Shum Ka Chiu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 174-182). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgement --- p.ii / Abstract --- p.iii / 摘要 --- p.vi / Table of content --- p.viii / List of figures --- p.xvi / List of tables --- p.xxii / Abbreviations --- p.xxv / Chapter Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Importance of authentication of Traditional Chinese Medicines --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Confusing nomenclatures --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Similar morphologies of different medicinal materials --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Toxicities of medicinal materials --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.4 --- Conservation of natural products --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- TCM listed in the Pharmacopoeia of People's Republic of China --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Overview of mis-use and intoxication of TCM --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4 --- Ordinances regulating Chinese medicines as natural products --- p.7 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Laws governing Chinese medicine --- p.7 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Laws governing endangered species --- p.8 / Chapter 1.5 --- Current technologies in the authentication of Traditional Chinese Medicines and their limitations --- p.9 / Chapter 1.6 --- Historical applications of Radix Aconiti --- p.12 / Chapter 1.7 --- Modern applications of Radix Aconiti --- p.16 / Chapter 1.8 --- Research on Radix Aconiti and its chemical components --- p.17 / Chapter 1.8.1 --- Chemistry --- p.17 / Chapter 1.8.2 --- Pharmacology --- p.19 / Chapter 1.8.3 --- Molecular interaction --- p.22 / Chapter 1.9 --- Brief review on the systematics and phylogeny of Aconitum --- p.23 / Chapter 1.10 --- Historical applications of Radix Aucklandiae and related materials --- p.25 / Chapter 1.11 --- Modern applications of Radix Aucklandiae and related material --- p.27 / Chapter 1.12 --- Research on Aucklandiae and related material and their chemical components --- p.28 / Chapter 1.12.1 --- Chemistry --- p.28 / Chapter 1.12.2 --- Pharmacology --- p.29 / Chapter 1.13 --- Brief review on the systematics and phylogeny of Aucklandia and related medicinal species --- p.31 / Chapter 1.14 --- Authentication by DNA sequencing --- p.33 / Chapter 1.14.1 --- Introduction --- p.33 / Chapter 1.14.2 --- Criteria of sequence markers --- p.36 / Chapter 1.14.3 --- Model used to process polymorphism in DNA sequences --- p.37 / Chapter 1.15 --- Screening for novel markers --- p.38 / Chapter 1.15.1 --- Reason for screening novel markers --- p.38 / Chapter 1.15.2 --- Basic principle --- p.39 / Chapter 1.16 --- Introduction to gas chromatography- mass spectrometry --- p.40 / Chapter 1.16.1 --- Basic principles and components of GC-MS --- p.41 / Chapter 1.16.2 --- Advantages and limitations of GC-MS --- p.42 / Chapter 1.16.3 --- Usage of GC-MS on natural product analysis --- p.43 / Chapter 1.16.4 --- Chemometric analysis --- p.44 / Chapter 1.17 --- Objectives --- p.46 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Materials and Methods --- p.47 / Chapter 2.1 --- Plant samples --- p.47 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Samples of Aconitum --- p.47 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Samples of Aucklandia and related species --- p.51 / Chapter 2.2 --- DNA extraction method --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Reagents --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Methods --- p.59 / Chapter 2.3 --- Chemical extraction methods --- p.61 / Chapter 2.4 --- Chemical standard extraction and purification method --- p.62 / Chapter 2.5 --- DNA sequencing --- p.63 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Reagents --- p.63 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Methods --- p.65 / Chapter 2.6 --- Genomic subtraction --- p.70 / Chapter 2.7 --- Search for species-specific markers from the subtraction library --- p.74 / Chapter 2.8 --- Gas chromatography- mass spectrometry --- p.74 / Chapter 2.9 --- GC-MS chemometric analysis --- p.75 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- Authentication of Aconitum by DNA Sequencing --- p.76 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.76 / Chapter 3.2 --- Methods --- p.77 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results - 5S spacer --- p.77 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Sequence information --- p.77 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Sequence similarity --- p.78 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Phylogram study --- p.81 / Chapter 3.4 --- Results -psbA-trnH --- p.85 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Sequence information --- p.85 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Sequence similarity --- p.85 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Phylogram study --- p.87 / Chapter 3.5 --- Discussion --- p.91 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Overview of nuclear ribosomal 5S spacer --- p.91 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Extensive polymorphism of 5S spacer --- p.91 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Distribution of samples in the phylograms constructed by 5S spacer --- p.93 / Chapter 3.5.4 --- Utility of 5S spacer for authentication --- p.94 / Chapter 3.5.5 --- Overview of psbA-trnH spacer --- p.94 / Chapter 3.5.6 --- Distribution of samples in the phylograms constructed by psbA-trnH spacer --- p.95 / Chapter 3.5.7 --- A distinctive region of inversion --- p.96 / Chapter 3.5.8 --- Utility of psbA-trnH for authentication --- p.97 / Chapter Chapter 4. --- Screening for Novel Markers for Authentication of Aconitum --- p.98 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.98 / Chapter 4.2 --- Methods --- p.99 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results - subtracted clones --- p.99 / Chapter 4.4 --- Results - SSH6 --- p.104 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Sequence information --- p.104 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Sequence similarity --- p.105 / Chapter 4.5 --- Results-SSH15 --- p.107 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Sequence information --- p.107 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Sequence similarity --- p.107 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- Phylogram study --- p.109 / Chapter 4.6 --- Results-SSH45 --- p.113 / Chapter 4.6.1 --- Sequence information --- p.113 / Chapter 4.6.2 --- Sequence similarity --- p.113 / Chapter 4.6.3 --- Phylogram study --- p.115 / Chapter 4.7 --- Discussion --- p.119 / Chapter 4.7.1 --- Utility of subtraction in screening markers --- p.119 / Chapter 4.7.2 --- SSH6 --- p.121 / Chapter 4.7.3 --- SSH15 --- p.122 / Chapter 4.7.4 --- SSH45 --- p.123 / Chapter 4.7.5 --- Hybridization in Aconitum --- p.124 / Chapter 4.7.6 --- Inferring species identities of samples from the market --- p.126 / Chapter 4.8 --- Conclusion --- p.128 / Chapter Chapter 5. --- Assessment of Aucklandia lappa and Related Species by GC-MS --- p.129 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.129 / Chapter 5.2 --- Methods --- p.130 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results --- p.130 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Extraction of essential oil --- p.130 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- GC-MS analysis --- p.131 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Peak alignment and hierarchical cluster analysis --- p.133 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- Purification of chemical markers from Aucklandia lappa --- p.148 / Chapter 5.3.5 --- Standardization of the purified chemical markers --- p.148 / Chapter 5.3.6 --- Quantitative analysis of chemical markers --- p.152 / Chapter 5.4 --- Discussion --- p.154 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Analysis of chemical composition --- p.154 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- A comparison on chemometric methods --- p.154 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- Similarity of chemical profiles --- p.156 / Chapter 5.4.4 --- Dendrogram analysis --- p.157 / Chapter 5.4.5 --- Utility of GC-MS in authentication of A. lappa and related species --- p.159 / Chapter 5.4.6 --- Limitations --- p.159 / Chapter 5.4.7 --- Comparison with molecular data --- p.161 / Chapter 5.4.8 --- Contents of dehydrocostuslactone and costunolide --- p.163 / Chapter 5.4.9 --- Locality study --- p.164 / Chapter 5.5 --- Conclusion --- p.165 / Chapter Chapter 6. --- General Discussion --- p.167 / Chapter 6.1 --- DNA sequencing --- p.168 / Chapter 6.2 --- Genomic subtraction --- p.169 / Chapter 6.3 --- Future work on molecular authentication --- p.170 / Chapter 6.4 --- Future work on authentication of Aconitum --- p.170 / Chapter 6.5 --- Gas chromatography- mass spectrometry --- p.171 / Chapter 6.6 --- Future work on authentication by GC-MS --- p.172 / Chapter 6.7 --- Future work on authentication of Aucklandia lappa and related species … --- p.173 / References --- p.174 / Appendix A. Sequence Alignment of 5S Spacer from Aconitum Species --- p.183 / Appendix B. Sequence Alignment of psbA- trnH Spacer from Aconitum Species --- p.188 / Appendix C. Sequences of Subtracted Clones from Aconitum --- p.191 / Appendix D. Sequence Alignment of SSH6 from Aconitum Species --- p.194 / Appendix E. Sequence Alignment of SSH15 from Aconitum Species --- p.195 / Appendix F. Sequence Alignment of SSH45 from Aconitum Species --- p.200 / Appendix G. Gas Chromatograms of Essential Oil Extracts of Aucklandia lappa and Related Species --- p.202

