Identification of medicinal plants used as Tibetan Traditional Medicine Jie-Ji

Aim of the study: Based on the authors' collection of specimens used as Jie-Ji in local Tibetan areas, China, and taxonomic determination, this paper aims to give a list of medicinal plants as Jie-Ji, formally identify the ones recognized as Jie-Ji Ga-Bao or Jie-Ji Na-Bao and to offer basic data for further studies on these Tibetan herbs. Materials and methods: Local herbalists were visited in Tibetan areas, China to observe which plants were being used as Jie-Ji. Samples of the indigenous plants were collected at the same time. Also, the medicinal plants as Jie-Ji were taxonomically identified. Results: A list of medicinal plants including 10 species of Jie-Ji in local Tibetan areas is given, including their morphological pictures used for identification. Conclusions: The origin of Jie-Ji is from 10 species of the Section Cruciata, Genus Gentiana (Gentianaceae). five species with dark blue flowers are used as Jie-Ji Na-Bao, the other five with white flowers are used as Jie-Ji Ga-Bao. Also. Gentiana macrophylla Pall. with dark blue flowers in the Section Cruciata, Genus Gentiana is not the original plant of Jie-Ji Na-Bao. The species endemic to the province are used as the original plants of Jie-Ji only in local Tibetan area of the province. Finally, the drug use of Jie-Ji in Traditional Tibetan Medicine is reasonable and it is efficacious. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.