Abstract: Method for relieving cough using an effective antitussive chemical compound belonging to stemoamide or tuberostemospironine and method for manufacturing pharmaceutical compositions for treating or relieving cough in human and animal subjects which including a stemoamide or tuberostemospironine compound. In addition, the antitussive property of the compounds provides a method for assessing the quality of herbs traditionally used in treating cough by analyzing the content of the effective chemical ingredient, i.e., compounds of stemoamide type and/or tuterostemospironine type. It further provides a method for identifying medicinal herbs which may be used for relieving cough by phytochemical determination of the existence of compounds that are of stemoamide or tuterostemospironine type.

Abstract: A method for authenticating herbs or plants based on sequences in trnL and/or 5S rRNA coding region. Using this method, the sequences from samples to be authenticated and samples of known identity herbs or plants are compared based on similarity percentage calculation. The authentication may also be based on phylogenetic trees or parsimonious trees generated based on DNA sequence analyses.

Abstract: The present invention provides plant extracts, isolated alkaloids, synthetic alkaloids and compositions having antitussive activity. In some preferred embodiments, the plant extracts and the isolated alkaloids are from a plant of a genus in the family Stemonaceae. In other preferred embodiments, the plant extracts and the isolated alkaloids are from a plant of the genus Stemona, Croomia, or Stichoneuron. In especially preferred embodiments, the plant extracts and the isolated alkaloids are from the plant Stemona tuberosa. The present invention further provides methods for isolating such plant extracts and alkaloids. In addition, the present invention provides methods for reducing or suppressing coughing by administering plant extracts, alkaloids and compositions having antitussive activity.

Abstract: This invention provides a procedure for authentication of plant and animal materials used as traditional Chinese medicine is described. This method amplifies and detects the discrete and species-specific RFLP patterns in the region of rDNA. The present invention offers a reliable and definite way to identify morphologically similar Chinese medicine, using a minute amount of biological samples. Its application in the authentication of American and Oriental ginsengs is illustrated in detail.