Suchergebnisse

Ophiocordyceps sinensis is one rare medicinal fungus produced in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Its quality and price varies hugely with different habitat, and its numerous substitutes have sprung up in functional food markets. This paper aims to discriminate the geographic origin of wild O. sinensis and its substitutes via element analyzer–isotope ratio mass spectrometry and gas chromatography–isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The δ13C values of major fatty acids in the lipids of O. sinensis are characterized unanimously by the variation relation C18:0 < C18:2 ≈ C16:0 < C18:1, while their fluctuation intervals are notably different between those of neutral and polar lipids. The comparative analysis of the δ13C ratios of major fatty acids in lipids of O. sinensis suggests that the δ13C patterns may be sensitive potential indicators to discriminate its geographical origin. The δ13C values of individual major fatty acids of lipids from the cultivated stromata of Cordyceps militaris (SCM), the fermented mycelia of Hirsurella sinensis (FMH) and Paecilomyces epiali (FMP) range from −31.2‰ to −29.7‰, −16.9‰ to −14.3‰, and −26.5‰ to −23.9‰, respectively. Their δ13C pattern of individual major fatty acids may be used as a potential indicator to discriminate the products of natural O. sinensis and its substitutes.

Ophiocordyceps sinensis has been utilized in China and adjacent countries for thousands of years as a rare functional food to promote health and treat diverse chronic diseases. In recent years, adulterants are usually identified in the processed products of wild O. sinensis. However, the effective adulteration examination has to be additionally performed except their routine test, and accordingly is time- and money-consuming. Recently, arsenic determination has become a necessary test for confirming whether the concentrations of inorganic arsenic are over the O. sinensis limit. In this work, the contents of total arsenic and As species in cultivated O. sinensis, Cordyceps militaris, and other edible fungi were determined by ICP-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS. The results suggest that the As speciation exhibits a species-specific behavior, and accompanies the effect of the As background. The proportions of unknown organic As and contents of total As may be considered as sensitive markers for discriminating wild O. sinensis. This result provides a novel clue for discriminating wild and artificially cultivated mushrooms/their products, with emphasis on arsenic markers for authenticating wild O. sinensis.

Abstract Background Genetic diseases represent a significant public health challenge in China that will need to be addressed by a correspondingly large number of professional genetic counselors. However, neither an official training program for genetic counseling, nor formal board certification, was available in China before 2015. In 2009, a genetic counseling training program based on role-playing was implemented as a pilot study at the Third Military Medical University to train third-year medical students. Methods Questionnaires on participant attitudes to the program and role-playing were randomly administered to 324 students after they had finished their training. Pre- and post-training instructional tests, focusing on 42 key components of genetic counseling, were administered randomly to 200 participants to assess mastery of each component. Finally, scores in final examinations of 578 participants from 2009 to 2011 were compared to scores obtained by 614 non-participating students from 2006 to 2008 to further assess program efficacy. Results Both the training program and the instructional strategy of role-playing were accepted by most participants. Students believed that role-playing improved their practice of genetic counseling and medical genetics, enhanced their communication skills, and would likely contribute to future professional performance. The average understanding of 40 of the key points in genetic counseling was significantly improved, and most students approached excellent levels of mastery. Scores in final examinations and the percentages of students scoring above 90 were also significantly elevated. Conclusions Role-playing is a feasible and effective instructional strategy for training genetic counselors in China as well as in other developing countries.