(42(3):265-279)Studies on the Selection, Cultivation, and Quality of Yam (Dioscorea alata L.) Line 70W04

山藥優良品系70W04在植物分類上近似於D. alata L.，而山藥臺農1號則具有典型田薯（D. alata L）之特性，二者同屬晚熟型白肉山藥。由三個連續栽培年度及三個不同地點之試驗結果可知，70W04及山藥臺農1號在單株平均塊莖收量、田間成活率及塊莖公頃產量三方面之表現均甚佳且穩定，二者同具有31 t／ha之生產能力，較中熟型白肉山藥品系70W03及早熟型紅肉之70R01為高。由不同海拔之試驗結果可知，較高海拔對中及晚熟型白肉山藥塊莖性狀及產量之影響極大，對70R01之影響則較小，70W04、70W03及山藥臺農1號在800 m羅娜地區之產量分別只為10.9 t／ha、10.1 t／ha及10.4 t／ha，而70R01仍有13.7 t／ha之產量。70W04之生育期為8個月，但在6個月時其塊莖公頃產量即超過21 t／ha，可依市場需要決定採收時期。利用塑膠穴管栽培時，70W04於8個月生長期之產量可達27.6 t／ha，約為一般種植方式之84.4％，但採收極為方便，且塊莖較長，外觀平直光滑，不受傷損，穴管栽培方式極具參考利用價值。70W04塊莖皮薄肉厚，富含蛋白質（13.3％）與澱粉，另具礦物元素P、K、Ca、S、Mg及微量元素Fe、Cu及Zn等成分，此外，其肉質味美、粘度甚高、顏色潔白、且不易褐化，深具食用、加工用及保健價值。 Taxonomically, yam line 70W04 is suggested to be under Dioscorea alata L. although its identification has yet to be determined. It possesses similar botanical characteristics of yam cultivar Tainung No. 1, a typical Dioscorea alata L. Both have a growth duration of 8 to 9 months, and belong to the late maturity class of yam. Field studies were conducted to investigate the agronomic and yield performance of these two genotypes along with two other yam lines, 70W03 and 70R01. Experimental results obtained from three consecutive years of cultivation at Taichung area and one year at three different locations indicated that both 70W04 and Tainung No. 1 exhibited high and stable yield potential with average tuber yield over 31 t/ha. The two genotypes also had a much better performance in field survival rate and mean tuber yield per plant as compared to other entries. Cultivation at high altitude showed detrimental effect on the yield performance of yam. The yields of 70W04, 70W03, and Tainung No. 1 at Lona (altitude 800 m) were only 10.9, 10.1, and 10.4t/ha, respectively, whereas 70R01 had a yield of 13.7t/ha. Harvest of line 70W04 at 6, 7, and 8 months after planting resulted in tuber yield of 21.1, 26.8, and 32.7t/ha, respectively. In other words, harvest could be done starting from the 6th month after planting to meet the market demand and the need of a certain rotation system. By cultivating line 70W04 in plastic pipes for 8 months, a yield of 27.6 t/ha was obtained. Although the yield was lower than that from normal cultivation, this method was still strongly recommended because the produced tubers were uniform in shape with high appearance quality. There was no mechanical damage to the tubers during the process of harvest. Yam line 70W04 possesses many superior characteristics such as thin skin, thick flesh with high quality texture, high viscosity, and high contents of protein (13.3%), starch, and many mineral elements. It is suitable for table use, processing and making foods for healthy purposes

(35(1):45-56)Study on the Productivity of Five New Sweet Potato Lines and Their Possibility for Feed Usage

