DNA metabarcoding unveils authenticity and adulteration in commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations: Renshen Jianpi Wan as a critical case study
ObjectivesEnsuring quality and authenticity of traditional medicines is crucial, particularly for multi-ingredient formulations like commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations (CCPPs). This study aims to authenticate Renshen Jianpi Wan (RSJPW), a classical CCPP composed of 11 prescribed botanical dr...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1584065/full |
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| author | Shilin Zhou Ting Zhou Yanmei Zhang Bingqian Yang Junmei Niu Weixian Li Yiyi Weitu Faming Long Zhenwen Liu Zhenwen Liu Zhenwen Liu Jing Zhou Jing Zhou |
| author_facet | Shilin Zhou Ting Zhou Yanmei Zhang Bingqian Yang Junmei Niu Weixian Li Yiyi Weitu Faming Long Zhenwen Liu Zhenwen Liu Zhenwen Liu Jing Zhou Jing Zhou |
| author_sort | Shilin Zhou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ObjectivesEnsuring quality and authenticity of traditional medicines is crucial, particularly for multi-ingredient formulations like commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations (CCPPs). This study aims to authenticate Renshen Jianpi Wan (RSJPW), a classical CCPP composed of 11 prescribed botanical drugs, using DNA metabarcoding to overcome challenges in species-level identification of processed biological ingredients.MethodsWe analyzed 56 commercial RSJPW products from different manufacturers and production batches, alongside eight laboratory-prepared reference samples serving as authentic controls. A dual-marker protocol combining ITS2 and psbA-trnH regions was employed, with optimized DNA extraction and PCR protocols to mitigate degradation issues.ResultsDetection rates varied across samples, with the highest detection being 10 out of 11 prescribed ingredients in a single sample. The key fungal ingredient Poria cocos (茯苓) was consistently undetectable, likely due to DNA degradation during processing and challenges in extracting fungal DNA from complex matrices. Multiple high-abundance non-prescribed species from Fabaceae, Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, and other families were frequently detected as potential contaminants.ConclusionsThis study establishes a systematic framework for molecular authentication of complex herbal formulations, providing technical support for reliable identification of botanical drugs. While DNA metabarcoding offers valuable insights into CCPP composition, authentication of heavily processed ingredients remains a significant technical limitation. The integration with complementary analytical methods such as metabolomics could provide more comprehensive quality assessment in future studies, demonstrating the necessity of multi-analytical approaches in ensuring the authenticity of traditional medicine. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c5bde066c0274ceb89e4a55dfd2a373a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1663-9812 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c5bde066c0274ceb89e4a55dfd2a373a2025-08-20T02:19:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122025-04-011610.3389/fphar.2025.15840651584065DNA metabarcoding unveils authenticity and adulteration in commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations: Renshen Jianpi Wan as a critical case studyShilin Zhou0Ting Zhou1Yanmei Zhang2Bingqian Yang3Junmei Niu4Weixian Li5Yiyi Weitu6Faming Long7Zhenwen Liu8Zhenwen Liu9Zhenwen Liu10Jing Zhou11Jing Zhou12School of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, ChinaSchool of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, ChinaSchool of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, ChinaSchool of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, ChinaSchool of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, ChinaSchool of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, ChinaSchool of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, ChinaSchool of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, ChinaYunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, Kunming, ChinaGaoligong Mountain, Forest Ecosystem, Observation and Research Station of Yunnan Province, Kunming, ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming, ChinaSchool of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, ChinaCollege of Modern Biomedical Industry, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, ChinaObjectivesEnsuring quality and authenticity of traditional medicines is crucial, particularly for multi-ingredient formulations like commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations (CCPPs). This study aims to authenticate Renshen Jianpi Wan (RSJPW), a classical CCPP composed of 11 prescribed botanical drugs, using DNA metabarcoding to overcome challenges in species-level identification of processed biological ingredients.MethodsWe analyzed 56 commercial RSJPW products from different manufacturers and production batches, alongside eight laboratory-prepared reference samples serving as authentic controls. A dual-marker protocol combining ITS2 and psbA-trnH regions was employed, with optimized DNA extraction and PCR protocols to mitigate degradation issues.ResultsDetection rates varied across samples, with the highest detection being 10 out of 11 prescribed ingredients in a single sample. The key fungal ingredient Poria cocos (茯苓) was consistently undetectable, likely due to DNA degradation during processing and challenges in extracting fungal DNA from complex matrices. Multiple high-abundance non-prescribed species from Fabaceae, Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, and other families were frequently detected as potential contaminants.ConclusionsThis study establishes a systematic framework for molecular authentication of complex herbal formulations, providing technical support for reliable identification of botanical drugs. While DNA metabarcoding offers valuable insights into CCPP composition, authentication of heavily processed ingredients remains a significant technical limitation. The integration with complementary analytical methods such as metabolomics could provide more comprehensive quality assessment in future studies, demonstrating the necessity of multi-analytical approaches in ensuring the authenticity of traditional medicine.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1584065/fullcommercial Chinese polyherbal preparationsDNA metabarcodingITS2PSBA-TRNHquality control |
| spellingShingle | Shilin Zhou Ting Zhou Yanmei Zhang Bingqian Yang Junmei Niu Weixian Li Yiyi Weitu Faming Long Zhenwen Liu Zhenwen Liu Zhenwen Liu Jing Zhou Jing Zhou DNA metabarcoding unveils authenticity and adulteration in commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations: Renshen Jianpi Wan as a critical case study Frontiers in Pharmacology commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations DNA metabarcoding ITS2 PSBA-TRNH quality control |
| title | DNA metabarcoding unveils authenticity and adulteration in commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations: Renshen Jianpi Wan as a critical case study |
| title_full | DNA metabarcoding unveils authenticity and adulteration in commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations: Renshen Jianpi Wan as a critical case study |
| title_fullStr | DNA metabarcoding unveils authenticity and adulteration in commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations: Renshen Jianpi Wan as a critical case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | DNA metabarcoding unveils authenticity and adulteration in commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations: Renshen Jianpi Wan as a critical case study |
| title_short | DNA metabarcoding unveils authenticity and adulteration in commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations: Renshen Jianpi Wan as a critical case study |
| title_sort | dna metabarcoding unveils authenticity and adulteration in commercial chinese polyherbal preparations renshen jianpi wan as a critical case study |
| topic | commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations DNA metabarcoding ITS2 PSBA-TRNH quality control |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1584065/full |
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