Liu Xu-zhao, Zhou Li-si, Liu Jin-xin, Jia Jing, Song Jing-yuan, Shi Lin-chun
Yao Xue Xue Bao. 2017 Mar;52(3):494-9.
Bubali cornu (water buffalo horn) has been used as the substitute for Cornu rhinoceri asiatici (rhino horn) in clinical applications, and is the essential ingredient of Angong Niuhuang Wan. In recent years, there are a number of adulterants on the commercial herbal medicine markets. An efficient tool is required for species identification. In this study, 155 Bubali cornu samples have been taken from original animals and collected from commercial herbal medicine markets. 153 COI sequences have been successfully obtained from 155 samples through DNA extraction, PCR amplification, bidirectional sequencing and assembly. 93 COI sequences have been added to the DNA barcoding database of traditional Chinese animal medicine after validation using DNA barcoding GAP and tree-based methods. The species identification of the 62 commercial Bubali cornu medicines has been accomplished on the DNA barcoding system for identifying herbal medicine using the updated animal medicine database (www.tcmbarcode.cn). Except two samples failed to obtain COI sequences, 54.8% of the commercial Bubali cornu medicines were water buffalo horns and 29% were yak horns. Our results showed that yak horn was the major adulterant of Bubali cornu and the DNA barcoding method may accurately discriminate Bubali cornu and their adulterants. Therefore, we recommend that supervision on the herbal medicine markets should be strengthened with this new method to warren the effectiveness of herbal medicines.
水牛角已在临床应用中用作犀角的替代品，是安宫牛黄丸的主要成分。近年来，商业草药市场上存在一些掺假品。需要一种有效的工具进行物种鉴定。在本研究中，从原始动物身上采集并从商业草药市场收集了155份水牛角样本。通过DNA提取、PCR扩增、双向测序和组装，从155个样本中成功获得了153条COI序列。经DNA条形码GAP和基于树的方法验证后，93条COI序列被添加到中国传统动物药DNA条形码数据库中。利用更新后的动物药数据库（www.tcmbarcode.cn），在中药材DNA条形码鉴定系统上完成了62种市售水牛角药材的物种鉴定。除两个样本未能获得COI序列外，54.8%的市售水牛角药材为水牛角，29%为牦牛角。我们的结果表明，牦牛角是水牛角的主要掺假品，DNA条形码方法可以准确鉴别水牛角及其掺假品。因此，我们建议应使用这种新方法加强对草药市场的监管，以确保草药的有效性。
