[Molecular identification of medicinal plants: Dendrobium chrysanthum, Dendrobium fimbriatum and their morphologically allied species by PCR-RFLP analyses].
OBJECTIVE
To establish a simple method for molecular identification of original plants of D. chrysanthum and D. fimbriatum using molecular marker rDNA ITS region.


METHODS
Restriction patterns of ITS fragments were obtained using PCR-RFLP method. The PCR products of D. chrysanthum and its morphologically allied species were digested at 37 degrees C by Cla I and Apa LI, those of D. fimbriatum and its morphologically allied species were digested by Sph I.


RESULTS
D. chrysanthum, D. fimbriatum and their morphologically allied species could be identified by predicted restriction profiles of PCR-RFLP. The botanical origin of twenty-five fresh samples of "Shihu" collected in markets was identified by this method.


CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that PCR-RFLP analysis of the rDNA ITS region is a feasible, simple and inexpensive method for determining the botanical origin of the traditional Chinese medicine "Shihu".
Zhang
Ting
T
Department of Pharmacognosy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210038, China.
Xu
Luo-shan
LS
Wang
Zheng-tao
ZT
Zhou
Kai-ya
KY
Zhang
Ning
N
Shi
Yong-feng
YF
D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis*; D031667:Dendrobium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D004340:Drug Contamination; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
D018744:DNA, Plant; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal