Herbal Medicines Research and Education Centre (HMREC), Faculty of Pharmacy, A15, University of Sydney, N.S.W., 2006, Australia.
Key words: chemical composition, crop yield, cultivation, medicinal plants, plant composition, plant extracts, quality controls, saponins, thin layer chromatography, traditional medicines
Journal of Applied Horticulture, 2005, volume 7, issue 2, pages 99-104.
Abstract: This paper describes the cultivation, harvesting, processing and storage of G. pentaphyllum in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in comparison to its native China. The dry weight yield of Sydney-grown plants (0.50 kg/m2) was in the range of the yield obtained in China (0.4-0.5 kg/m2). The percentage of extracted material was also higher for the locally grown material (28.5%) in comparison to G. pentaphyllum products grown in China (10.3-18.1%). Thin layer chromatography revealed a different saponin profile for the local material compared with commercially available products, indicating its potential for use in quality control. These results suggest that Australia may be a new growing location for this traditional Chinese medicine.
