Application of Molecular Methods in the Identification of Ingredients in Chinese Herbal Medicines

Abstract

There are several kinds of Chinese herbal medicines originating from diverse sources. However, the rapid taxonomic identification of large quantities of Chinese herbal medicines is difficult using traditional methods, and the process of identification itself is prone to error. Therefore, the traditional methods of Chinese herbal medicine identification must meet higher standards of accuracy. With the rapid development of bioinformatics, methods relying on bioinformatics strategies offer advantages with respect to the speed and accuracy of the identification of Chinese herbal medicine ingredients. This article reviews the applicability and limitations of biochip and DNA barcoding technology in the identification of Chinese herbal medicines. Furthermore, the future development of the two technologies of interest is discussed.

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“…The results of organoleptic, macroscopic, and microscopic analyses, as well as a chemical analytical assessment of the raw plant materials, were referenced in the Monograph of Pharmacopoeias to determine the botanical origins of the crude drugs. Moreover, molecular analysis has been successfully used in the species-level identification of several herbal medicines over the latest decade [ 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

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