Mesona chinensis Benth. (grass jelly) belongs to Lamiaceae. Grass jelly is cultivated in many places in Vietnam, and it is used in desserts and drinks (beans) during summer. In Vietnam, especially at Lang Son, grass jelly has been cultivated and exported amounting to 12,000 tons per year. However, there are no official regulations that control qualitative standards for grass jelly material in the country. Thus dried jelly grass is sold at reduced prices in Vietnam. Content of extract is one of the most important standards for quality of dried grass jelly. We studied the relationship between content of extract and active ingredients in order to enhance market value of dried jelly grass from Vietnam. The result of experiments has been shown that formula of fertilizer and period of crop affect the content of extract in grass jelly material. The first month of spring is the best time for cultivation.
Luu Dam Ngoc Anh, Truong Anh Thu, Bui Van Thanh, Ha Tuan Anh, Nguyen Thi Huong Thao
IEBR - VAST
Luu Dam Cu
Vietnam Natural Museum - VAST
(Proceedings of 3rd National Scientific Conference on Ecology and Biological Resources, Hanoi 22th October 2009 - IEBR)