No presente trabalho duas metodologias da área de inteligência artificial (Redes Neurais e Algoritmos Genéticos) foram utilizadas para realizar um estudo Quimiossistemático da família Asteraceae. A família Asteraceae é uma das maiores famílias entre as Angiospermas, conta com aproximadamente 24.000 espécies. As espécies da família produzem grande diversidade de metabólitos secundários, entre os quais merecem destaque os terpenóides, poliacetilenos, flavonóides e cumarinas. Para um melhor entendimento da diversidade química da família construiu-se um Banco de Dados com as ocorrências de doze classes de metabólitos (monoterpenos, sesquiterpenos, sesquiterpenos lactonizados, diterpenos, triterpenos, cumarinas, flavonóides, poliacetilenos, benzofuranos, benzopiranos, acetofenonas e fenilpropanóides) produzidos pelas espécies da família. A partir desse banco três diferentes estudos foram realizados. No primeiro estudo, utilizando os mapas auto-organizáveis de Kohonen e o banco de dados químico classificado segundo duas das mais recentes filogenias da família foi possível realizar com sucesso separações de tribos e gêneros da família Asteraceae. Também foi possível indicar que a informação química concorda mais com a filogenia de Funk (Funk et al. 2009) do que com a filogenia de Bremer (Bremer 1994, 1996). No estudo seguinte, onde se objetivou a criação de modelos de previsão dos números de ocorrências das doze classes de metabólitos, utilizando o perceptron de múltiplas camadas com algoritmo de retropropagação de erro, o resultado foi insatisfatório. Apesar de em algumas classes de metabólitos a fase de treino da rede apresentar resultados satisfatórios, a fase de teste mostrou que os modelos criados não são capazes de realizar previsão para dados aos quais eles não foram submetidos na fase de treino, e portanto não são modelos adequados para realizar previsões. Finalmente, o terceiro estudo consistiu na criação de modelos de regressão linear utilizando como método de seleção de variáveis os algoritmos genéticos. Nesse estudo foi possível indicar que os monoterpenos e os sesquiterpenos são bastante relacionados biossinteticamente, também foi possível indicar que existem relações biossintéticas entre monoterpenos e diterpenos e entre sesquiterpenos e triterpenos / In this study two methods of artificial intelligence (neural network and genetic algorithms) were used to work out a Chemosystematic study of the Asteraceae family. The family Asteraceae is one of the largest families among the Angiosperms, having about 24,000 species. The species of the family produce a large diversity of secondary metabolites, and some worth mentioning are the terpenoids, polyacetylenes, flavonoids and coumarins. For a better understanding of the chemical diversity of the family a database was built up with the occurrences of twelve classes of metabolites (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, lactonizadossesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, coumarins, flavonoids, polyacetylenes, Benzofurans, benzopyrans, acetophenones and phenylpropanoids) produced by species of the family. From this database three different studies were conducted. In the first study, using the Kohonen self-organized map and the chemical data classified according to two of the most recent phylogenies of the family, it was possible to successfully separatethe tribes and genera of the Asteraceae family. It was also possible to indicate that the chemical information agrees with the phylogeny of Funk (Funk et al. 2009) than with the phylogeny of Bremer (Bremer 1994, 1996). In the next study, which aims at creating models to predict the number of occurrences of the twelve classes of metabolites using multi-layer perceptron with backpropagation algorithm error, the result was found unsatisfactory. Although in some classes of metabolites the training phase of the network has satisfactory results, the test phase showed that the models created are not able to make prevision for data to which they were submitted in the training phase and thus are not suitable models for predictions. Finally, the third study was the creation of linear regression models using a genetic algorithm method of variable selection. This study could indicate that the monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes are closely related biosynthetically, and was also possible to indicate that there are biosynthetic relations between monoterpenes and diterpenes and between sesquiterpenes and triterpenes

