Abstract
Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix (LReR), an important Chinese medicine known as “Gao-ben,” refers to Ligusticum sinense Oliv. or Ligusticum jeholense Nakai et Kitag. However, a number of other species are commonly sold as “Gao-ben” in the herbal medicine market, which may result in a series of quality control problems and inconsistent therapeutic effects. The “Gao-ben” is commonly sold sliced and dried, making traditional identification methods difficult. Here, the mini barcode ITS2 region was examined on 68 samples representing LReR and 7 potential adulterant or substitute species. The results showed 100% success rates of PCR and sequencing and the existence of a barcoding gap. The neighbor-joining (NJ) tree indicated that all the tested samples could be exactly identified. The ITS2 secondary structure revealed a clear difference between true “Gao-ben” and three adulterant species. We therefore recommend the use of ITS2 as a mini barcode for distinguishing between closely or distantly related plant species that may be used in Chinese medicine.
Highlights
Apiaceae, the 16th-largest flowering plant family, comprises more than 3,540 species in 446 genera (Mabberley, 1997)
A total of 43 samples belonging to eight species, covering the two original species of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix” (LReR) (L. sinense and L. jeholense) and seven potential substitutes (L. tenuissimum, L. pteridophyllum, L. acuminatum, S. suave, M. yunnanensis, and C. vaginatum), were collected from fields
According to the criterion proposed by Coleman (2003) and coworkers, presence/absence of even a single compensatory base changes (CBCs) in the conserved areas of helices II and III of Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) is associated with incompatibility/inability to hybridize, establishing the boundaries between biological species and populations
Summary
The 16th-largest flowering plant family, comprises more than 3,540 species in 446 genera (Mabberley, 1997). It is a well-known and economically important plant family in medicine, spices, vegetables and ornamental gardening. Ligusticum jeholense Nakai et Kitag form a widely used traditional Chinese medicine, known as “Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix” (LReR), or “Gao-ben” in Chinese (Commission, 2015). Effects (Wang et al, 2011). As a result, this herb has attracted more and more attention in the medical field, and have been widely used in clinical therapies
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