Abstract
The adulteration of herbal products is a threat to consumer safety. Here we surveyed the species composition of commercial Rhodiola products using DNA barcoding as a supervisory method. A Rhodiola dietary supplement DNA barcode database was successfully constructed using 82 voucher samples from 10 Rhodiola species. Based on the DNA barcoding standard operating procedure (SOP), we used this database to identify 100 Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma decoction piece samples that were purchased from drug stores and hospitals. The results showed that only 36 decoction piece sequences (40%) were authentic R. crenulata, which is recorded in Chinese Pharmacopeia, whereas the other samples were all adulterants and may indicate a potential safety issue. Among the adulterants, 35 sequences (38.9%) were authenticated as R. serrata, nine sequences (10%) were authenticated as R. rosea, which is documented in the United States Pharmacopeia, and the remaining samples were authenticated as other three Rhodiola species. This result indicates decoction pieces that are available in the market have complex origins and DNA barcoding is a convenient tool for market supervision.
Highlights
The adulteration of herbal products is a threat to consumer safety
Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded, and these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all of the requirements of the DSHEA and all regulations of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)[3]
We used 82 voucher samples to verify the reliability of the Rhodiola dietary supplement species DNA barcode database
Summary
The adulteration of herbal products is a threat to consumer safety. Here we surveyed the species composition of commercial Rhodiola products using DNA barcoding as a supervisory method. The results showed that only 36 decoction piece sequences (40%) were authentic R. crenulata, which is recorded in Chinese Pharmacopeia, whereas the other samples were all adulterants and may indicate a potential safety issue. 35 sequences (38.9%) were authenticated as R. serrata, nine sequences (10%) were authenticated as R. rosea, which is documented in the United States Pharmacopeia, and the remaining samples were authenticated as other three Rhodiola species. This result indicates decoction pieces that are available in the market have complex origins and DNA barcoding is a convenient tool for market supervision. There are approximately 24 different species of the genus Rhodiola growing in the Altay region that can be misclassified as R. rosea[12]
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