Authentication of Saussurea lappa Species by Internal Transcribed Spacer Sequence and Chromatographic analysis

Saussurea lappa, a medicinal plant known locally in Indonesia known as pucuk, is recognized for its potential health benefits. This study aimed to authenticate dried root samples obtained from a local herbal store by sequencing the ITS region (ITS4/ITS5) and analyzing the results using BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool). The dried roots of Saussurea lappa were extracted with 70% ethanol and the active components were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS). BLAST analysis of the ITS4/ITS5-amplified sequences yielded an E-value of 0.00, 99% identity, and >90% query coverage, confirming a strong match with Saussurea costus (syn. Saussurea lappa). GC-MS and LC-MS analyses revealed several compounds in the ethanolic extract with immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Saussurea lappa contained key bioactive compounds including alpha-costol, beta-costol, santamarine, beta-cyclodihydrocostunolide, dehydrosaussurea lactone, beta-cyclocostunolide, costunolide, and dehydrocostus lactone. Combining GC-MS, LC-MS, and BLAST analysis further confirmed the sample as Saussurea costus (syn. Saussurea lappa), enhancing authentication accuracy.