Objective: Searching and identifying SNP in Panax species and using multiplex allele-specific PCR (MAS-PCR) to authenticate P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium.
Method: Based on genbank database of Panax species, using DNAMAN to align the sequences, identify SNP of P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium. Design allele-specific primers for P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium, optimize the PCR reaction system including the usage amount of Taq, dNTP, primer, etc. Optimized system was performed with the total DNA of 20 different sources of P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium.
Result: When the annealing temperature was 66 'C, the template DNA of P. ginseng could be amplified 249 bp band whereas P. quenquefolium amplified 1 049 bp band.
Conclusion: The MAS-PCR have the advantages of highly specific, good reproducibility and could be identify P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium in the same PCR tube. It was a potential method to use in the molecular identification of other meteria medica.