Hon C C, Chow Y C, Zeng F Y, Leung F C C
Department of Zoology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2003 Sep;24(9):841-6.
The main objective of this paper is to review the chemical and genetic methods used in authentication of ginseng, especially the recent advances in microsatellite genotyping and its application to the authentication of other traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). The standardization and modernization of TCM hinge on the authentication of their botanical identities. Analysis of well-characterized marker compounds is now the most popular method for identifying the herbal materials and quality control of TCM, eg, ginsenoside profiling for authentication of Panax species. However, in many herbal species the chemical composition of the plant changes with the external environment and processing conditions, which lowers the reliability of these authentication methods. In the light of the advances in molecular biotechnology in the past few decades, genetic tools are now considered to provide more standardized and reliable methods for authentication of herbal materials at the DNA level. These genetic tools include random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), DNA fingerprinting using multi-loci probes, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and microsatellite marker technology. The practicality of these methods varies in terms of their sensitivity, reliability, reproducibility, and running cost. Using ginseng as an example, we reviewed the advantages and limitations of these molecular techniques in TCM authentication. We have developed a set of microsatellite markers from American ginseng that are able to differentiate Panax ginseng and Panax quinquetolius with the resolution down to farm level, ie, confirmation of its botanical identity and origin. Compared with other molecular techniques, microsatellite marker technology is more robust, accurate, reproducible, reliable, and sensitive. This is essential for large-scale TCM authentication centers.
本文的主要目的是综述人参鉴定中使用的化学和遗传方法，特别是微卫星基因分型的最新进展及其在其他中药鉴定中的应用。中药的标准化和现代化取决于其植物来源的鉴定。分析特征明确的标记化合物是目前鉴定中药材和控制中药质量最常用的方法，例如，利用人参皂苷谱来鉴定人参属植物。然而，在许多草本植物中，植物的化学成分会随外部环境和加工条件而变化，这降低了这些鉴定方法的可靠性。鉴于过去几十年分子生物技术的进展，现在认为遗传工具能够在DNA水平上为中药材鉴定提供更标准化、更可靠的方法。这些遗传工具包括随机扩增多态性DNA（RAPD）、使用多位点探针的DNA指纹图谱、限制性片段长度多态性（RFLP）、扩增片段长度多态性（AFLP）以及微卫星标记技术。这些方法在灵敏度、可靠性、可重复性和运行成本方面的实用性各不相同。以人参为例，我们综述了这些分子技术在中药鉴定中的优缺点。我们从西洋参中开发了一组微卫星标记，能够区分人参和五叶参，分辨率可达农场水平，即确认其植物来源和产地。与其他分子技术相比，微卫星标记技术更强健、准确、可重复、可靠且灵敏。这对大规模的中药鉴定中心至关重要。
