In the lush, biodiverse landscapes of southern China, a team of researchers led by Li-Na Dong from the Guangxi Key Laboratory of Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain has unlocked a new method to accurately identify species of the medicinal plant genus Lysimachia. This breakthrough, published in the journal *BMC Plant Biology* (or, in English, *Biological Medecine and Plant Biology*), could have significant implications for the herbal medicine industry, ensuring safety and efficacy in the use of these plants.
The genus Lysimachia, comprising over 180 species, is widely used in traditional medicine. However, identifying species within this genus has been a persistent challenge due to the limitations of traditional methods like morphology, microscopy, and chemistry. “Accurate identification of herbal medicine is a prerequisite for safe and effective use,” says Li-Na Dong, the lead author of the study. To tackle this issue, Dong and her team turned to genome skimming, a high-throughput sequencing technique that allows for the rapid and cost-effective recovery of whole plastome and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences.
The researchers sequenced 44 accessions representing 17 putative species of Lysimachia from southern China. By comparing the discrimination power of standard barcodes, whole plastomes, and hypervariable sequences from the plastome, they found that standard barcodes alone have limitations in providing accurate species-level identification. However, they can facilitate the rapid classification of unknown samples at the generic level.
The study revealed that while plastomes exhibit a high degree of conservation in structure and gene content, they successfully identified all studied taxa. Five highly variable loci from the plastomes were identified: petN-psbM, ycf1, rpl22, trnK-rps16, and ndhC-trnV. These regions improved the discrimination power compared to standard barcodes but still could not yield accurate identification of all taxa studied. However, when combined with the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the ycf1 gene provided 100% successful species identification.
“This study highlights the potential for effective use of genome skimming data,” Dong explains. The researchers recommend the use of whole plastome sequences and the combination of ycf1 + ITS as accurate and effective barcodes for species identification in Lysimachia.
The implications of this research extend beyond the realm of academic botany. For the herbal medicine industry, accurate species identification is crucial for ensuring the safety and efficacy of medicinal products. Misidentification can lead to ineffective treatments or, in worst-case scenarios, harmful side effects. By providing a reliable method for identifying Lysimachia species, this research could enhance the quality control processes in the herbal medicine supply chain.
Moreover, the study’s findings could pave the way for similar research on other medicinal plant genera, potentially revolutionizing the field of herbal medicine. As Dong notes, “This study not only addresses a specific challenge in the identification of Lysimachia species but also demonstrates the broader potential of genome skimming in plant identification.”
In the rapidly evolving landscape of agritech, this research stands as a testament to the power of advanced sequencing technologies in addressing longstanding challenges. As the herbal medicine industry continues to grow, the need for accurate and efficient identification methods will only increase. This study provides a crucial step forward, offering a robust tool for ensuring the safety and efficacy of medicinal plants.
The research was published in *BMC Plant Biology*, a peer-reviewed journal that focuses on all aspects of plant biology, from molecular to ecological. The study’s findings are a significant contribution to the field, offering a new approach to a persistent challenge and highlighting the potential of genome skimming in plant identification. As the herbal medicine industry continues to evolve, this research could play a pivotal role in shaping its future, ensuring the safe and effective use of medicinal plants for generations to come.