Pharmacognosical study during 40 years

Abstract

In order to quality control for medicinal plants such as Aconitum charmicaelii, Rhemannia glutinosa, Atractyrodes lancea, Pinellia ternata, Panax species and Gentiana scabra were clonally micropropagated by tip tissue culture and embryogenetic techniques. Monoclonal antibodies against the bioactive compounds contained in the crude drugs were prepared and set up the ELISA as a high sensitive and quick determination method. A newly developed eastern blotting methodology can stain typically the only antigen molecule and the related compounds having a same aglycone. Knockout extract can be prepared by using an immunoaffinity column conjugated with monoclonal antibody, and its importance has been discussed. Single chain fragment-variable gene against solamargine was cloned and transformed to a host plant, Solanum chasianum resulting in the increase of antigen molecule as 2.5 to 3 times. Three biosynthetic enzymes regarding marihuana compounds, THCA-, CBDA-, CBCA-synthases were isolated. THCAsynthase was cloned, over expressed and confirmed its characteristics including FAD combining enzyme, and finally determined the structure by Xray analysis. The distribution of THCAsynthase was also investigated using its and GFP hybrid gene. We found new functions for saffron like improving learning and memory and LTP for blocking by ethanol. A folk medicine in Taiwan, Anoectochilus formosanus was propagated in vitro and investigated opening new pharmacological activities in lipid methabolism. © 2007 The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.