Identification of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen from its Adulterants Based on RAPD

Background Ziziphi spinosae semen (ZSS), dry mature seeds of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H.F. Chow., are widely used in the treatment of insomnia, fright palpitations, and profuse dreaming in medical treatments. The counterfeit species of ZSS, Ziziphi mauritianae semen (ZMS), and Hovenia dulcis Thunb (HDT) are seeds from Ziziphus incurva Roxb. and Hovenia acerba Lindl., respectively. However, the pharmacopeia is not recorded for ZMS and HDT. In this article, we reviewed the identification methods of ZSS, ZMS, and HDT. Materials and Methods The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was used to identify the ZSS and its copies. Plant genome DNA was extracted from Z. jujuba Mill., Z. incurva Roxb., and H. acerba Lindl. Random primers were designed to amplify the genome. The amplified products were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. Results By analyzing the polymorphism of the amplified product DNA fragment, the DNA fingerprint maps of Z. jujuba Mill., Z. incurva Roxb., and H. acerba Lindl. were successfully constructed.