本研究以親近育成之五個甘藷新品系（C70-141、C70-245、C71-92、C71-96及C71-157）與甘藷對照品種臺農57號比較其塊根及澱粉等性狀之生產能力，另藉飼料玉米臺農351號為對照材料，就營養成分及多種酵素之分解速率等觀點以分析比較這五個甘藷新品系供作飼料之可行性。首先在生產能力方面，所有甘藷新品系在每公頃之地下塊根及地上莖葉產量、澱粉產量、酒精生成能力及蛋白質產量四方面都優於對照品種，其平均值各約為甘藷臺農57號之145%、152%、152%及166%。其次在供作飼料之可能性方面，五個新品系除了上述之生產能力甚高的優點外，在營養成分上如粗蛋白質含量、粗脂肪含量及必需胺基酸之組成與濃度等方面都不如玉米臺農351號；在澱粉消化率方面，新甘藷品系之澱粉較玉米臺農351號之澱粉容易被三種澱粉水解酵素（1% α-amylase、1%α+-β-amylase及1% β-amylase）所分解，在弱酸中之分解消化速率則恰好相反；在蛋白質體外消化率或相對消化率方面，玉米臺農351號之蛋白質較甘藷新品系C71-92 及甘藷臺農57號之蛋白質容易於被三種蛋白質複合酵素（trypsin、peptidase及chymotrypsin）所消化分解。 由上述之結果顯示，五個甘藷新品系單位面積之生產能力甚高，而在供作飼料之可行性方面，應與飼料玉米混合後，再添加其他之蛋白質來源及合成胺基酸等，以提高其營養及飼料效果。 This study was conducted with five new sweet potato lines (C70-141, C70-245, C71-92, C71-96 and C71-157) and one variety each of sweet potato (Tainung 57) and corn (Tainung 351) as control group. The productivity of the five new sweet potato lines was in many aspects better than that of the sweet potato variety such as hectare yields of tubers, branches, leaves, starch, ethanol and protein. Compared to the performance of the check variety the means of the five new sweet potato lines had 45% higher tubers branches and leaves yield, 52% higher starch yield, 52% higher ethanol yield, and 66% higher protein yield per hectare. Concerning their possibility as feed usage the five new sweet potato lines amounted better in dry matter content and starch yield. But their crude protein content, crude fat content and the concentrations of all essential amino acids were lower than those of the corn variety, TNG 351. The digestibility of starch of the five new sweet potato lines was higher than that of the corn variety by using three amylase solutions, i. e., 1%α-amylase, l%α-+β-amylase, and l%β-amylase. But the protein digestibility in vitro by testing with three protein enzymes, trypsin chymotrypsin and peptidase, was higher in the corn protein than in the protein of the five new sweet potato lines. The results indicated that all new sweet potato lines had a very high and stable productivity. For the purpose of increasing their nutrition and feeding values the sweet potatoes should be mixed with corn and other ingredients such as protein amino acids and minerals

Activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in leaves of different cultivars of Liriope spicata L. on 10% SDS-PAGE gels

Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in leaf crude extracts of different cultivars (small leaf, SL; big leaf, BL; thin leaf, TL) of Liriope spicata L. were detected on 10% SDS-PAGE gels. All cultivars contained different Cu/Zn SOD isozymes with molecular masses between 30 and 50 kDa, which were identified by inhibitor tests. They also contained different GPx isozymes with molecular masses between 50 and 64 kDa. It was found that SOD isozymes were stable during 40 to 65degreesC treatment; however, no SOD activity could be detected at either 70 or 80degreesC for 5 min. In contrast, all GPx isozymes were stable under 80degreesC for 5 min, and GPx in SL and TL cultivars could resist 80degreesC treatment for 30 min

Evaluation of root quality of Bupleurum species by TLC scanner and the liver protective effects of “Xiao-chai-hu-tang” prepared using three different Bupleurum species

