A rapid selection system was used to screen Glycyrrhiza uralensis plants containing high concentrations of glycyrrhizin (GC) by Eastern blotting using anti-GC monoclonal antibody (MAb). Chromatographic fingerprinting by Eastern blotting correlated with the GC concentration analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The roots of wild G. uralensis growing in Mongolia were analyzed by Eastern blotting to identify plants containing high concentrations of GC, and the GC concentration was confirmed by ELISA. G. uralensis plants cultivated in the greenhouse were also analyzed in the same manner. GC concentrations in wild G. uralensis roots and cultivated plants varied widely: between 0.06 and 9.36 percent dry weight (dw%). To confirm the homogeneity of GC concentrations in the cultivated plants, we monitored GC concentrations in the plants over 2 years. Although GC concentrations changed in two plants, they remained comparatively constant in the other five plants, suggesting that GC concentrations are genetically determined. To identify high GC-producing plants, 1025 plants were analyzed, and the highest concentration of GC was 5.36 dw%.

Cistanche deserticola is an important medicinal plant in Mongolia. Despite its significant role in local healing systems, little traditional knowledge had been reported. The present study investigated folk names of C. deserticola and other species of the same community in Umnugobi Province, South Gobi region of Mongolia, based on ethnobotanical approaches. The high correspondence between folk names and scientific names of plant species occurring in Cistanche -associated community shows the scientific meaning of folk nomenclature and classification in Mongolia. The Mongolian and folk names of plants were formed on the basis of observations and understanding of wild plants including their morphology, phenology and traditional uses as well. Results from this study will support the conservation of C. deserticola itself, a rare and endangered plant species listed in the Monglian Red Data Book. Our documentation of folk nomenclature based on 96 plant species in the Cistanche community, as a part of traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity, will be very helpful for making strategy of plant biodiversity conservation in Mongolia.