DNA barcoding and NMR spectroscopy-based assessment of species adulteration in the raw herbal trade of Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Willd, an important medicinal plant.

TLDR: This is the first comprehensive and large-scale study to demonstrate the widespread adulteration of market samples of S. asoca in India and argues for a strong and robust regulatory framework to be put in place, which would ensure the quality of raw herbal trade products and reassure consumer confidence in indigenous medicinal systems.

Abstract: Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Willd, commonly known as “Asoka” or “Ashoka,” is one of the most important medicinal plants used in raw herbal trade in India. The bark extracts of the tree are used in the treatment of leucorrhea and other uterine disorders besides also having anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-pyretic, anti-helminthic, and analgesic activity. The indiscriminate and rampant extraction of the wood to meet the ever-increasing market demand has led to a sharp decline in naturally occurring populations of the species in the country. Consequently, the species has recently been classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Increasing deforestation and increasing demand for this medicinal plant have resulted in a limited supply and suspected widespread adulteration of the species in the raw herbal trade market. Adulteration is a serious concern due to: (i) reduction in the efficacy of this traditional medicine, (ii) considerable health risk to consumers, and (iii) fraudulent product substitution that impacts the economy for the Natural Health Product (NHP) Industry and consumers. In this paper, we provide the first attempt to assess the extent of adulteration in the raw herbal trade of S. asoca using DNA barcoding validated by NMR spectroscopic techniques. Analyzing market samples drawn from 25 shops, mostly from peninsular India, we show that more than 80 % of the samples were spurious, representing plant material from at least 7 different families. This is the first comprehensive and large-scale study to demonstrate the widespread adulteration of market samples of S. asoca in India. These results pose grave implications for the use of raw herbal drugs, such as that of S. asoca, on consumer health and safety. Based on these findings, we argue for a strong and robust regulatory framework to be put in place, which would ensure the quality of raw herbal trade products and reassure consumer confidence in indigenous medicinal systems.

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ttps://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-021-02669-x
CORRECTION
Correction to: DNA barcoding andNMR spectroscopy-based
assessment ofspecies adulteration intheraw herbal trade ofSaraca
asoca (Roxb.) Willd, animportant medicinal plant
SanthoshKumarJayanthinagarUrumarudappa
1,2,3
· NavdeepGogna
4
· StevenG.Newmaster
5
·
KrishnaVenkatarangaiah
3
· RagupathySubramanyam
5
· SeethapathyGopalakrishnanSaroja
6
·
RavikanthGudasalamani
6
· KavitaDorai
4
· UmaShaankerRamanan
1,2,6
© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
The original article can be found online at https:// doi. org/ 10. 1007/
s00414- 016- 1436-y
* Uma Shaanker Ramanan
umashaanker@gmail.com
1
School ofEcology andConservation, University
ofAgricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore560065, India
2
Department ofCrop Physiology, University ofAgricultural
Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore560065, India
3
Department ofPost Graduate Studies andResearch
inBiotechnology, Jnanasahyadri, Kuvempu University,
Shankaraghatta, Shimoga577451, India
4
Indian Institute ofScience Education andResearch (IISER)
Mohali, Knowledge City Sector 81, PO Manauli, Mohali,
Punjab140306, India
5
College ofBiological Sciences, Department ofIntegrative
Biology, University ofGuelph, TorontoN1G2W1, Canada
6
Ashoka Trust forResearch inEcology andtheEnvironment,
Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur Post, Bangalore560064,
India
Correction to: International Journal of Legal Medicine (2016) 130:1457–1470
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-016-1436-y
After publication of this article the authors realised that
the Conflict of Interest statement was incomplete. The
Conflict of Interest statement should read as follows: "Steven
Newmaster was the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer
of TRU-ID, a voluntary certification program to ensure
botanical ingredients are authentic, which was established
by the University of Guelph in 2013 and in which all profits
went to support research on authentication of botanicals.
TRU-ID closed down in 2020". The authors apologise for
this omission.
Additionally, in this article the affiliation details for
Author Steven G. Newmaster were incorrectly given as
’Centre for Biodiversity Genomics (CBG), College of
Biological Sciences, Department of Integrative Biology,
University of Guelph, Toronto N1G 2W1, Canada’
but should have been ’College of Biological Sciences,
Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph,
Toronto N1G 2W1, Canada’.
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to
jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Published online: 9 August 2021
International Journal of Legal Medicine (2021) 135:2681