Molecular Discrimination of Cervidae Antlers and Rangifer Antlers

Cervi Parvum Cornu is widely used as a hemopoietic, tonifying, growth-promoting, cardiotonic, and immuno-modulating agent in Korea. In order to develop the quality control method of Cervi Parvum Cornu by the identification of the biological source or origin, the molecular approach was applied using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and PCR-RFLF (PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism) analysis. In the PCR analysis of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene and cytochrome b gene regions, no distinctive DNA bands from Cervidae (deer) antlers and Rangifer (reindeer) antlers were observed. However, when the amplified products in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene region were subjected to restriction digestion with TaqI, Cervidae antlers showed an undigested state of 380 by band, differently from two bands of 230 by and 1S0 by from Rangifer antlers. Based on this finding, the base sequences of amplified PCR products in the range of mitochondria) cytochrome b gene from Cervidae antlers and Rangifer antlers were determined and subjected to restriction analysis by various endonucleases. The results showed that antlers from Rangifer species could be simply discriminated with other antlers from 8 Cervidae species (Chinese deer, Russian deer, Hong Kong deer, New Zealand deer, Kazakhstan deer, elk, red deer and Sika deer) by PCR-RFLP analysis using AtuI, HaeIII, HpaII or Sau3AI(MboI) as well as TaqI in the range of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene.