Abstract

About 300 species and varieties of Astragalus are identified in China, making the identification of the origin of a particular Astragalus species on the consumer market difficult. A molecular genetic approach was developed to identify various species of Astragalus. Although the 5S-rRNA coding sequence is conserved in higher eukaryotes, the spacer domain of the 5S-rRNA gene has great diversity among different species. The 5S-rRNA spacer domain was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from the isolated genomic DNA, and the PCR products (∼300 bp) covering the 5S-rRNA spacer domain were sequenced. The nucleotide sequences of Astragalus membranaceus, A. membranaceus var. mongholicus, A. lehmannianus, A. hoantchy, and of one closely related species Hedysarum polybotrys (Hongqi), were determined. Diversity in DNA sequence and restriction enzyme mapping among various species was found in their 5S-rRNA spacer domains. This is the first report on the detection of 5S-rRNA spacer region sequence of Astragalus, and the results could be used for genetic identification of Huangqi.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.