Application of Genetic Resources for the Molecular Identification of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Materials

Abstract

With the rapid development of molecular biotechnology, DNA sequences of a large number of medicinal plants and animals have been published in recent years. The development of DNA barcodes of medicinal species has been one of the major focuses in this field. These public genetic resources have provided a valuable foundation for the development of novel molecular techniques for the identification of traditional Chinese medicines. In 2010, we established the first Medicinal Materials DNA Barcode Database (MMDBD) in the world which contains over 1,600 medicinal and related species recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China and the Pharmacopoeia of the United States. We have also established standard DNA barcodes for the identification of medicinal species used in the Chinese 'cooling' beverage (Liangcha) and differentiation of easily confused herbs retailed in the market. With the use of forensically informative nucleotide sequencing (FINS), the identity of unknown herbal samples can be properly identified. In addition, specific primers based on the polymorphic sites can be used in the development of novel isothermal amplification techniques for rapid molecular identification. These primers may be patented and developed into commercial identification kits.