LAUSR

The taxonomic usefulness of selected marker compounds was investigated by analyzing the chemotaxonomy of 25 taxa in the Korean Campanulaceae. Our data permit discrimination of the source plants of crude drugs listed in the Korean Pharmacopoeia and the Korean Herbal Pharmacopoeia. Chemotaxonomic analysis methods were validated, and quantitative measurements of six marker compounds were made using HPLC. Marker compound similarities among taxa were identified through multivariate statistical analyses (principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis). The chemical analysis method was validated with regard to linearity, lower limit of detection, lower limit of quantitation, precision, accuracy, and recovery. The analysis revealed differences in the marker compound composition of each genus. Eight genera comprising Adenophora, Codonopsis, Asyneuma, Campanula, Hanabusaya, Platycodon, Wahlenbergia, and Peracarpa clustered according to the chemical classification. The results indicated that the six marker compounds used in this analysis were useful in identifying Korean Campanulaceae. These marker compound data were able to successfully discriminate among the three species that are sold as the crude drug Adenophorae Radix.