Application of SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) analysis to authenticate Lycium barbarum (wolfberry) and its adulterants.
Fructus Lycii (Gouqizi) is well known in Chinese herbal medicine for its restorative function of benefiting the liver and kidney, replenishing vital essence and improving eyesight. However, ten species and varieties of Lycium have benn found to be substitutes or adulterants of Lycium barbarum (wolfberry) in commercial markets in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and in China generally. L. barbarum cv. 'Tianjinense' and Lycium chinense var. potaninii are the most common examples. It is difficult to differentiate among the Lycium species by traditional morphological and histological analyses. An easy and reliable approach based on SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) analysis was developed in the present study to differentiate L. barbarum from other Lycium species. Two characteristic bands of approx. 700 and 650 bp were detected on the RAPD (random amplification of polymorphic DNA) profiles generated from samples of L. barbarum and L. chinense var. potaninii using the primer OPC-7. They were isolated and sequenced. Two primer sets, based on the sequences, could amplify a single specific band in samples of L. barbarum respectively, whereas no bands were detected in samples of L. chinense var. potaninii. The results confirmed that the SCAR technique can be employed for authenticating L. barbarum and its adulterants.
School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
Stephen Cho-Wing
SC
Sze
Ju-Xian
JX
Song
Ricky Ngok-Shun
RN
Wong
Yi-Bin
YB
Feng
Tzi-Bun
TB
Ng
Yao
Y
Tong
Kalin Yan-Bo
KY
Zhang
D001483:Base Sequence; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D032305:Lycium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique / Q000379:methods*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal