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

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 15^th edition

MS: mass spectrometry

PCR: polymerase chain reaction

SGK: shigoka

Syr: syringaresinol diglucoside

UPLC: ultraperformance liquid chromatography

Key words

Eleutherococcus senticosus - Araliaceae - ITS sequence - UPLC/MS - eleutheroside B - syringaresinol diglucoside - isofraxidin

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