The authentication of components from plant species is vital for the quality control and standardization of
herbal medicines. Due to morphological similarities when dried, it is very difficult to distinguish authentic medicinal
plants Patrinia villosa and P. scabiosifolia from adulterants of P. rupestris and P. saniculifolia in the herbal medicine
Patriniae Radix. To establish a reliable authentication tool distinguishing authentic Patriniae Radix species from
adulterants, we used random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) genomic profiling and obtained several species-specific
DNA fragments for each of the four Patrinia species. Based on the sequences of these amplicons, we developed
sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers as stable molecular authentication tools. SCAR markers to
identify the authentic Patriniae Radix species, P. villosa and P. scabiosifolia, were developed.