Pang-Chui Shaw
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
Title: Molecular authentication of medicinal materials and their products
Biography
Biography: Pang-Chui Shaw
Abstract
DNA sequences provide a rich source of material for species identification. We have recently established the first Medicinal Materials DNA Barcode Database (MMDBD) in the world which contains over 1,600 medicinal and related species recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China and the Pharmacopoeia of the United States. We have also established standard DNA barcodes for the identification of medicinal species used in South China for Chinese ‘cooling’ beverage and for the differentiation of easily confused herbs retailed in the market. Molecular authentication is usually regarded as unsuitable for herbal decoctions and medicinal granules, as DNA is highly degraded. We set forth to investigate the availability of DNA in decoctions of Panax ginseng (Asian ginseng) and P. quinquefolius (American ginseng). We have shown: (1) Sample pulverization before boiling improved PCR detection. (2) Prolonged boiling increased the DNA concentration but decreased the intactness of DNA. (3) Ginseng could be differentiated from American ginseng by multiplex PCR. (4) Individual herbs in the decoctions with prolonged boiling time were identified by amplifying short DNA fragments. We also demonstrated the presence of DNA in a number of animal and plant medicinal granules and they could be amplified by species-specific primers.