Ecological Suitability of Arctium lappa L. and its Suitable Cultivation Regions in China

Dao-Di-Yao-Cai means the Chinese materia medica with highest quality. It is a unique index used for the evaluation of Chinese materia medica in traditional Chinese medicine and is nearly completed after a long-time clinical experience evaluation of practitioners. The fruit of Arctium lappa is a generally-used herbal medicine in TCM for the treatment of flu, diabetes, etc. [1]. Modern research indicated that the lignans from the fruit of A. lappa account for most of the associated activity, especially the compound arctiin, that possesses anti-virus, anti-cancer and anti-diabetes activity by way of its primary metabolite arctigenin [2]. To explore the ecological suitability and appropriate cultivation regions, 34 samples of A.’Lappa, including fruits and its rhizosphere soil, were distributed to four principal cultivation regions for A. lappa in China. The contents of arctii and arctigenin were selected as index markers to measure the pharmacological actions of the fruits of A. lappa and were determined by HPLC. In addition to these markers, the mass of a thousand seed, seed germination rate and energy, were chosen as indicators to evaluate the seed quality. The trace elements in soil and seeds were determined, the pH, total nitrogen and anions, such as Cl⁻, NO₃ ⁻, CO₃ ²⁻, SO₄ ²⁻ etc., in soils and rhizosphere microorganism were also analyzed. In addition the information on ecological factors encompassed longitude, latitude, temperature in January and July, slope orientation, rain volume/year was collected from GISTCM. The mathematic statistic analysis indicated that the heavy metals in soil increased the seed germination rate and the rain volume and temperature in July have a great effect on the content of arctii. In addition a probiotic fungus and a inhibition fungus for the growth of A. lappa were identified from its rhizosphere soil. The suitable cultivation regions of A. lappa in China were divided based on the comparison of ecological suitable factors by TCMGIS system. Acknowledgements: Thanks for the funding of the National Eleventh-five year scientific Supporting plan, China. References: [1] Ju MJ, Dou DQ, Kang TG (2008) Modern Chinese Medicine, Vol. 10(2), p.14–16. [2] Kang TG, Zhang WJ, Tanaka H, Kawamula T, Xu ZH, Yang SS, Zhao ZZ, Tanaka T. (2001) Natural Medicine, Vol. 55(3), p.153.