Kudzu vine

Pachyrhizus thunbergianus Sieb. et Zucc. Ge Gen (Kudzu vine) See Pueraria thunbergiana ... 

Techniques of Purification. The purification techniques have included column and batch adsorption, extraction, dialysis, and column and paper chromatography. Liberal use was made of the fact that the gibberellate anion is not soluble in ethyl acetate, whereas the free acid is soluble, and that charcoal will adsorb GA3 from aqueous solutions but release it with acetone (26). As a rough rule, preliminary concentration by a factor of about 105 was necessary before significant use of paper chromatography could be made. For kudzu vine and pinto bean, a known amount of GA3 was added to an aliquot of the plant extract and taken through the same procedure as the initial extract. These controls are subsequently referred to as "spiked extracts, to differentiate them from the initial or "natural extract. 

Kudzu Vine. Extraction. A 1000-gram sample was macerated in a Waring Blendor with 2 liter of water adjusted to pH 3.5 with hydrochloric acid, followed by addition of 2 liters of ethyl acetate. After steeping overnight, the entire filtered solution was concentrated to near dryness by vacuum evaporation below 40° C. and stored under refrigeration until used. Different samples were used for the two experiments. 

Figure 2. Column partition chromatography of kudzu vine extract followed hy paper chromatography of eluent fractions...

The results in Table I show that, in the presence of plant material, the standard GA3 is spread over a considerably wider range than is usual. However, after the sample is further purified by the second run, the mobility of GA3 returns to normal. The same pattern of distribution, with zone III as maximum, is manifest in the natural run, although at considerably lower fluorescent intensities. For both fractions, the presence of GA3 is confirmed by the capryl system. A portion of zone III of the natural extract gave positive response proportional to concentration in the pinto bean seedling assay and in the dwarf maize mutants I and V assay. The relative activity on both mutants was approximately equal, as is required for GA3 (26). The correlation of relatively specific biological growth activity with chromatographic and chemical behavior affirms the presence of a GA3-like substance in kudzu vine. 

Table I. Chromatography of Purified Kudzu Vine Extract...

Alfalfa, Lima Bean, Dandelion, and Sweet Corn Kernels. Extraction. Two hundred-gram samples were treated like kudzu vine, except for an additional ethyl acetate wash after overnight steeping. The combined filtrates were evaporated to about 3 ml., and stored in a refrigerator for several months. The slurries were then vacuum-dried and extracted with aqueous pH 7 phosphate buffer. 

Kudzu vine Pinto bean Alfalfa Sweet com Dandelion Lima bean... 

One exception, however, is the kudzu vine (Puer-aria lobata), native to Japan and introduced to the southeastern United States as a forage plant and for use in controlling erosion. This species is considered to be a serious, invasive weed in some places. Control methods for the kudzu include the use of herbicides and the excavation of its large, underground, roots. 

On the other hand, numerous examples have shown that introduction of organisms to new environments can have far reaching effects. Certain attempts at biological control of pests and accidental releases or importation are cited frequently as examples of the potential disasters that await any environmental releases of products of modern biotechnology. It is interesting to note when some of these events occurred the mongoose was imported from Calcutta to Jamaica in 1872 to control rats in sugar cane fields Kudzu vine was introduced to the southern U.S. to control erosion in... 

Isoflavones are found in soybeans, red clover, and the root of the kudzu vine Pueraria lobata, used for thousands of years in Chinese... 

Kudzu vine root is one of the most important Chinese medical herbs. Ko Ken Tang (Pueraria Combination) is used to treat greater and sunlight Yang... 

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