秦艽為常用中藥材，始載於『神農本草經』，列為中品，有祛風濕、舒筋止痛之功能。秦艽藥材之基原為龍膽科（Gentianaceae）植物大葉秦艽 Gentiana macrophylla Pall.、麻花秦艽 Gentiana straminea Maxim.、粗莖秦艽 Gentiana crassicaulis Duthie ex Burk.或小秦艽 Gentiana dahurica Fisch.之乾燥根。因龍膽屬之植物在形態上非常類似，不易辨別，爲確保秦艽用藥之正確性，防止誤用品影響療效與安全，而進行市售秦艽藥材之基原鑑定。
本計畫分別自中藥廠與中藥房價購秦艽檢體各21件與29件，共計50件，以生藥學方法即外觀性狀、組織形態、薄層層析法與基因分析法鑑別，並與對照藥材比對及參考文獻，進行基原鑑定並建立鑑別方法。50件檢體中，正品佔92％，包含粗莖秦艽29件（58%），麻花秦艽13件（26%）與小秦艽4件（8%）；非正品佔8％，包含澤庫秦艽（G. zekuensis）3件（6%）與天山龍膽（G. tianschanica Rupr.）1件（2%）。結果顯示市售品秦艽仍有誤用情形，宜應導正。另本研究建立秦艽藥材之鑑別方法，可供本局及相關機關之業務執行及藥廠或業界用藥之參考。

The botanical origin of Gentianae Radix is the dried root of Gentiana macrophylla Pall., Gentiana straminea Maxim., Gentiana crassicaulis Duthie ex Burk. or Gentiana dahurica Fisch. Because of the
morphological similarities of Gentianae species, alternatives and adulterants were found and reported in literatures. In order to identify the botanical origins of commercial Gentianae Radix in Taiwan, fifty samples,purchased from market, were distinguished from authentic materials by morphology, microscopy, thin layer chromatographic analysis and DNA sequencing.
Identification approaches were established in this study and applied to identify botanical origins of samples.The results showed that 46 out of 50 samples (92%) were Gentianae Radix, including 29 of G. crassicaulis, 13 of G. straminea and 4 of G. dahurica. 4 out of 50 samples were adulterants, including 3 of G. zekuensis and 1 of G. tianschanica.