Phylogenetic examination of crude drugs derived from Yunnanese Swertia plants.

Aiming to examine whether the genetic background of the crude drugs derived from four Yunnanese Swertia plants and their chemical constituent profiles correlate, we analyzed the nucleotide sequences of their nuclear ribosomal DNA regions including ITS1, 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, and ITS2, together with those of Japanese S. japonica and S. pseudochinensis from Hebei Province. The result that two of the Yunnanese Swertia plants, S. binchuanensis and S. punicea, were genetically similar may explain their similarity in chemical constituent profiles. On the other hand, in spite of differences in chemical profile, S. decora and S. pseudochinensis were genetically close. The other Yunnanese Swertia plants, S. delavayi, and S. japonica, stood at intermediate positions between these two genetically similar pairs. The result suggests that although genetic background would have an influence, environmental factors, e.g., soil and weather conditions, might be critical for their production of secondary metabolites.