Development of Primer Sets for the Detection of Polygonum Multiflorum, Cynanchum Wilfordii and C. Auriculatum

본 연구에서는 건강기능성 식품원료로서 이용 빈도가 증가하고 있는 하수오, 백수오 및 이엽우피소에 대한 종 특이 프라이머를 개발하였다. 개발된 종 특이 프라이머는 하수오, 백수오 및 이엽우피소에 대해 원물뿐만 아니라 육안 확인이 어려운 가공식품 등을 대상으로 사용원료의 진위여부를 빠르고 정확하게 확인할 수 있었다. 따라서 본 연구에서 개발한 종 특이 PCR방법은 기존의 일반 프라이머를 사용하는 방법이 가지고 있는 식품 적용 한계를 극복할 수 있을 것이라고 판단하였다. The aim of this study was to develop rapid screening method for the identification of Chinese herbal medicine species with similar appearance, Polygonum multiflorum, Cynanchum wilfordii and C. auriculatum, by using genetic markers. As a genetic marker, psbA-trnH gene in chloroplast was selected due to differences in sequence among the three species. Species-specific primers were designed based on the sequences of the marker gene of P. multiflorum, C. wilfordii, and C. auriculatum, and the expected size of PCR products was 160, 147, and 119 bp, respectively. Under the developed conditions, cross-reaction was not detected among these three plant species. To confirm the efficiency of our species-specific primers, the optimized method was applied to a variety of processed products composed of mostly P. multiflorum and C. wilfordii, demonstrating that our method was a rapid and easy screening assay. Our findings suggest this screening method can be utilized to prevent the distribution of economically motivated adulteration food and to improve consumer's right.