Background : Plants belonging to 5 species of the genus Eleutherococcus are currently distributed in the Korean peninsula. The traditional medicine ‘Ogapi’, derived from Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus and other related species, and ‘Gasiogapi’, derived from Eleutherococcus senticosus, are frequently mixed up and marketed. Therefore, accurated identification of their origins in urgently required.
Methods and Results : Candidate genes from nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) of Eleutherococcus plants were analyzed. Whereas the nrDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were useful in elucidating the phylogenetic relationships among the plants, the cpDNA regions were not as effective. Therefore, a combined analysis with nrDNA-ITS was performed. Various combinations of nrDNA and matK were effective for discriminating among the plants. However, the matK and rpoC1 combination was ineffective for discriminating among some species. Based on these results, it was found that OG1, OG4, OG5, OG7, GS1, GS2, and GS3 were derived from E. sessiliflorus. In particular, it was confirmed that GS1, GS2, and GS3 were not derived from E. senticosus. However, more samples need to be analyzed because identification of the origins of OG2, OG3, OG6 and GS4 was not possible.
Conclusion : The ITS2, ITS5a, and matK combination was the most effective in identifying the phylogenetic relationship among Eleutherococcus plants and traditional medicines based on Eleutherococcus.

• 김정훈(동국대학교 바이오환경과학과) | Jeong Hun Kim
• 변지희(동국대학교 바이오환경과학과) | Ji Hui Byeon
• 박효섭(동국대학교 바이오환경과학과) | Hyo Seop Park
• 이정훈(농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 인삼특작부) | Jeong Hoon Lee
• 이상원(농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 인삼특작부) | Sang Won Lee
• 차선우(농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 인삼특작부) | Sun Woo Cha
• 조준형(동국대학교 바이오환경과학과) | Joon Hyeong Cho Corresponding Author