Earticle

Lagerstroemia speciosa (commonly known as Banaba tree) is a medicinal plant known for its antidiabetic and antioxidant effects, and its demand is increasing as a raw material for dietary supplements in Korea. However, due to its morphological similarity in processed raw materials with other plants such as Diospyros kaki , Eriobotrya japonica , and Lagerstroemia indica , there is a high risk of intentional adulteration during commercial distribution. To address this issue, we developed a rapid and accurate genetic authentication assay methods using Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) primers designed based on species-specific nucleotide within the psb A-trn H region of L. speciosa , D. kaki , E. japonica , and L. indica . In this study, we analyzed 14 samples for these four plant species, and the psb A-trn H region were successfully amplified and sequenced. Multiple sequence alignment results revealed several species-specific nucleotide variations, which were subsequently used to design SCAR primers for each species. PCR assays using these primers generated species-specific amplicons ranging from 91 to 402 bp, enabling precise species discrimination. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that the detection limits varied among species, with the assay capable of detecting admixture levels as low as 0.1–1.0%, depending on the species. The SCAR primers-based genetic assay developed in this study provides a rapid and reliable method for the accurate identification of L. speciosa and its morphologically similar species, offering a valuable tool for the quality control and safety assurance of functional plant materials used in herbal and health food products.