Rapid discrimination of the native medicinal plant Adenostemma lavenia from its adulterants using PCR-RFLP

Kunchang Wu; Yunchen Liu; Bocheng Yang; Yenying Kung; Kaiwei Chang; Mengshiou Lee

doi:10.7717/peerj.13924

Rapid discrimination of the native medicinal plant Adenostemma lavenia from its adulterants using PCR-RFLP

PeerJ. 2022 Nov 1:10:e13924. doi: 10.7717/peerj.13924. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Kunchang Wu¹, Yunchen Liu¹, Bocheng Yang², Yenying Kung^{3

4

5}, Kaiwei Chang^{3

4}, Mengshiou Lee²

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
² Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
³ Institute of Traditional Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ Center of Traditional Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁵ Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Abstract

Background: In Taiwan, the aerial part of Adenostemma lavenia (Al) is used in the form of herbal tea or in a folk remedy primarily to mitigate inflammatory conditions in the lungs and liver. Due to the excellent health benefits of Al against inflammation, it has become increasingly crucial and in great demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Al has been found to be adulterated with Wedelia biflora, Sigesbeckia orientalis, and/or Wedelia chinensis because of similarities in appearance and vernacular names.

Methods: This study aimed to develop a PCR-RFLP DNA molecular method for the authentication of Al. The restriction enzyme BsrI was used according to the sequencing and alignment results of PCR products in the ITS2 regions of Al and its adulterants. Gel electrophoresis resulted in the clear separation of Al and its adulterants into two distinct categories.

Results: In conclusion, the PCR-RFLP authentication method developed herein provides an easy, rapid, and accurate method to distinguish Al from its adulterants to assure user health and safety.

Keywords: Adenostemma lavenia; Functional food; Identification of origin; Molecular identification.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19
DNA, Plant / genetics
Pandemics
Plants, Medicinal* / classification
Plants, Medicinal* / genetics
Polymerase Chain Reaction*
Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

Substances

DNA, Plant

Grants and funding

This research was funded by China Medical University (CMU) under the project CMU108-N-03. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.