ABSTRACT
A 420-bp RAPD fragment from Panax quinquefolius was converted to a sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker. The main difference between the SCAR of P. quinquefolius and its homolog in P. ginseng is the presence of a 25 bp insertion in the latter. Primers derived from this sequence were successfully used to authenticate six Panax species and two common adulterants.
Subject(s)
Panax/genetics , Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique/methods , Base Sequence , DNA Primers , DNA, Plant , Drug Contamination , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Molecular Sequence Data , Panax/classification , Plant Roots , Sequence AlignmentABSTRACT
DNA fingerprints distinctive among the samples from different localities in China were successfully reproduced for the Chinese herb Dangshen, the roots of CODONOPSIS PILOSULA, (Campanulaceae). Similarity index (S.I.) analysis revealed that C. PILOSULA samples from the same province generated similar DNA fingerprints, while samples of different provinces displayed different DNA fingerprints. This method may be a general and valuable tool for locality authentication of other Chinese herbal medicinal materials.
