Journal of Applied Horticulture. 2005: 7(2): 99-104

Gynostemma pentaphyllum cultivation in Sydney, Australia and its comparison with products from China

Razmovski Naumovski, V; Li Qian [Li, Q G]; Duke, C C

Herbal Medicines Research and Education Centre (HMREC), Faculty of Pharmacy, A15, University of Sydney, N.S.W., 2006, Australia.

This paper describes the cultivation, harvesting, processing and storage of G. pentaphyllum in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in comparison to its native China. The dry weight yield of Sydney-grown plants (0.50 kg/m2) was in the range of the yield obtained in China (0.4-0.5 kg/m2). The percentage of extracted material was also higher for the locally grown material (28.5%) in comparison to G. pentaphyllum products grown in China (10.3-18.1%). Thin layer chromatography revealed a different saponin profile for the local material compared with commercially available products, indicating its potential for use in quality control. These results suggest that Australia may be a new growing location for this traditional Chinese medicine.