A simple and quick quantitative analysis of saikosaponins a, c and d, the major bioactive principles contained in Bupleurum species, by TLC scanner is described. Results with Bupleurum kaoi, the species native to Taiwan, showed that the roots, rhizomes and aerial parts (leaves and stem) have greater quantities of saikosaponins than cultivated B. falcatum var. komarowi and imported B. chinense. The liver protective effects of water extracts of "Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang" (XCHT), a mixture of seven crude drugs, prepared using roots of the three different Bupleurum species and aerial parts of B. kaoi and B. falcatum var. komarowi, were evaluated using CCl4-induced toxicity in rats. The acute increase of serum transaminase (SGOT and SGPT) levels caused by CCl4 administration (3.0 ml/kg, s.c.) was dramatically reduced when treated with XCHT prepared with the roots of B. kaoi. The histological metamorphoses such as fatty changes, ballooning degeneration, cell necrosis and lymphocyte and Kupffer cell increases around the central vein, were clearly decreased by XCHT prepared with B. kaoi. Furthermore, water extracts of aerial parts of both B. kaoi and cultivated B. falcatum var. komarowi decreased SGOT and SGPT levels and moderately reduced the pathological changes

Studies on the Identification of Chinese Drug Material in Yams (Dioscorea spp.)

The botanical origins of the Chinese drug material in yams were clarified by anatomical studies of the plant materials, twelve cultivarities/species of Dioscorea. These plant materials were TNG1(Dioscorea alata L.), TNG2(D. alata L.), 70W34(D. alata L.), 70W35(D. alata L.), 70W47(D. alata L.), 80W02(D. alata L.), 70R16(D. alata L. var. purpurea (Roxb) M. Pouch), 70W41(D. batatas L.), 70W59(D. batatas L.), 70W43(D. japonica Thumb.var. pseudojaponica (Hay.) Yamamoto), 70W37(D. bulbifera L.). There were some differences found in the cork layer, cortex, scleroid, mucilage cell, raphide, resin canal, starch grain characters and powder color of the underground stems. Therefore, these twelve cultivarities/species can be clearly distinguished from each other. The results are shown in the index table given

Protective effect of water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) extract on the copper-driven fenton reaction and X-ray induced DNA damage in vitro

The rhizome extract of Dioscorea has been shown to possess radical scavenging activity. In this study, the protective effect of water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) rhizome extract on calf thymus DNA and plasmid DNA strand breakage by the copper-driven Fenton reaction and X-irradiation was examined. The protective activity in vitro of four lyophilized extracts obtained from yam rhizomes: (1) aqueous extract (YAE); (2) 30% ethanolic extract (YEE); (3) aqueous extract boiled for 30 min (BYAE); and (4) 30% ethanolic extract boiled for 30 min (BYEE) were evaluated by ethidium bromide binding assay and DNA nicking assay. The YAE, YEE, and BYEE effectively inhibited the copper-driven Fenton reaction-induced damage of calf thymus DNA, while inhibition was less pronounced in the case of X-ray induced strand breakage of plasmid DNA. While BYAE potently inhibited X-ray induced strand breaks in plasmid pGL3 DNA, it failed to inhibit, and even greatly enhanced copper-H2O2 induced damage of calf thymus DNA. The present results demonstrate strong copper chelating and weak hydroxyl radical scavenging activities in yam rhizome extracts, and these activities may vary depending on the procedures used in preparing the extract

Hairy root cultures of Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) makino: a promising approach for the production of gypenosides as an alternative of ginseng saponins

Hairy root cultures of Gynostemma pentaphyllum were established by infecting leaf discs with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The dry biomass of hairy roots grown in MS medium for 49 days was 7.3 g l−1 with a gypenoside content of 38 mg g−1 dry wt

Genetic Identification of Chinese Drug Materials in Yams (Dioscorea spp.) by RAPD Analysis

