Variation of biomolecules in plant species

The variation of biomolecules from both primary and secondary metabolism is surveyed in plants including Moringa oleifera, Duboisia species, Cannabis sativa, Ficus racemosa, and species from Amaryllidaceae. The variation of primary and secondary metabolites may be caused by the difference in (1) between the species, (2) within a species, (3) growing locations and the environment, (4) processing and storage conditions, and (5) other factors including plant ages and parts and analytical methods. The variation is identified and quantified by a combination of spectrophotometry, spectroscopic techniques, mass spectrometry, chromatography, immunoassays, real-time polymerase chain reaction, electrophoresis, DNA and protein sequencing, gene ontology and bioinformatics tools. Variations in four major types of the primary metabolites (DNAs, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids) and the secondary metabolites (alkaloids, terpenes, phenolics, and glycosides) are discussed in detail. It is clear that the current technologies of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and network analysis should be applied to exploit the variation in DNAs, proteins and secondary metabolites so superior plant species can be bred with better yield and targeted production of useful secondary metabolites for herbal healthcare. On the other hand, the variation of the complex herbal material and products is a challenge for quality control, standardization and regulation.