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Ragupathy S, Thirugnanasambandam A, Vinayagam V, Newmaster SG. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Fingerprints and Mini DNA Markers for the Authentication of Cinnamon Species Ingredients Used in Food and Natural Health Products. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:841. [PMID: 38592863 PMCID: PMC10975438 DOI: 10.3390/plants13060841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Cinnamomum verum (syn C. zeylanicum) is considered 'true' cinnamon. However, it is reported that less expensive sources of cinnamon from C. cassia (syn C. aromaticum), C. loureiroi, and C. burmannii (toxic coumarin) may be used in the place of C. verum. We lack the quality assurance tools that are required to differentiate C. verum from other cinnamon species when verifying that the correct species is sourced from ingredient suppliers. The current research on cinnamon species authentication using DNA tools is limited to a few species and the use of high-quality DNA extracted from raw leaf materials. The cinnamon bark traded in the supply chain contains much less DNA and poorer-quality DNA than leaves. Our research advances DNA methods to authenticate cinnamon, as we utilized full-length chloroplast genomes via a genome skimming approach for C. burmannii and C. cassia to facilitate the design of optimal mini DNA markers. Furthermore, we developed and validated the use of NMR fingerprints for several commercial cinnamon species, including the quantification of 16 molecules. NMR fingerprints provided additional data that were useful for quality assessment in cinnamon extract powders and product consistency. Both the new mini DNA markers and NMR fingerprints were tested on commercial cinnamon products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramanyam Ragupathy
- Natural Health Products (NHP) Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (V.V.); (S.G.N.)
| | - Arunachalam Thirugnanasambandam
- Natural Health Products (NHP) Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (V.V.); (S.G.N.)
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Development of Hydrolysis Probe-Based qPCR Assays for Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius for Detection of Adulteration in Ginseng Herbal Products. Foods 2021; 10:foods10112705. [PMID: 34828986 PMCID: PMC8618564 DOI: 10.3390/foods10112705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Authentication of Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius products is important to be able to mitigate instances of adulteration and substitution that exist within the international supply chain of ginseng. To address this issue, species-specific hydrolysis probe qPCR assays were developed and validated for both P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius herbal dietary supplements. Performance of the probe-based assays was evaluated using analytical validation criteria, which included evaluation of: (1) specificity, in selectively identifying the target species; (2) sensitivity, in detecting the lowest amount of the target material; and (3) repeatability and reproducibility of the method in detecting the target species in raw materials on a real-time PCR platform (reliability). The species-specific probes were developed and successfully passed the validation criteria with 100% specificity, 80–120% efficiency and 100% reliability. The methods developed in this study are fit for purpose, rapid, and easy to implement in quality assurance programs; authentication of ginseng herbal supplements is possible, even with extracts where DNA is fragmented and of low quality and quantity.
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Shanmughanandhan J, Shanmughanandhan D, Ragupathy S, Henry TA, Newmaster SG. Validation and Optimization of qPCR Method for Identification of Actaea racemosa (Black Cohosh) NHPs. J AOAC Int 2021; 104:836-846. [PMID: 33346838 DOI: 10.1093/jaoacint/qsaa167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Actaea racemosa (black cohosh) herbal dietary supplements are commonly used to treat menopausal symptoms in women. However, there is a considerable risk of contamination of A. racemosa herbal products in the natural health product (NHP) industry, impacting potential efficacy. Authentication of A. racemosa products is challenging because of the standard, multi-part analytical chemistry methods that may be too costly and not appropriate for both raw and finished products. OBJECTIVE In this paper, we discuss developing and validating quick alternative biotechnology methods to authenticate A. racemosa herbal dietary supplements, based on the use of a species-specific hydrolysis PCR probe assay. METHODS A qPCR-based species-specific hydrolysis probe assay was designed, validated, and optimized for precisely identifying the species of interest using the following analytical validation criteria: (1) specificity (accuracy) in determining the target species ingredient, while not identifying other non-target species; (2) sensitivity in detecting the smallest amount of the target material; and (3) reliability (repeatability and reproducibility) in detecting the target species in raw materials on a real-time PCR platform. RESULTS The results show that the species-specific hydrolysis probe assay was successfully developed for the raw materials and powders of A. racemosa. The specificity of the test was 100% to the target species. The efficiency of the assay was observed to be 99%, and the reliability of the assay was 100% for the raw/starting and powder materials. CONCLUSION The method developed in this study can be used to authenticate and perform qualitative analysis of A. racemosa supplements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeevitha Shanmughanandhan
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Dhivya Shanmughanandhan
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Subramanyam Ragupathy
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Thomas A Henry
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Steven G Newmaster
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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Raclariu-Manolică AC, Anmarkrud JA, Kierczak M, Rafati N, Thorbek BLG, Schrøder-Nielsen A, de Boer HJ. DNA Metabarcoding for Quality Control of Basil, Oregano, and Paprika. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:665618. [PMID: 34149762 PMCID: PMC8213367 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.665618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Herbs and spices are some of the most vulnerable products in terms of fraud and adulteration in the food sector. Although standard analytical methods are accurate for quality control of specific lead or marker compounds, they cannot accurately assess the entire species composition of many marketed products. Complementary analytical approaches are thus often used for comprehensive screening of herbs and spices. In this study we evaluate DNA metabarcoding for the identification and authentication of 62 products, containing basil, oregano, and paprika collected from different retailers and importers in Norway. Our results show varying degrees of discrepancy between the constituent species and those listed on the product labels, despite high product authenticity. We suggest the false positives result from the sensitivity of DNA metabarcoding and filtering thresholds should be integrated into protocols to reduce false positives. Our results highlight how integrating DNA metabarcoding into the toolbox of analytical methods for quality control of fresh and/or processed plant-based food can improve product quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ancuţa Cristina Raclariu-Manolică
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Stejarul Research Centre for Biological Sciences, National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Piatra Neamt, Romania
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Shanmughanandhan J, Shanmughanandhan D, Ragupathy S, Henry TA, Newmaster SG. Quantification of Actaea racemosa L. (black cohosh) from some of its potential adulterants using qPCR and dPCR methods. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4331. [PMID: 33619286 PMCID: PMC7900226 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80465-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The demand for popular natural health products (NHPs) such as Black Cohosh is increasing considerably, which in turn challenges quality assurance (QA) throughout the supply chain. To detect and quantify the target species present in a given NHP, DNA-based molecular techniques such as Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and digital PCR (dPCR) are standard tools in the food and pathogen testing industries. There is a gap in the literature concerning validated quantitative PCR methods for botanicals that can be utilized for QA and good manufacturing practices. The objective of this study is to develop an efficient quantification method using qPCR and dPCR techniques for the detection and quantification of Actaea racemosa (Black cohosh) NHPs from its potential adulterants. These developed methods are validated for applicability on commercial NHPs. Species-specific hydrolysis probe assays were designed to analyze the black cohosh NHPs using qPCR and dPCR techniques. The results confirmed that the developed qPCR and dPCR methods are highly precise for identifying and quantifying black cohosh NHPs, indicating their potential applicability in future routine industrial and laboratory testing. This enables a single qPCR test to determine not only the presence of a specific botanical, but also the amount when mixed with an adulterant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeevitha Shanmughanandhan
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Dhivya Shanmughanandhan
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Subramanyam Ragupathy
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Thomas A Henry
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Steven G Newmaster
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
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Genome skimming and NMR chemical fingerprinting provide quality assurance biotechnology to validate Sarsaparilla identity and purity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19192. [PMID: 33154455 PMCID: PMC7645426 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76073-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sarsaparilla is a popular natural health product (NHP) that has been reported to be one of the most adulterated botanicals in the marketplace. Several plausible explanations are documented including economically motivated product substitution, unintentional errors due to ambiguous trade name associated with several different taxa, and wild harvesting of incorrect non-commercial plants. Unfortunately, this includes the case of an adulterant species Decalepis hamiltonii, a Red listed medicinal plant species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and declared as a species with high conservation concern by the National Biodiversity Authority of India (NBA). This study provides validated genomic (genome skimming & DNA probes) and metabolomic (NMR chemical fingerprints) biotechnology solutions to prevent adulteration on both raw materials and finished products. This is also the first use of Oxford Nanopore on herbal products enabling the use of genome skimming as a tool for quality assurance within the supply chain of botanical ingredients. The validation of both genomics and metabolomics approach provided quality assurance perspective for both product identity and purity. This research enables manufactures and retailers to verify their supply chain is authentic and that consumers can enjoy safe, healthy products.
