Confirming the Genetic Identity of Dendrobium fimbriatum Using an Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS)

Abstract

The quality of herbal medicine is important for ensuring consumers’ safety and efficacy. As a valuable herbal medicine, Dendrobium fimbriatum is adulterated by other Dendrobium species. However, it is extremely hard to identify D. fimbriatum and its adulterants from their morphological and chemical features. In order to establish an effective method, the psbA–trnH intergenic spacer was used to identify D. fimbriatum and its common adulterant. The divergences existed in that sequence could be utilized for the molecular marker of Dendrobium interspecies. Furthermore, two amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) diagnostic primers of D. fimbriatum have been designed based on the psbA–trnH intergenic spacers. PCR amplification of D. fimbriatum with ARMS diagnostic primer LSJB2 was conducted successfully. Thirty dried herb samples labeled as D. fimbriatum were identified by LSJB2. It demonstrated that psbA–trnH region and ARMS were simple and practical ways in herb identification.