Interference of natural environment by invasive plants is a global concern. In South Africa and in particular Gauteng Province, interference of natural land by invasive plants that originated from other countries has been an endemic problem. These invasive plants pose a threat to biodiversity as a result of its wild and wide dispersion rate where it spreads into neighbouring Provinces such as Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and the Free State. Pompom weed is aggressive to control and can spread by means of both wind and water. This research project investigates problems associated with ineffective control of invasive plants in general and pompom weed in particular. State organs, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and farming communities were identified as relevant respondents in this study. Three hundred (300) validated questionnaires were distributed to these stakeholders and 286 were adequately completed and received. These were analysed and the data interpreted. Results obtained showed that lack of coordination and teamwork from all stakeholders are responsible for ineffective control of invasive plants in the country. The use of biological control was recommended for the control and eradication of the invasive plants. / Environmental Sciences / M.A. (Environmental Management)

Interference of natural environment by invasive plants is a global concern. In South Africa and in particular Gauteng Province, interference of natural land by invasive plants that originated from other countries has been an endemic problem. These invasive plants pose a threat to biodiversity as a result of its wild and wide dispersion rate where it spreads into neighbouring Provinces such as Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and the Free State. Pompom weed is aggressive to control and can spread by means of both wind and water. This research project investigates problems associated with ineffective control of invasive plants in general and pompom weed in particular. State organs, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and farming communities were identified as relevant respondents in this study. Three hundred (300) validated questionnaires were distributed to these stakeholders and 286 were adequately completed and received. These were analysed and the data interpreted. Results obtained showed that lack of coordination and teamwork from all stakeholders are responsible for ineffective control of invasive plants in the country. The use of biological control was recommended for the control and eradication of the invasive plants. / Environmental Sciences / M.A. (Environmental Management)

Oldenburgia grandis is a rare, long-lived woody paleoendemic of the Fynbos Biome of South Africa. Confined to quartzite outcrops, it has a small geographic range and narrow habitat specificity. O. grandis responds to its fire-prone environment by resprouting. Elasticity analysis of O. grandis reveals that growth and fecundity were traded off for persistence of adult, mature and sapling stages. Morphological adaptations such as a corky fire-resistant bark and the ability to resprout after fire are traits that O. grandis have evolved to persist in a frequently disturbed environment. Population growth rate for sites undisturbed by fire for a number of years (l = 1.01) and sites at various stages of recovery after fire (l = 1.00) were very similar. The highest variation in transition probabilities for all sites was seen in the persistence of the seedling stage and growth from seedling to sapling. Observed population structure and stable stage distribution determined by the matrix model show that sites recently undisturbed by fire had high abundances of the adult and sapling stages. A peak in sapling stages was seen for the stable stage distribution where similar peak in sapling numbers were seen for population structures of sites at various stages of recoveryafter fire. Favourable environmental conditions for the persistence of O. grandis populations include no fire with transition probabilities between the observed minimum and maximum and fire frequency at a 10 year interval where seedling protection from the fire is high and adult and mature mortalities during the fire are low. Stochastic environmental events that could put populations (particularly small populations) at an increased risk of extinction include high to moderate fire intensities where seedling protection from the fire is low and adult and mature mortalities are high as a result of the fire.

This study focuses on the use of the Athrixia phylicoides plant in Tshwane, Gauteng, South Africa. The plant is used within the domestic domain as a beverage, for medicinal purposes, as well as for the manufacturing of domestic brooms. The aim of the study was to investigate the use and market of Athrixia phylicoides in two of the Tshwane markets, namely; Denneboom and Marabastad. Case study design, participant observation and interviews were employed to collect data. A literature review was conducted to construct a theoretical framework. The study reveals that traditional healers, broom makers and customers have a remarkable knowledge about Athrixia phylicoides, which has been untapped thus far. In addition, the study indicates that possible extinction of the Athrixia phylicoides plant, due to over-harvesting and lack of conservation, will pose a challenge to the market. / Anthropology / M.A. (Anthropology)