The botanical origins of Chinese drug materials in yams were examined among eighteen cultivarities/ species of Dioscorea by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). DNA isolated from fresh leaves were used as a template in polymerase chain reactions (PCR) using thirty random decamer primers. Eighteen primers produced 237 polymorphic RAPD markers, which were scored for all the lines studied. Four primers including OPP-04, OPP-15, OPAP-04 and OPAP-10, could distinguish all tested samples. Genetic distances and similarities among eighteen cultivarities/species were calculated, and a cluster analysis was used to generate a dendrogram showing a phylogenetic relationship. The studied Dioscorea species could be divided into five subgroups by phylogenetic analysis. Genetic distance and similarity analysis showed that line 70W37 was distantly related to 70W47, and line 70W41 was closely related to 70W59. RAPD technique could be successfully applied for the rapid identification and differentiation of Dioscorea species

(33(3):236-246)甜高粱生質產量莖汁品質與酒精生成潛力之研究

Cultivation of energy crops under the normal conditions to produce biomass energy is thought to be one of the important ways to develop substitute energy. The present experiment was conducted to detect the biomass yielding capacity, juice physicochemical properties and the alcohol productivity of the selected sweet sorghum line AM-4 , and to evaluate its possible value as an energy crop. The results showed that AM-4 had high biomass yield (44.4-46.1 t/ha), brix value (18.2-23.2) and sucrose content (11-12%), short growth period (four months) and wide adaptability. Results from the fermentation test indicated that alcohol production rate higher than 9% can he obtained through the juice fermentation with either S. cerevisiae or Sf yeast strain at 30℃ within two days. The needed temperature can be easily achieved by the use of the abundant solar radiation in Taiwan. Therefore the input cost can be reduced considerably. 能源作物能在短時問內與常溫常壓下生生不息地吸收儲存太陽能量，是各國在尋求替代能源時的重要研究發展方向之一。本研究將就一優良甜高粱品系 AM-4 之生質生產量，莖汁理化性質及其酒精生成潛力來評估它在本省成為優良能源作物的可能性。 由試驗結果顯示， AM-4 具有下列特點：豐富的生質產量（ 44.4-46.lt/ha ）甚高的錘度（ 18.2-23.2 ）及蔗糖量（ 11.0-12.0%），生育日數不長（ 4 個月），廣大的適應能力，以及其汁液能被直接利用來生產酒精，且由其莖汁酒精醱酵結果得知，至少有兩種酵母菌株（S. cerevisiae及S.f.）能利用 AM-4 汁液在兩天之內生產 9%以上的高酒精率，而所須溫度只 30℃，將由於利用本省無時不有的太陽能而大幅降低其酒精生產費用。由上觀之，AM-4 在本省將成為一優良的酒精生產原料來源

Antioxidant activities of methanolic and hot-water extracts from

1,1-dipheny-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activities of the 80% methanolic leaf extracts of three cultivars (small leaf, SL; big leaf, BL; thin leaf, TL) of Mai-Men-Dong (Liriope spicata L.) are analyzed by spectrophotometry. The concentrations required for 50% inhibition (IC50) of DPPH radicals were 81.08, 96.97, and 53.78 mug/mL, respectively. The methanolic extracts were further partitioned into three n-hexane-, ethylacetate-, and water-soluble fractions, among which the ethylacetate-soluble fraction exhibited the highest DPPH scavenging activity. The IC50 of ethylacetate-soluble fractions of SL, BL, and TL for DPPH radical scavenging activity were 41.55, 24.55, and 53.33 mug/mL, respectively. Each Mai-Men-Dong powder (1 g) was deposited in a tea bag and then dipped in hot water (100degreesC, 100 mL) for 3 min with triplicate samples. These hot-water extracts were then freeze-dried for an anti-DPPH radical capacity test, which found a positive correlation with the phenolic contents of each hot water extract. The IC50 of hot water extracts of SL, BL, and TL for DPPH radical scavenging activities were 378.97, 171.12, and 95.84 mg/mL, respectively. All three hot water extracts can effectively scavenge hydroxyl radical using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry. The IC50 against hydroxyl radical were 80.8, 69.7, and 116 mug/mL, respectively, for the SL, BL, and TL cultivars