Table 2.

Molecular markers used for authentication of medicinal plant species.

Name of the authentic drug	Part used	Medicinal uses	Substituent/adulterants if any	Technique used	Study	References
Litchi chinensis Sonn.	Fruit	Fruit and its secondary metabolic products have been reported to have anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, antiplatelet and anticoagulant, and antidiabetic activities	None	RAPD-SCAR	Development and significance of RAPD-SCAR markers for the identification of Litchi chinensis Sonn. by improved RAPD amplification and molecular cloning	Cheng et al. (2015)
Akebia quinata	Stem	Antiphlogistic, diuretic, analgesic	Akebia trifoliata, Aristolochia manshuriensis, and Clematis armandii.	RAPD-SCAR	Authentication of Akebia quinata DECNE.from its common adulterant medicinal plant species based on the RAPD-derived SCAR markers and multiplex-PCR	Moon et al. (2015)
Sida cordifolia	Root, leaves	Anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic	Abuliton indicum, Sida rhombifolia	DNA barcoding	DNA barcoding for species identification from dried and powdered plant parts: a case study with authentication of the raw drug market samples of Sida cordifolia.	Vassou et al. (2015)
Zanthoxylum acanthopodium and Zantho xylum oxyphyllum	Whole plant	Useful against stomach trouble, blood purifier, reducing the incidence of leucoderma	None	AFLP	Species Specific AFLP Markers for authentication of Zanthoxylum acanthopodium & Zanthoxylum oxyphyllum	Gupta and Mandi (2014)
Cissampelos Pereira	whole plant	Stomach pain, fever, skin conditions, cardiac pain	Cyclea peltata, Stephania japonica	RAPD	Developing RAPD markers for identification of three source plants of Ayurvedic raw drug ‘Patha.	Vijayan et al. (2013)
Dracocephalum oldavica L.	Whole plant	Coronary diseases, pain relief,	M. officinalis, N. Cataria L.	RFLP	Genetic authentication by RFLP versus ARMS? The case of Moldavian dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.)	Horn et al. (2014)
Podophyllum hexandrum Royle	Root, rhizome	Anti-cancer	Podophyllum peltatum L	RAPD-SCAR	SCAR Molecular Markers for identification and authentication of medicinal plants Podophyllum hexandrum Royle	Al-Shaqha et al. (2014)
Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae	Bulb	Antitussive and expectorant	Bulbus Fritillariae Pallidiflorae (Yibeimu), Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii (Zhebeimu), Bulbus Fritillariae Hupehensis (Hubeibeimu); and Bulbus Fritillariae Ussuriensis (Pingbeimu).	RAPD-SCAR	Authentication of Bulbus Fritillariae cirrhosae by RAPD-Derived DNA Markers	Xin et al. (2014)
Peucedanum praeruptorum L.	Roots	Expectorant	Anthricus sylvestris	DNA-barcoding	Molecular authentication of the traditional medicinal plant Peucedanum praeruptorumand its substitutes and adulterants by dna - barcoding technique	Zhou et al. (2014)
Ginko biloba	Leaves	Used for treatment of degenerative diseases of the brain, dementia, and for slowing down the progression of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease	None	DNA-barcoding	Authentication of Ginkgo biloba herbal dietary supplements using DNA barcoding	Little (2014)
Phoenix dactylifera L	Fruits	Fruits are antimutagenic and anti-oxidants	None	DNA-barcoding	DNA barcoding based on plastid matK and RNA polymerase for assessing the genetic identity of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars	Enan and Ahamed (2014)
Piper nigrum L.	Fruit	Antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiinflammatory and antitoxic	Carica papaya L.	DNA-barcoding	DNA barcoding to detect chili adulteration in traded black pepper powder	Parvathy et al. (2014)
Indirubin (Isatis tinctoria, Polygonum tinctorium, and Strobilanthes cusia)	Leaves	Treatment of chronic myelocytic leukemia	P. hydropiper, P. chinense, Clerodendrum cyrtophyllum, Indigofera tinctoria, and S. dimorphotricha and roots of the geniuine drug.	DNA-barcoding	Rapid Identification and Verification of Indirubin-Containing Medicinal Plants	Hu et al. (2014)
Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa var. acutiloba Kitagawa, A. acutiloba Kitagawa var. sugiyamae Hikino	Root	To treat gynecological diseases	A. acutiloba Kitagawa var. sugiyamae Hikino	RAPD	Authentication and Genetic Origin of Medicinal Angelica acutiloba Using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Analysis.	Matsubara et al. (2013)
M. ilicifolia and M. Aquifolia	M. ilicifolia- leaf, M. Aquifolia- leaf, flower	Treatment of ulcer, gastritis and indigestion	Sorocea bonplandii	PCR-RFLP	Molecular authentication of Maytenus sp. by PCR-RFLP	Nakamura et al. (2013)
Knema andamanica	Whole plant	Antimicrobial and therapeutic	None	RAPD-SCAR	RAPD, SCAR and conserved 18S rDNA markers for a red-listed and endemic medicinal plant species, Knema andamanica (Myristicaceae)	Sheeja et al. (2013)
Schisandra chinensis	Fruit	Astringent, treat diarrhea, arrest excessive sweating	S. sphenanthera	RAPD-SCAR	Development of RAPD-Derived SCAR Markers and Multiplex-PCR for Authentication of the Schisandrae fructus	Lee et al. (2013)
Lonicera japonica	Leaves, flowers	Possess h heat-clearing, detoxifying, and anti-inflammatory effects	L. japonica var. chinensis, L. similis, and L. acuminate	DNA-barcoding	Stability and Accuracy Assessment of Identification of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica Using DNA Barcoding: A Case Study on Flos Lonicerae Japonicae	Hou et al. (2013)
Gentiana scabra, Gentiana triflora, Gentiana manshurica and Gentiana rigescens	Leaves, roots	Treating liver diseases and hepatoprotective against acetaminopheninduced acute toxicity	Gentiana rhodantha and Podophyllum hexandrum	DNA-barcoding	Evaluation of seven DNA barcodes for differentiating closely related medicinal Gentiana species and their adulterants	Wong et al. (2013)
Croton bonplandianum Baill	Seeds	Treatment of jaundice, acute constipation abdominal dropsy and internal abscesses	None	DNA-barcoding	MATK gene based molecular characterization of medicinal plant — Croton bonplandianum Baill	Chandramohan et al. (2013)
Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis)	Whole plant	Memory enhancer	Cansicora decussata, Clitoria ternatea, Evolvulus alsinoides	RAPD	Authentication of shankhpushpi by RAPD markers	Ganie et al. (2012)
Paris polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis	Tuber	Anti-tumor, analgesia, anti-inflammatory, and Antifungal	None	PCR-RFLP	Molecular authentication of the medicinal plant Paris polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis (Melanthiaceae) and its related species by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP)	Liu and Ji (2012)
Fallopia multiflora	Root	Counteracting toxicity, cures carbuncles, and relaxes the bowels	C. auriculatum	PCR-RFLP	Molecular authentication of Fallopia multiflora by PCR-RFLP based on the trnL-trnF analysis	Zheng et al. (2012)
Catharanthus roseus L. Don.	whole plant	Anti-cancer	Solanum melongena, Lycopersicon esculentum	RT-SCAR	Real time sequence characterized amplified region (RT-SCAR) marker: Development and its application for authentication and quantification of Catharanthus roseus L. Don.	Chaudhary et al. (2013)
Asparagus racemosus Willd.	Root	Used for dyspepsia, lactogogue, anti- diarrhoeal, anti-septic, diuretic etc.	Asparagus gonoclados Baker	DNA-barcoding	DNA barcoding of authentic and substitute samples of herb of the family Asparagaceae and Asclepiadaceae based on the ITS2 region	Rai et al. (2012)
Eleutherococcus senticosus	Root, stem and leaf	Adaptogen used to cure many cancers	Periploca sepium	PCR-RFLP	Genetic and chemical diversity of Eleutherococcus senticosus and molecular identification of Siberian ginseng by PCR-RFLP analysis based on chloroplast trnK intron Sequence	Zhu et al. (2011)
Zingiber Officinale	Rhizome	Antioxidant, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory	Z. montanum, Z. zerumbet	AFLP	Species-specific AFLP markers for identification of Zingiber officinale, Z. montanum and Z. zerumbet (Zingiberaceae)	Ghosh et al. (2011)
