• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.75-84
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• 2013

Objectives : The origin of Breeae Herba (So-gye) and Cirsii Herba (Dae-gye) is differently prescribed in Korean and Chinese modern pharmacopoeia. Since the similar morphological characteristics and chaotic plant names, moreover, the aerial part of Carduus crispus have been used as the Cirsii Herba. To develop a reliable method for correct identification of these herbal medicines and to evaluate the genetic relationship of these closely related plant species, we analyzed sequences of DNA barcode regions. Methods : Thirty-one samples of 6 medicinal plants (B. segeta, B. setosa, C. japonicum var. maackii, C. setidens, C. chanroenicum, and C. crispus) were collected from different habitate and nucleotide sequences of DNA barcode regions (rDNA-ITS, matK, and rbcL) were analyzed after amplification using appropriate primers reported in previous studies. The nucleotides of species-specific authentic marker and phylogenetic relations were estimated based on the entire sequences of DNA barcodes by the analysis of ClastalW and UPGMA, respectively. Results : In comparative analysis of DNA barcode sequences, we obtained specific nucleotides to discriminate the medicinal plant of Breeae/Cirsii Herba in species level and evaluated the phylogenetic relationship of these species. Futhermore, we identified distinct marker nucleotides enough to authenticate respective species. These sequence differences at corresponding positions were avaliable genetic markers to determine the botanical origins of Breeae Herbal as well as Cirsii Herba. Conclusions : These marker nucleotides would be useful to identify the official herbal medicines by providing of definitive information that can identify each plant species and distinguish from unauthentic adulterants and substitutes.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.413-426
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• 2020

The Euphorbiaceae family features some of the most economically important plants that are sources of foods, oils, waxes, and medicines. The accurate identification of Euphorbiaceae species is critical in sustainable utilization of plant resources. We examined 234 sequences of nrDNA ITS, cpDNA rbcL and matK loci from 20 species in Euphorbiaceae in Korea and three outgroup taxa to develop efficient DNA barcodes. The three barcode loci were successfully amplified and sequenced for all Euphorbiaceae species. nrDNA ITS locus showed the highest mean interspecific K2P distance (0.3034), followed by cpDNA matK (0.0830), and rbcL (0.0352) locus. The degree of species resolution for individual barcode loci ranged from 75% (rbcL and matK) to 80% (ITS). The degree of species resolution was not enhanced with the different combinations of three barcode loci. The combined data set of the three loci(ITS+rbcL+matK) provided 80% of species resolution. These results confirm that ITS locus, as a single barcode, is the best option for barcoding of the Euphorbiaceae in Korea.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.35-43
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• 2014

Objectives : Official Arisaematis Rhizoma is described only three species, Arisaema amurnse, Arisaema erubescens, and Arisaema heterophyllum, in national Pharmacopoeia. However, other Arisaema species, Arisaema ringens, Arisaema takesimense and Arisaema serratum, also have been distributed as an inauthentic Arisaematis Rhizoma in the herbal market. To develop a reliable molecular authentication method for Arisaematis Rhizoma in species level, we analyzed DNA barcode regions using six Arisaema species. Methods : Thirty-eight samples of six Arisaema plants species (A. amurense, A. amurense f. serratum, A. heterophyllum, A. takesimense, and A. serratum) were collected from different habitate and nucleotide sequences of DNA barcode regions (rDNA-ITS, matK, and rbcL gene) were analyzed after PCR amplification. The species-specific sequences and phylogenetic relations were estimated using entire sequences of three DNA barcodes based on the analysis of ClastalW and UPGMA, respectively. Results : The comparative analysis of DNA barcode sequences were revealed inter-species specific nucleotides to distinguish the medicinal plant of Arisaema Rhizoma in species levels excluding between A. amurense and its subspecies (A. amurense f. serratum) and A. takesimense and A. serratum, respectively. However, we obtained sequence differences enough to discriminate authentic and inauthentic Arisaematis Rhizoma. Therefore, we suggest that these SNP type molecular genetic markers were an reliable method avaliable to identify official herbal medicines. Conclusions : These marker nucleotides could be useful to identify the official herbal medicines by providing definitive information that can identify original medicinal plant and distinguish from inauthentic adulterants and substitutes.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.273-282
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• 2016

The establishment of a DNA barcode database at the regional scale and assessments of the utility of DNA barcodes are crucial for conservation biology and for the sustainable utilization of biological resources. Schisandraceae is a small family consisting of ca. 45 species. It contains many economically important species, such as Schisandra chinensis, which is widely used as a source in tonic beverages and in oriental medicine. In Korea, three species, S. chinensis, S. repanda, and Kadsura japonica, are distributed. We evaluated the level of variation of the DNA sequences of rbcL, matK, and the ITS regions from 13 accessions representing the distributional range of the three species. The three DNA barcode regions were easily amplified and sequenced. The minimum values of the interspecific genetic distances among S. chinensis, S. repanda, and K. japonica either separately or in combination are 4- to 23-fold higher than the maximum value of the intraspecific distance, showing that there is a clear DNA barcoding gap in the regions for Korean Schisandraceae. Phylogenetic analyses of the three DNA barcode regions, separately and simultaneously, indicate that all of the DNA barcode regions are useful for identifying a species of Schisandraceae in Korea. The distinctiveness of the three species of Schisandraceae was also supported at the species level when Chinese and Japanese populations were added. The results of this study indicate that three concatenated regions constitute the best option for DNA barcoding in Schisandraceae in Korea.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.82-90
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• 2016

