RAPD Profile for Authentication of Medicinal Plant Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn.

Abstract: Correct identification and quality assurance is indispensable to ensure reproducible medicinal quality of herbal drugs. Authentication is especially useful in case of those medicinal herbs that are frequently substituted or adulterated with other species or varieties morphologically and phytochemically indistinguishable. In this study, the RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) technique was employed for authentication of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. from its adulterant Abrus precatorius L. Fifty two decamer oligonucleotide primers were screened in the RAPD analysis for identification of genuine and adulterant samples. The DNA isolated from the dried root of the samples was used as templates in polymerase chain reactions with fifty two primers. Out of fifty two primers, sixteen primers gave species specific reproducible unique amplicons. The obtained unique amplicons in PCR amplification clearly distinguished genuine as well as adulterant samples having similar morphology and thus, RAPD helping to serve as a complementary tool for quality control.