Ipomoea mauritiana	Roots, leaves	Aphrodisiac, cardiotonic, demulcent, diuretic, refrigerant and galactogogue	Pueraria tuberosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) DC (Fabaceae), Adenia hondala (Gaertn.) de Wilde (Passifloraceae) and pith of Cycas circinalis L.	RAPD-SCAR	Development of Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA Based SCAR Marker for Identification of Ipomoea mauritiana Jacq (Convolvulaceae)	Devaiah et al. (2011)
Scrophularia ningpoensis	Root	To treat inflammation, laryngitis, tonsillitis, abscesses of carbuncles	None	ISSR-SCAR	Molecular authentication of geo-authentic Scrophularia ningpoensis	Chen et al. (2011)
Scutellaria baicalensis	Root	Treatment of hepatitis, jaundice, diarrhea, and inflammatory diseases.	S. amoena, S. rehderiana, and S. viscidula	DNA- barcoding	DNA barcodes for discriminating the medicinal plant Scutellaria baicalensis (Lamiaceae) and its adulterants.	Guo et al. (2011)
Ruta graveolens L	leaves, stems, flowers	Fertility regulation, menstrual cramps, earache, headache, nose bleed, and insect repellent	Euphorbia dracunculoides Lam.	DNA-barcoding (ITS)	Authentication of Ruta graveolens and its adulterant using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA	Al-Qurainy (2010)
Pluricaria crispa, Pluricaria undulata	arial parts	Used against Gram positive bacteria	None	RAPD	Genetic relationship of two Pluricaria species and identification of their putative hybrids using RAPD markers	El-Kamali et al. (2010)
Piper nigrum	Fruits	Anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant	Carica papaya	RAPD	Development of RAPD markers for authentication of Piper nigrum (L.)	Khan et al. (2010b)
Swertia chirayita	Seeds	Treating asthma and liver disorders	Andrographis paniculata, Exacum tetragonum, E. pedunculatum, Slevolgia orientalis, S. alata, S. angustifolia, S. bimaculata, S. ciliata, S. densifolia, S. elegans, S. lawii, S. minor, S. paniculata, S. multiflora, S. cordata	AFLP	AFLP markers for identification of Swertia species (Gentianaceae)	Misra et al. (2010a)
Aconitum heterophyllum	Root, stem	Used against stomach ache and fever	Cyperus rotundus	AFLP	AFLP markers for the identification of Aconitum species	Misra et al. (2010b)
Curcuma comosa	Rhizome	anti-inflammatory	Curcuma latifolia	AFLP	Identification and characterization of Curcuma comosa Roxb., phytoestrogens-producing plant, using AFLP markers and morphological characteristics	Keeratinijakal et al. (2010)
Rheum officinale Baill., Rheum palmatum L., and Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf.	roots, rhizome	Purgative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, purging heat, curing renal disorders, antitumor and antimutagenicity	R. hotaoense, R. compactum, R. undulatum and R. emodi	ISSR	Inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) molecular fingerprinting markers for authenticating the genuine species of rhubarb	Wang (2011)
Cynanchum wilfordii, Cynanchum auriculatum, and Polygonum multiflorum	Roots	Cynanchum wilfordii tonic to promote renal function, Cynanchum auriculatum- antidepressant, Polygonum multiflorum- protects against free radical damage induced by ultraviolet B irradiation of the skin	Cynanchum auriculatum is the substitute of Cynanchum wilfordii and Cynanchum wilfordii, Cynanchum auriculatum are the substitutes of Polygonum multiflorum	RAPD-SCAR	Rapid molecular authentication of three medicinal plant species, Cynanchum wilfordii, Cynanchum auriculatum, and Polygonum multiflorum (Fallopia multiflorum), by the development of RAPD-derived SCAR markers and multiplex-PCR	Moon et al. (2010)
Taxillus chinensis	Branches, leaves	Kidney reinforcement, tendons and bones strengthening, relief for rheumatic conditions and abortion prevention	Thuja, sutchuenensis, Scurrula parasitica, and Scurrula parasitica var. graciliflora	DNA-barcoding	Authentication of Taxillus chinensis using DNA barcoding technique	Li et al. (2010)
Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh.	Leaves	Anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, astringent and diuretic	None	DNA-barcoding	DNA Barcoding Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh. Based on the Partial Non-Coding ITS2 Region of Ribosomal Genes	Lee et al. (2010)