UNASSIGNED: A total of 274 COI sequences were analyzed by using MEGA 5.0 software. Several specific primers were designed to amplify mini-barcode regions and identify G. gecko from its counterfeits and products.
UNASSIGNED: 274 COI sequences of G. gecko and 15 adulterants species were analyzed. G. gecko could be distinguished from its adulterants through BLAST analysis, intra- and inter-specific distance analyses, and an NJ tree based on COI sequences. Two pairs of specific primers designed for this study, COISF2/COISR2 and COISF3/COISR3, amplified 200- and 133-bp fragments of the COI region, respectively, both of which were suitable for the identification of G. gecko and its adulterants. Furthermore, COISF3/COISR3 detected G. gecko in 15 batches of products.
UNASSIGNED: Therefore, the specific DNA mini-barcoding method developed here may be a powerful tool for the identification of G. gecko and counterfeits, and may also be used to distinguish G. gecko from its highly processed by-products.