Phylogeny of medicinal Phyllanthus species in China based on nuclear ITS and chloroplast atpB-rbcL sequences and multiplex PCR detection assay analysis.
Plants of the genus Phyllanthus are commonly used in India, China and Korea for medicinal purposes. Although they are widely cultivated and marketed, there has been uncertainty about the efficacy of different species. A prerequisite of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) is the authentication of relevant species, and this is now made unequivocal by applying DNA sequence tools. In this study the phylogenetic relationships among 18 Phyllanthus species found in China were investigated by DNA sequence analyses of the nuclear internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) along with the combined chloroplast ATPB and RBCL sequences. Cladistic analysis indicated that this genus is paraphyletic and strongly supports the notion that two problematic and confusing species, P. niruri and P. amarus, are two individual, albeit closely related, species. We have also developed an ITS rDNA-based multiplex PCR assay to differentiate three medicinally important species, P. amarus, P. niruri and P. urinaria.
Lee
Simon Kwok-Ying
SK
Bioactive Products Research Group, Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
Li
Ping-To
PT
Lau
David Tai-Wai
DT
Yung
Ping-Pui
PP
Kong
Richard Yuen-Chong
RY
Fong
Wang-Fun
WF
D018742:DNA, Chloroplast / Q000032:analysis*; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D029803:Phyllanthus / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D008517:Phytotherapy; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D018742:DNA, Chloroplast; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer