Discrimination of Kalopanax pictus from its varieties and other 'Kalopanacis Cortex' plants by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

• Published in: Genes & genomics 2011, 33(6), , pp.711-719
• Main Authors: Doh, E.J., Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Yang, N.J., Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Ji, M.G., Woosuk University, Wanju, Republic of Korea, Lee, G.S., Woosuk University, Wanju, Republic of Korea, Ju, Y.S., Woosuk University, Wanju, Republic of Korea, Lee, J.H., Dongguk University, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, Ko, B.S., Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea, Oh, S.E., Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Genetics and Genomics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; DNA markers; Erythrina variegata; Human Genetics; Internal Transcribed Spacer; Kalopanacis Cortex; Kalopanax pictus; Life Sciences; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Multiplex PCR; PCR; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Research Article; Zanthoxylum ailanthoides; 생물학
• ISSN: 1976-9571; 2092-9293
• DOI: 10.1007/s13258-011-0061-x

'Kalopanacis Cortex' (KC) is an important medicinal material prescribed in Korea for the treatment of various ailments such as paralysis, arthritis, and rheumatism. In Korea, KC is defined as the dried stem bark of Kalopanax pictus. However, the stem barks of Zanthoxylum ailanthoides and Erythrina plants such as E. variegata have also been described as KC and prescribed for the same diseases. Since the pharmacological activities and contents of compounds isolated from the stem barks of these KC plants are obviously different, KC from K. pictus should be clearly discriminated from other stem bark in the best interest of public health. This study sequenced the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of 52 samples of the KC or KC plants collected from Korea, China, and Vietnam. On the basis of different nucleotide sequences of specific ITS regions among the KC plants, the primer set KP F2/KC R1 was designed to amplify a 398-bp DNA marker for discriminating K. pictus from its varieties and from other KC plants. This primer set, along with the primer sets ZR F1/ZR R4, KP F1/EV R2, and KPF1/KC R1, was successfully amplified with the DNA markers of the Z. ailanthoides, E. variegata, and K. pictus taxa, respectively. The multiplex polymerase chain reaction method developed here not only discriminates the stem bark of K. pictus from stem barks of other KC plants but also identifies KC plants that supply KC in a single process.