Wild ginseng grows in Myanmar.
Ginseng, the underground parts of plants of Panax species, has been used in oriental traditional medicine for centuries. Unfortunately, because of extensive exploitation over thousands of years, the natural source of these species has been almost exhausted. Recently, we have found a wild ginseng growing in Myanmar. Here, by a combination of chemical composition study and gene sequence analysis, we unambiguously demonstrate that the wild ginseng is actually P. zingiberensis, commonly known as ginger ginseng. This ginseng was an indigenous to the southwestern China. However, now it is seriously threatened to brink of extinction and is put on the highest level of protection in China. Therefore, an appropriate protection measure is highly recommended to preserve this valuable resource, since this Myanmar ginseng might turn out to be the last P. zingiberensis, which could ever be seen in the planet.
Tran
Quan Le
QL
Institute of Natural Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University.
Than
Myint Myint
MM
Tezuka
Yasuhiro
Y
Banskota
Arjun H
AH
Kouda
Kyoji
K
Watanabe
Hiroshi
H
Zhu
Shu
S
Komatsu
Katsuko
K
Thet
Maung Maung
MM
Swe
Thein
T
Maruyama
Yukiko
Y
Kadota
Shigetoshi
S
D001483:Base Sequence; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D020459:Genes, rRNA / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002052:Myanmar; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics*; D012503:Saponins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
D018749:RNA, Plant; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D012503:Saponins