PLoS Genetics：深度DNA测序技术揭露中草药的化合物成分及毒性

本研究中所用的四种中药样品：A：熊胆汁晶体 B：赛加羚羊角粉末 C：牙痛一粒丸 D：八宝清心散

近日，来自澳洲莫道克大学的研究者运用新的DNA技术来揭示动物和植物传统中药的药物组分（TCMs），一些检测中药样品中包含有一些潜在的毒性植物成分、变应原以及将要绝种的动物残痕。研究者Bunce博士表示，中药有千年的历史，但是如今，消费者在使用中药作为一种治疗策略之前，一定要清楚中药的合法性和其健康安全性。

由澳大利亚边境官员所提供的15种中药样品包含粉剂、片状、胶囊以及草药茶，研究者使用DNA技术来对各种中药样品进行检测，相关的研究刊登在了近日的国际杂志PLoS Genetics上。Bunce表示，在中药样品中，我们共发现了68种不同的植物品种，这些中药就是各种植物粉末的混合物。有一些样品包含了麻黄属和细辛属的植物。如果服用剂量错误的话，这些植物中草药就会给机体带来毒性，但是没有一种药品包装上注明用药浓度。研究者还表示，他们在药物中发现了一些将要绝种的动物的残骸（动物药），包括亚洲黑熊和高鼻羚。

截止到目前，识别这些重要样品中的成分起源仍然很困难，因为这些中药在制成片剂或者粉末的过程中，有很多种混合在一起，很难识别出来每一种。Megan Coghlan博士表示，研究者们使用了第二代高通量的测序技术来测定中成药中的组分，这种方法可以有效的将中成药中的各个组分进行分离。更为深处的TCMs的研究将帮助我们进出口官员来识别濒危物种药物的非法贸易。研究者们还在这些重要样品中分离出了动物的DNA样品，这就表明，这些中成药绝对是非法的。另外一个问题就是TCMs贴错标签了，这就意味着消费者不知道药物中的不同化学成分，尤其是包括动物DNA以及大豆和坚果的变应原等。一个贴有高鼻羚羊标签的药物中含有大量的山羊和绵羊的DNA。

错误的标签对于行使法律效力来说困难很大。未来遗传学检测的方法来检测药物的成分将给药品的安全性带来一定的保障。而且检测TCMs可以帮助起诉那些非法进行药物贸易的人。研究者Bunce和他的研究团队未来计划扩大他们的DNA检测方法，将会应用于评估其它的中草药。（生物谷：T.Shen编译）

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doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002657
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Deep Sequencing of Plant and Animal DNA Contained within Traditional Chinese Medicines Reveals Legality Issues and Health Safety Concerns

Megan L. Coghlan1, James Haile1, Jayne Houston1, Dáithí C. Murray1, Nicole E. White1, Paula Moolhuijzen2, Matthew I. Bellgard2, Michael Bunce1*

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been practiced for thousands of years, but only within the last few decades has its use become more widespread outside of Asia. Concerns continue to be raised about the efficacy, legality, and safety of many popular complementary alternative medicines, including TCMs. Ingredients of some TCMs are known to include derivatives of endangered, trade-restricted species of plants and animals, and therefore contravene the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) legislation. Chromatographic studies have detected the presence of heavy metals and plant toxins within some TCMs, and there are numerous cases of adverse reactions. It is in the interests of both biodiversity conservation and public safety that techniques are developed to screen medicinals like TCMs. Targeting both the p-loop region of the plastid trnL gene and the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene, over 49,000 amplicon sequence reads were generated from 15 TCM samples presented in the form of powders, tablets, capsules, bile flakes, and herbal teas. Here we show that second-generation, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of DNA represents an effective means to genetically audit organic ingredients within complex TCMs. Comparison of DNA sequence data to reference databases revealed the presence of 68 different plant families and included genera, such as Ephedra and Asarum, that are potentially toxic. Similarly, animal families were identified that include genera that are classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, including Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica). Bovidae, Cervidae, and Bufonidae DNA were also detected in many of the TCM samples and were rarely declared on the product packaging. This study demonstrates that deep sequencing via HTS is an efficient and cost-effective way to audit highly processed TCM products and will assist in monitoring their legality and safety especially when plant reference databases become better established.