Internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis of Angelica from different habitats

The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), located between the 18S and 26S nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences, has a high degree of variation. Analysis of ITS sequences is commonly used to identify the authenticity of Chinese herbal medicines. The aim of this study is to analyze ITS sequences of Angelica from different habitats to find out whether there are differences in sequence. Angelicas from three habitats were used in this study, including Taiwan, Sichuan Province (China), and Gansu Province (China). DNA was extracted from Angelicas, and ITS sequences were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. The results showed that the similarity of ITS-1 and ITS-2 rDNA sequences in Angelicas produced in Gansu and Sichuan Provinces is up to 100%, and that produced in Taiwan and Sichuan Province is 88% and 87%, respectively. Therefore, we could use PCR and ITS sequencing analysis to identify whether these Angelicas were the same strain, in order to determine their worthiness and authenticity in terms of traditional Chinese medicine.