Identification of Tibetan medicine Dida based on DNA barcoding

Area of Science:

• Pharmacognosy
• Molecular Biology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Tibetan medicine Dida is a crucial herbal raw material.
• Ensuring the authenticity of Dida is vital for patient safety and efficacy.
• Market adulteration poses a significant challenge to the herbal trade.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate DNA barcoding for identifying the herbal raw trade of Tibetan medicine Dida.
• To establish a reference DNA barcode database for Dida authentication.
• To assess the authenticity of commercially available Dida samples.

Main Methods:

• DNA barcoding using ITS sequencing.
• Construction of a reference DNA barcode database.
• Analysis of 36 commercial Dida samples from Southwest China.
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification and DNA sequencing.

Main Results:

• 100% PCR amplification efficiency for ITS sequences.
• Identified authentic Dida species: Swertia chirayita (8.3%), Swertia mussotii (5.6%), and Swertia ciliata (8.3%).
• Detected adulterants from genera Saxifraga, Swertia, and Halenia in the remaining samples.

Conclusions:

• Commercial Dida samples exhibit complex origins, indicating potential adulteration.
• DNA barcoding is a reliable and convenient tool for market supervision of herbal medicines.
• Ensuring Dida authenticity is critical for public health and the integrity of traditional medicine.