Planta Med 2008; 74(7): 787-789
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1074537
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Authentication of the Traditional Medicinal Plant Eleutherococcus senticosus by DNA and Chemical Analyses

Takuro Maruyama1 , Hiroyuki Kamakura1 , Miho Miyai1 , Katsuko Komatsu2 , Takeshi Kawasaki3 , Masao Fujita3 , Hiroshi Shimada4 , Yutaka Yamamoto4 , Toshiro Shibata5 , Yukihiro Goda1
  • 1Division of Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry and Narcotics, National Institute of Health Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
  • 3Uchida Wakan-yaku Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
  • 4Tochimoto Tenkaido Co., Ltd., Hyogo, Japan
  • 5Hokkaido Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Hokkaido, Japan
Further Information

Publication History

Received: November 11, 2007 Revised: March 14, 2008

Accepted: March 31, 2008

Publication Date:
26 May 2008 (online)

Abstract

Shigoka (SGK), the rhizome of Eleutherococcus senticosus, is a traditional medicine used as a tonic in northeastern Asia and far eastern Russia. We analyzed the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of the medicine available on the Japanese and Chinese markets and found that at least 3 species were used as the source plant of the commercial SGKs and that only 70 % of all samples was made from the correct species. Furthermore, we performed the quantitative determination of 3 marker compounds, eleutheroside B (EB), syringaresinol diglucoside (Syr), and isofraxidin (Iso) by ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC)/mass spectrometry (MS). We found that EB and Iso are specific to the correct source plant of SGK. Of them, EB is thought to be the best marker compound for quality assurance of the SGK from the viewpoint of its pharmacological activity.

Abbreviations

EB: eleutheroside B

Iso: isofraxidin

ITS: internal transcribed spacer

JP15: Japanese pharmacopoeia 15th edition

MS: mass spectrometry

PCR: polymerase chain reaction

SGK: shigoka

Syr: syringaresinol diglucoside

UPLC: ultraperformance liquid chromatography

References

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  • 4 The Pharmacopoeia Commission of the People’s Republic of China, editors. Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China, Vol. I. Beijing; Chemical Industry Press 2005: 143-4
  • 5 Thompson J D, Higgins D G, Gibson T J. CLUSTAL W: improving the sensitivity of progressive multiple sequence alignment through sequence weighting, position-specific gap penalties and weight matrix choice.  Nucleic Acids Res. 1994;  22 4673-80
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Dr. Yukihiro Goda

National Institute of Health Sciences

Division of Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry and Narcotics

1-18-1, Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku

Tokyo 158-8501

Japan

Phone: +81-3-3700-9154

Fax: +81-3-3707-6950 or +81-3-3700-9165

Email: goda@nihs.go.jp