Chaenomeles Speciosa) in the Naxi and Tibetan Highlands of NW Yunnan, China
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Cultural and Ecosystem Services of Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) in the Naxi and Tibetan Highlands of NW Yunnan, China. Authors: Lixin Yang, Selena Ahmed, John Richard Stepp, Yanqinag Zhao, Ma Jun Zeng, Shengji Pei, Dayuan Xue, and Gang Xu The final publication is available at Springer via https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12231-015-9318-7. Yang, Lixin, Selena Ahmed, John Richard Stepp, Yanqinag Zhao, Ma Jun Zeng, Shengji Pei, Dayuan Xue, and Gang Xu. “Cultural Uses, Ecosystem Services, and Nutrient Profile of Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles Speciosa) in the Highlands of Western Yunnan, China.” Economic Botany 69, no. 3 (September 2015): 273–283. doi:10.1007/s12231-015-9318-7. Made available through Montana State University’s ScholarWorks scholarworks.montana.edu Cultural Uses, Ecosystem Services, and Nutrient Profile Chaenomeles speciosa of Flowering Quince ( ) in the Highlands 1 of Western Yunnan, China 2,3 3,4 ,3,5 6 LIXIN YANG ,SELENA AHMED ,JOHN RICHARD STEPP* ,YANQINAG ZHAO , 7 2 ,3 2 MA JUN ZENG ,SHENGJI PEI ,DAYUAN XUE* , AND GANG XU 2State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institutes of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China 3College of Life and Environmental Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China 4Department of Health and Human Development, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA 5Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA 6College of Forestry and Vocational Technology in Yunnan, Kunming, China 7Southwest Forestry University, Bailongshi, Kunming, China *Corresponding author; e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Introduction ample light but is tolerant of partial shade. Flowering quince is a fast–growing species that is Naxi, Tibetan, Bai, Yi, and Han communities in quick to establish itself with a thriving root system the Hengduan Mountain region of China’swestern and long life. This species is easy to cultivate given Yunnan have an extensive history of cultivating its disease and drought tolerant status. The thorny flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa [Sweet] branches of flowering quince make it suitable as a Nakai; Rosaceae; Fig. 1). Flowering quince is culti- green fence to protect home gardens and cropping vated and utilized by communities for food, medi- fields, prevent soil erosion, and reduce wind dam- cine, and as a windbreak barrier and soil protector at age. In addition, this hardy species does not require the edges of their fields and gardens (Gao et al. irrigation and agro–chemical input. The genus 2011). The Hengduan Mountains are characterized Chaenomeles consists of five species that originated by limited fertile land and cultivated fields that have in Southeast Asia and currently are found in China, relatively low productivity. Socio–linguistic groups three of which are endemic: C. speciosa, C. thibetica, living in the area for hundreds of years have devel- and C. sinensis (He et al. 2015). Of these oped ecological knowledge regarding suitable plants Chaenomeles species, C. speciosa has the greatest to cultivate in order to support community abundance in Yunnan and is the most utilized for wellbeing in this extreme habitat. This study pre- its medicinal and edible fruit. sents an ethnobotanical profile of flowering quince Flowering quince bears apple–like fruit that are and seeks to understand the cultural and ecosystem 5–6 cm long and yellow–green in color. The fruit services it provides to communities in the are hard with thick flesh, a strong aroma, and an Hengduan Mountain region. The main objective astringent taste. Each fruit weighs approximately of this study is to understand the rationale for its 0.5–1.5 kilograms. This species bears mature fruit traditional cultivation and to explore the potential in the autumn and winter three years after planting commercial value of flowering quince. seeds; it enters its full bearing period after four to Flowering quince is a deciduous multi–stemmed five years with its highest fruit yields after eight years shrub 1.5 – 3.0 m tall with spiny branches and a of planting. Each plant can produce 35–65 kilo- perennial rootstock (Lu et al. 2003). It is adapted to grams of fruit per year. Four kilograms of fresh fruit a wide range of ecological conditions including can be dried to one kilogram. The fruit can be adverse dry and cold montane terrain with soils stored at room temperature for one to two months limited in nutrients. This species is mainly distrib- after harvest. uted in dry mountain areas in temperate and sub- The fruit of flowering quince has a long history of tropical areas and grows best in environments with medicinal use in the ethnopharmacopeia of Fig. 1. Botanical drawing of flowering quince. (1) and (2) flowering quince branches, (3) fruit of flowering quince, (4) cross-section of the flower of flowering quince and, (5) cross-section of the fruit of flowering quince China’ssocio–linguistic groups as well as in referred to as the Bfruit for healthcare for longevity.^ Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is locally Flowering quince was first recorded in the Chinese medical volume Ming Yi Bie Lu (Supplementary preservation into jams and other preserves (Yu et al. Records of Famous Herbalists) approximately 2000), vinegar making (Zhou et al. 2005), drying 1,800 years ago with a description of its processing (Bao 2000), and wine and other liqueur making and preparation including eating the fruit raw with (Liu and Pan 1999). The high pectin content of the honey, steamed, or pan–fried with honey and ginger fruit makes it particularly suitable for processing (Peng et al. 2009). The medicinal functions of into jam. The edible function of flowering quince flowering quince are further mentioned in the an- was affirmed by the Chinese Ministry of Health in cient Chinese medical books BEdible Herb,^ 1996 and has been recommended by Chinese nu- BFamous Medicinal Technology,^ and BQian Jin tritionists on their top 10 nutritional food lists Prescription^ (Xiang et al. 2002). This species is (Tang et al. 2000). The chemical constituents of used for a wide range of health conditions in TCM flowering quince fruit are organic acids, amino including for hyperosteogeny (Zhang 2002), sciati- acids, protein, carbohydrates, flavones, saponins, ca (Yang 2009), cervical spondylopathy (Yang et al. tannins, micronutrients, and vitamins (Long et al. 2008), vertigo induced by cerebral arteriosclerosis 2005;Wuetal.1996; Zhang et al. 2011). (Wang 2002), eyelid beating symptom (Tang Flowering quince is further valued for its orna- 2011), tinea pedis (Jiang and Liu 1996), diabetes mental flowers that are typically red with some foot and ulcers (Zhu 2010), ascites due to liver cultivars ranging from pink to white. Each flower cirrhosis (Ma et al. 2007), and liver function and is 4.0 cm in diameter. The showy flowers have rheumatism (Lu et al. 2007). Pharmacological stud- promoted its cultivation as an ornamental around ies have found the fruit of flowering quince to have the world, including throughout the eastern United antioxidant activity (Song et al. 2007), antidiarrheal States, where it grows in USDA Zones 4–9. activity (Chen et al. 2007), anti–inflammatory and Research is needed to identify opportunities antiarthritic activity (Chen and Wei 2003), immu- where traditional agro–ecological knowledge can nomodulatory activity (Zheng et al. 2004), inform modern intensive agriculture. This latter antiparkinsonian activity (Zhao et al. 2008), and a mode of agriculture is particularly unsustainable in broad range of antimicrobial activity (Xie et al. the poor soil of the Hengduan Mountains where 2007). high inputs are necessary for productivity. In many The main pharmacodynamic constituents of cases, the promotion of intensive agriculture has flowering quince have been identified as oleanolic served to restrict development of local socio–linguis- acid, ursolic acid, glycosides, and polysaccharose tic groups in the region because of the high eco- (Yin et al. 2006). Oleanolic and ursolic acid both nomic investment in agro–chemicals and farming have a variety of biological activities, including he- practices that are misaligned with traditional values. patoprotective (Jeong 1999; Xiong et al. 2004), Research is needed to identify traditional crops that antiparkinsonian (Zhao et al. 2008), immune en- can be promoted in the region that are ecologically hancement (Raphael and Kuttan 2003), antitumor sustainable and have cultural and economic values (Hsu et al. 1997; Huang et al. 2006), and antioxi- for local communities as well as potential new uses. dative (Ismaili et al. 2004; Sheng et al. 2009). In This study focuses on examining the commercial addition, oleanolic acid has anti–platelet aggrega- potential of flowering quince as a health food and tion activities that can be used for hypoglycemic bioenergy source through an ethnobotanical survey and hypolipidemic conditions (Tang et al. 2000). consisting of household interviews and a Glycosides from this species have an analgesic effect phytonutrient investigation. Findings from this (Wang et al. 2005) and have been shown to remit study have the potential to contribute to the sus- adjuvant–induced arthritis in mice (Dai et al. 2003) tainable use and expanded economic potential of and prevent collagenic arthritis (Zhang et al. 2004). flowering quince for community development in Polysaccharose from this species activates the Hengduan Mountain region. immunocells that improve the body’simmune function (Liu and Liu 2008).