of G. glabra varied from 2.56 to 9.29% of the dry weight, and the content of glabridin, a species-specific flavonoid of G. glabra, varied from 0.09 to 0.92% of the dry weight. Seeds of G. glabra plants from Tajikistan were cultivated for 3 years in Japan, and the glycyrrhizin content of the harvested roots ranged from 0.75 to 1.82% of the dry weight. In addition, HPLC analysis of leaf extracts indicated that the G. glabra plants collected in Tajikistan could be divided into various types, according to the flavonoid contents of the leaves. The endemic G. bucharica was also collected. A phylogenetic tree of rbcL nucleotide sequences from various Glycyrrhiza plants indicated that G. bucharica was closely related to the three glycyrrhizin-producing Glycyrrhiza spp. (G. uralensis, G. inflata, and G. glabra), even though G. bucharica does not produce glycyrrhizin.