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 develop an effective identification key. In addition, we conducted DNA barcoding-based identification to ensure accurate authentication. A novel DNA barcode primer was produced from the chloroplast rbcL gene by comparative analysis using Cuscuta chloroplast genome sequences, which allowed four Cuscuta species and adulterants to be discriminated completely. Therefore, this investigation overcame the limitations of universal DNA barcodes for Cuscuta species with high variability. We believe that this integrated approach will enable CS to be differentiated from other species, thereby improving its quality control and product safety in medicinal markets.

Amelioration of Sensorineural Hearing Loss through Regulation of Trpv1, Cacna1h, and Ngf Gene Expression by a Combination of Cuscutae Semen and Rehmanniae Radix Preparata

“…Cuscutae Semen refers to the dried ripe seeds of Cuscuta chinensis Lam. [ 8 ], which contain various flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol [ 9 ]. Rehmanniae Radix Preparata refers to the processed roots of Rehmannia glutinosa Liboschitz ex Steudel, which undergoes a steaming and drying procedure that is repeated nine times [ 10 ].…”