An Integrated Approach for Efficient and Accurate Medicinal Cuscutae Semen Identification.

ABSTRACT: To guarantee the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines, accurate identification and quality evaluation are crucial. The ripe dried seeds of Cuscuta australis R.Br. and C. chinensis Lam. are known as Cuscutae Semen (CS) and are widely consumed in Northeast Asia; however, the seeds of other species can be misidentified as CS owing to morphological similarities, leading to misuse. In this report, we propose a multilateral strategy combining microscopic techniques with statistical analysis and DNA barcoding using a genus-specific primer to facilitate the identification and authentication of CS. Morphology-based identification using microscopy revealed that the useful diagnostic characteristics included general shape, embryo exudation, hairiness, and testa ornamentation, which were used to de

SUBMITTER: Park I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7690581 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature