title: The Potential Power of Bar-HRM Technology in Herbal Medicine Identification.
abstract: The substitution of low-cost or adulterated herbal products for high-priced herbs makes it important to be able to identify and trace herbal plant species and their processed products in the drug supply chain. PCR-based methods play an increasing role in monitoring the safety of herbal medicines by detecting adulteration. Recent studies have shown the potential of DNA barcoding combined with high resolution melting (Bar-HRM) analysis in herbal medicine identification. This method involves precisely monitoring the change in fluorescence caused by the release of an intercalating DNA dye from a DNA duplex as it is denatured by a gradual increase in temperature. Since the melting profile depends on the GC content, length, and strand complementarity of the amplification product, Bar-HRM analysis opens up the possibility of detecting single-base variants or species-specific differences in a short region of DNA. This review summarizes key factors affecting Bar-HRM analysis and describes how Bar-HRM is performed. We then discuss advances in Bar-HRM analysis of medicinal plant ingredients (herbal materia medica) as a contribution toward safe and effective herbal medicines.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesBeijing, China; College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Jian
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesBeijing, China; Zhuhai College of Jilin UniversityZhuhai, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: Bar-HRM technology; adulteration; drug safety; herbal medicine; substitution