Most Araliaceae plant species distributed in Korea are economically important because of their high medicinal values. This study was conducted to develop barcode markers from sequence analysis of chloroplast DNA in 14 taxa of Araliaceae species grown in South Korea. Sequencing of seven chloroplast DNA regions was performed to establish the DNA barcode markers, as suggested by the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL). From the sequence analysis of chloroplast DNA, we identified specific sequences and nucleotides that allowed us to discriminate among each other 14 Korean Araliaceae species. The sequence in the region of psbA-trnH revealed the most frequent DNA indels and substitutions of all 7 regions studied. This psbA-trnH marker alone can discriminate among all 14 species. There are no differences between Korean and Chinese Panax ginseng in all seven sequenced chloroplast DNA regions. A phylogenetic tree constructed using the seven chloroplast DNA regions revealed that Tetrapanax papyriferus should be classified as an independent clade. The Aralia and Panax genera showed a close phylogenetic relationship. Five species in the Eleutherococcus genus were more closely related to Kalopanax septemlobus than to any Panax species.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.201-206
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• 2013

Aporia crataegi, an Korean endangered species, was first analyzed for DNA barcode sequences based on 28-year-old dried specimens and compared barcode characters with 36 individuals of ten geographical populations of Eurasia. They were revealed to consist of five different haplotypes. Among them, haplotype I was mostly extensive and high frequency with 75%. The south Korean individuals were confirmed to be belonging to haplotype I and have no genetic isolation on COI gene. By these results, we consider that selection of the identical haplotype from other geographical populations may be a requirement prior to performing for conservation and restoration of the Korean population. We also propose to analyse the additional genetic markers in order to understand a more accurate genetic structures between haplotypes of this species.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.18-25
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• 2015

A universal DNA barcoding for agricultural noxious weeds is a powerful technique for species identification without morphological knowledge, by using short sections of DNA from a specific region of the genome. Two standard barcode markers, chloroplast rbcL and matK, and a supplementary nuclear ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region were used to examine the effectiveness of the markers for Pooideae barcoding using 163 individuals of 29 taxa across 16 genera of Korean Pooideae. The rbcL and ITS revealed a good level of amplification and sequencing success while matK did not. Barcode gaps were 78.6% for rbcL, 96.2% for matK, and 91.7% for ITS, respectively. Resolving powers were 89.3% for rbcL, 92.3% for matK, and 79.1% for ITS. The matK obtained the best both barcode gap and resolving power. However, it should be considered not to employ matK for Pooideae barcode because of low rate of PCR amplification and sequencing success. As a single DNA marker, rbcL and ITS were reasonable for Pooideae barcode. Barcode gap and resolving power were increased when ITS was incorporated into the rbcL. The barcode sequences were deposited to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database for public use.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.42-48
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• 2018

We found the large narcissus fly, Merodon equestris (Fabricius), which has been doubted to occur in Korea. This species is an economically important in management of narcissus and also of quarantine pests. We therefore provide the morphological diagnosis and DNA barcode sequences for rapid species identification of M. equestris based on the five Korean specimens.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.206-217
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• 2018

The nucleotide sequences of the chloroplast rbcL, matK, and psbA-trnH and nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were determined from all species of Viburnum in Korea with multiple accessions to reconstruct the phylogeny and to evaluate the utility of the DNA sequences as DNA barcodes. The results of phylogenetic analyses of the cpDNA and ITS data are consistent with the findings of previous studies of Viburnum. Four morphologically closely related species, V. dilatatum, V. erosum, V. japonicum, and V. wrightii, were included in a strongly supported sister clade of V. koreanum and V. opulus. Viburnum odoratissimum is suggested to be sister to the V. dilatatum/V. koreanum clade in the cpDNA data, while V. odoratissimum is a sister to V. furcatum in the ITS data. Viburnum burejaeticum and V. carlesii are strongly supported as monophyletic. Our analyses of DNA barcode regions from multiple accessions of the species of Viburnum in Korea confirm that six out of ten species in Korea can be discriminated at the species level. The V. dilatatum complex can be separated from the remaining species according to molecular data, but the resolution power to differentiate a species within the complex is weak. This study suggests that regional DNA barcodes are useful for molecular species identification in the case of Viburnum when flowering or fruiting materials are not available.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.26-34
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• 2015

Korean Poaceae includes approximately 80 species of the agricultural weeds. Precise species identification is the first step for more effective weed management in the agricultural fields. However, the identification of species in Poaceae is not easy without the assistance of taxonomists or identification experts although they are relatively easy to distinguish from the plants of the other family by the unique characteristics of caryopsis. Thus, DNA barcode was suggested as an alternative powerful technique for species identification by using short sections of DNA from a specific region of the genome. Two standard barcode markers of vascular plants, chloroplast rbcL and matK, and a supplementary nuclear ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region were used for barcode of major Korean Poaceae weeds, 403 individuals of 84 taxa. All the barcode markers revealed a good level of sequencing success with the lowest 73.7% for matK and the highest 88.8% for rbcL. The barcode sequences were deposited to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database for public use. Combined matK and ITS showed very high resolving power with 92.9%. Besides the identification of weeds for weed managment, the generated DNA barcode data could be used for many other applications such as rapid biodiversity assessment and conservation prioritization.