Study on the "signal" constituents for the evaluation of animal crude drugs. VI. The identification method of Cervi Parvum Cornu in medicines using DNA analysis

Cervi Parvum Cornu has been widely used as an agent in commercially availab le tonic medicines. The establishment of the method for the identification of each agent, especially crude drugs in formulations, is very important fr om the viewpoint of the quality control of drugs. In this paper, we reporte d the examination an the extraction method of DNA from the formulations, an d also on the PCR method using four sets of primers, amplifying the DNA Fra gments of the regions of 12S rRNA and/or cytochrome b genes. The same size of DNA fragments as in the Cervi Parvum Cornu reference sample were found i n all PCR products obtained from four commercial tonic medicines investigat ed. Therefore, it was confirmed that Cervi Parvum Cornu was contained in al l the tonic medicines used. The PCR method. was found to be a useful method for the identification of Cervi Parvum Cornu in tonic medicines and the DN A fragments amplified by the PCR method was clarified to be also helpful ma terials as index constituents for Cervi Parvum Cornu.