Jing Liu

Publications of Jing Liu

• [Comparative study of wild and cultivated astragali radix in Daqingshan district in Wuchuan of Neimenggu].

  Authors: Jing Liu, Hua Yang, Xuemei Zhu, Zhongzhen Zhao, Hubiao Chen

  Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica. 06/2011; 36(12):1577-81.

  To make a comparative study on wild and cultivated Astragali Radix in Wuchuan, Neimenggu where is one of the geo-authentic producing areas of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus. ThisTo make a comparative study on wild and cultivated Astragali Radix in Wuchuan, Neimenggu where is one of the geo-authentic producing areas of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus. This comparative study focus on shapes and properties, microscopic features of transverse section and powder of roots, qualitative evaluation of wild and cultivated Astragali Radix. Wild Astragali Radix had a cylindrical main root, 2 or 3 root branches, dark brown color and many lenticels on the root bark. Cultivated Astragali Radix had a long cylindrical root, few root branches, yellowish white or light brown and fewer lenticels on the root bark. The differences of microscopic features were that the number of cork cells layers in wild Astragali Radix was bigger than that in cultivated Astragali Radix; stone cells were only observed in wild Astragali Radix; distinct annual rings in the xylem were only existed in cultivated Astragali Radix. The results of qualitative evaluation reveal that the contents of major active isoflavonoids and saponins in wild Astragali Radix are higher than those in cultivated Astragali Radix. There are some diagnostic differences in the main microscopic features of transverse section and powder between wild and cultivated Astragali Radix. The contents of major active isoflavonoids and saponins in wild Astragali Radix are higher than those in cultivated Astragali Radix. Our study provides important scientific evidence for reasonable and effective uses of wild and cultivated Astragali Radix in Wuchuan, and also provides a reliable basis for the quality control of Astragali Radix.

• Study of the relationship between genetics and geography in determining the quality of Astragali Radix.

  Authors: Jing Liu, Hu-Biao Chen, Bao-Lin Guo, Zhong-Zhen Zhao, Zhi-Tao Liang, Tao Yi

  Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin. 01/2011; 34(9):1404-12.

  Astragali Radix (AR), prepared from the roots of Astragalus membranaceus (FISCH. ex LINK) BUNGE or its variey, A. membranaceus (FISCH. ex LINK) BUNGE var. mongholicus (BUNGE) HSIAO., is one of theAstragali Radix (AR), prepared from the roots of Astragalus membranaceus (FISCH. ex LINK) BUNGE or its variey, A. membranaceus (FISCH. ex LINK) BUNGE var. mongholicus (BUNGE) HSIAO., is one of the most used and valuable traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Historically, Hunyuan, Shanxi Province in China is the geo-authentic producing area of AR and crude AR from here called "geo-authentic." According to tradition, geo-authentic TCMs define both authenticity and quality. However, no scientific investigation has ever determined whether the superior quality of Hunyuan AR is due to the genetic characteristics or to the local environment. In our study, seeds of 30 AR samples representing the two varieties from different regions were cultivated in Hunyuan under the same conditions. A method, using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector and evaporative light scattering detectors, was developed to evaluate the quality through a simultaneous determination of four major isoflavonoids and four major saponins. The two AR varieties were successfully distinguished by principal component analysis while samples of the same species with different seeds origins could not be distinguished. A genetic study demonstrated that the internal transcribed spacer sequences of the nuclear ribosomal DNA in A. membranaceus var. mongholicus samples from different geographical regions were highly conservative. These results indicate that the content of active components in AR depends on the interaction of genotype and environment. At the varietal level, genetic properties appear to be more important for pharmaceutical quality than environmental factors, while on the intraspecific level environmental factors might be more important than genetic properties.

• [Ecological environment of cultivated Astragali radix and market specification of prepared slices].

  Authors: Kunzi Yu, Jing Liu, Hao Hong, Baolin Guo, Shaoqing Cai, Hubiao Chen

  Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica. 05/2010; 35(9):1112-5.

  Astragali Radix is derived from roots of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus and A. membranaceus. The exhaustion of wild Astragali Radix has made cultivated Astragali Radix possess theAstragali Radix is derived from roots of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus and A. membranaceus. The exhaustion of wild Astragali Radix has made cultivated Astragali Radix possess the commercial market of Astragali Radix. So the ecological environment of cultivated Astragali Radix should be investigated through field survey. Through investigation, we found that A. membranaceus var. mongholicus are cultivated in Hengshan mountain of Shanxi province, Longnan of Gansu province, south of Inner Mongolia and Qinghai provinces. A. membranaceus var. mongholicus is almost planted on the plain, except in Shanxi province it grows on the sunny side of the mountain. What is more, soil type, elevation, annual temperature and annual rainfall of these locations are different. So the ecological environments of cultivated location of Astragali Radix are different from each other. A. membranaceus is wild in Heilongjiang and northeast of Inner Mongolia, but the resource is drying up. It is also planted in few places of the provinces of Shanxi, Shandong, Hebei, Gansu, but cultivated scope of A. membranaceus is smaller than A. membranaceus var. mongholicus.. So A. membranaceus var. mongholicus possesses large part of Astragali Radix market. In market, there exists no unified specification fro slices of Astragali Radix, and specification of prepared slices will influence the contents of chemical components. Through investigation, different kind of prepared slices can be collected and compared, this provides evidences for quality control of prepared slices. Through investigation, five different specifications of prepared slices were found in market. The distributions of some specification of prepared slices are specified, like transverseprepared slices prepared from A. membranaceus only found in Heilongjiang province. Transverse prepared slices possess half part of prepared slice market, and can be used to identify original plant of Astragali Radix. So transverse prepared slices should be the unified specification of Astragali Radix.

• Comparison of the immunoregulatory function of different constituents in radix astragali and radix hedysari.

  Authors: Jing Liu, Xuguang Hu, Quan Yang, Zhiling Yu, Zhongzhen Zhao, Tao Yi, Hubiao Chen

  Journal of biomedicine & biotechnology. 01/2010; 2010:479426.

  Radix Astragali (RA), known as "Huangqi" in China, is one of the most popular herbal medicines known worldwide to reinforce "Qi". RA is traditionally prepared from the dried roots of AstragalusRadix Astragali (RA), known as "Huangqi" in China, is one of the most popular herbal medicines known worldwide to reinforce "Qi". RA is traditionally prepared from the dried roots of Astragalus membranaceus (MJHQ) and A. membranaceus var. mongholicus (MGHQ). Radix Hedysari is named "Hongqi" (HQ), which is similar to RA. We assessed and compared the chemical constituents and bioactivity of RA and HQ. Different constituents were extracted into five major parts and were analyzed using different methods. Comparison of the immunological effects of extracts was done by using two immunological models. Results showed that flavonoids and saponins present in RA and HQ were not only structurally significantly different but also different in their immunological effect. Amino acids extract (AE) in MGHQ shows immunological effect while AE in MJHQ and HQ did not. Polysaccharides comprised the major constituents in RA and HQ. All polysaccharides extract (PE) of the three herbs showed similar levels of immunological effect in both immunological assays.