A Rapid SNP-based Identification Method for Distinguishing the Three Origins of Fructus Amomi / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

ABSTRACT

Medicinal plants of the Fructus Amomi containing three species (A momum villosum, A momum longiligu-lare, Amomum villosum var. xanthioides)are well-known, which are widely used as traditional medicines. The mor-phological characteristics of the three origins are very similar, especially in the form of seed. In this study, 60 sam-ples of Fructus Amomi were co llected, and 34 sequences of the Fructus Amomi and their adulterants from GenBank were analyzed. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. All the ITS2 sequences here (including our ex-periments and GenBank data)were examined for SNPs at the interspecies level. Results from the study revealed that two stable bases at position 135 bp and 199 bp were found, which could be used as a unique marker to distinguish the three origins of Fructus Amomi. The two SNPs in the ITS2 were found to exist stably between the three species, and all the GenBank sequences of the Fructus Amomi. Our findings indicated that SNP-based DNA barcoding could be used as an efficient method for the rapid and accurate identification of the three origins of Fructus Amomi.