Developing RAPD markers for identification of three source plants of Ayurvedic raw drug ‘Patha’

Substitution or adulteration is two major threats that adversely affect the therapeutic efficacy of ayurvedic medicines. Patha is an ayurvedic drug used in the treatment of various diseases like stomach pain, fever, skin conditions etc. Cissampelos pereira (Menispermaceae) is the genuine source plant of Patha. Cyclea peltata and Stephania japonica, two other species of the same family are also being used as the source of this drug in different parts of the country. RAPD profiles of all the three species generated with twenty random primers exhibited 95.68% polymorphism among them. The high level of polymorphism obtained in RAPD profiles can be used in authenticating the genuine source plant of the raw drug ‘Patha’ from its substitutes/adulterants so as to guarantee the quality of this drug.