Abstract
Rokujo（鹿茸，Antler Velvet, Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum） is described in The Japanese Standards for Non-Pharmacopoeial Crude Drugs 2018 as “The young unossified antler of male Cervus nippon Temminck, C. elaphus Linne, C. canadensis Erxleben or congeners （Cervidae）.” The mature antler is called Rokkaku and has a different medicinal effect from that of Rokujo. The young antler of Tonakai （Rangifer tarandus Linne, also known as Junroku 馴鹿） of the same Cervidae family may be misused as a raw material of Rokujo because their antlers have been used as a crude drug in some regions other than Japan.
The first step in assuring the quality of crude drugs is to use the correct raw materials. To guarantee the quality of the raw materials, it is important to establish a test method that uses objective criteria to evaluate product quality. In this study to differentiate Rokujo, we attempted not only morphological observation, but also a catalase reaction test that can easily and quickly discriminate blood tissues present. Furthermore, because these antlers possess a slight autofluorescence, we also attempted their fluorescence microscope observation and measurement of their fluorescence fingerprints. The combination of these tests revealed that one market product of Rokujo used young antlers of R. tarandus as a raw material.
So, we concluded that the proper combination of these tests is the best way to discriminate between Rokujo, Rokkaku, and young antler of Tonakai. Additionally, this is a good method that can be applied even to powdered samples.