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Howard C, Lockie-Williams C, Slater A. Applied Barcoding: The Practicalities of DNA Testing for Herbals. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 9:E1150. [PMID: 32899738 PMCID: PMC7570336 DOI: 10.3390/plants9091150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
DNA barcoding is a widely accepted technique for the identification of plant materials, and its application to the authentication of commercial medicinal plants has attracted significant attention. The incorporation of DNA-based technologies into the quality testing protocols of international pharmacopoeias represents a step-change in status, requiring the establishment of standardized, reliable and reproducible methods. The process by which this can be achieved for any herbal medicine is described, using Hypericum perforatum L. (St John's Wort) and potential adulterant Hypericum species as a case study. A range of practical issues are considered including quality control of DNA sequences from public repositories and the construction of individual curated databases, choice of DNA barcode region(s) and the identification of informative polymorphic nucleotide sequences. A decision tree informs the structure of the manuscript and provides a template to guide the development of future DNA barcode tests for herbals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Howard
- Biomolecular Technology Group, Leicester School of Allied Health Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
- BP-NIBSC Herbal Laboratory, National Institute for Biological Standards and Controls, Potters Bar EN6 3QG, UK;
| | - Claire Lockie-Williams
- BP-NIBSC Herbal Laboratory, National Institute for Biological Standards and Controls, Potters Bar EN6 3QG, UK;
| | - Adrian Slater
- Biomolecular Technology Group, Leicester School of Allied Health Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
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Park HS, Jayakodi M, Lee SH, Jeon JH, Lee HO, Park JY, Moon BC, Kim CK, Wing RA, Newmaster SG, Kim JY, Yang TJ. Mitochondrial plastid DNA can cause DNA barcoding paradox in plants. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6112. [PMID: 32273595 PMCID: PMC7145815 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63233-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The transfer of ancestral plastid genomes into mitochondrial genomes to generate mitochondrial plastid DNA (MTPT) is known to occur in plants, but its impacts on mitochondrial genome complexity and the potential for causing a false-positive DNA barcoding paradox have been underestimated. Here, we assembled the organelle genomes of Cynanchum wilfordii and C. auriculatum, which are indigenous medicinal herbs in Korea and China, respectively. In both species, it is estimated that 35% of the ancestral plastid genomes were transferred to mitochondrial genomes over the past 10 million years and remain conserved in these genomes. Some plastid barcoding markers co-amplified the conserved MTPTs and caused a barcoding paradox, resulting in mis-authentication of botanical ingredients and/or taxonomic mis-positioning. We identified dynamic and lineage-specific MTPTs that have contributed to mitochondrial genome complexity and might cause a putative barcoding paradox across 81 plant species. We suggest that a DNA barcoding guidelines should be developed involving the use of multiple markers to help regulate economically motivated adulteration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Seung Park
- Department of Plant Science, Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Murukarthick Jayakodi
- Department of Plant Science, Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sae Hyun Lee
- Department of Plant Science, Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hyeon Jeon
- Department of Plant Science, Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Oh Lee
- Phyzen Genomics Institute, Seongnam, 13558, Korea
| | - Jee Young Park
- Department of Plant Science, Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong Cheol Moon
- Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34054, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Kug Kim
- Genomics Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Jeonju, 54874, Republic of Korea
| | - Rod A Wing
- Arizona Genomics Institute, School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Steven G Newmaster
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ji Yeon Kim
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, 01811, Korea
| | - Tae-Jin Yang
- Department of Plant Science, Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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Crighton E, Coghlan ML, Farrington R, Hoban CL, Power MW, Nash C, Mullaney I, Byard RW, Trengove R, Musgrave IF, Bunce M, Maker G. Toxicological screening and DNA sequencing detects contamination and adulteration in regulated herbal medicines and supplements for diet, weight loss and cardiovascular health. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2019; 176:112834. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2019.112834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Faller AC, Arunachalam T, Shanmughanandhan D, Kesanakurti P, Shehata HR, Ragupathy S, Newmaster SG. Investigating appropriate molecular and chemical methods for ingredient identity testing of plant-based protein powder dietary supplements. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12130. [PMID: 31431646 PMCID: PMC6702227 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48467-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant-based protein powders are rapidly growing in popularity, and outdated quality assurance tools expose vulnerabilities to adulteration via different methods of "protein spiking". Adequate diagnostic tools are urgently needed to be able to authenticate protein source ingredients and screen for potential adulterants. We explored the application of three diagnostic tools for ingredient identification: targeted PCR with Sanger sequencing, NGS, and LC-MS/MS. We collected 33 samples of common commercial products from the plant-based protein powder market and sought to identify botanical components using the three technologies. We found success in detection with all approaches, with at least one main protein source being identified by at least one approach in all samples. The investigation uncovered challenges to data collection or result interpretation with each technology including but not limited to amplification biases with PCR technologies, potential influence of DNA degradation, and issues with protein solubility during isolation. Ultimately, each platform demonstrated utility along with certain caveats, which epitomized the importance of orthogonality of testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C Faller
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Thirugnanasambandam Arunachalam
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Dhivya Shanmughanandhan
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Prasad Kesanakurti
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Hanan R Shehata
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Subramanyam Ragupathy
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Steven G Newmaster
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
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Ragupathy S, Faller AC, Shanmughanandhan D, Kesanakurti P, Shaanker RU, Ravikanth G, Sathishkumar R, Mathivanan N, Song J, Han J, Newmaster S. Exploring DNA quantity and quality from raw materials to botanical extracts. Heliyon 2019; 5:e01935. [PMID: 31245647 PMCID: PMC6582161 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to explore the variability in DNA quality and quantity along a gradient of industrial processing of botanical ingredients from raw materials to extracts. METHODS A data matrix was assembled for 1242 botanical ingredient samples along a gradient of industrial processing commonly used in the Natural Health Product (NHP) industry. Multivariate statistics was used to explore dependant variables for quality and quantity. The success of attaining a positive DNA test result along a gradient of industrial processing was compared among four biotechnologies: DNA barcoding, NGS, Sanger sequencing and qPCR. RESULTS There was considerable variance in DNA quality and quantity among the samples, which could be interpreted along a gradient from raw materials with greater quantities (50-120 ng/μL) of DNA and longer DNA (400-500bp) sequences to extracts, which were characterized by lower quantities (0.1-10.0 ng/μL) and short fragments (50-150bp). CONCLUSIONS Targeted molecular diagnostic tests for species identity can be used in the NHP industry for raw and processed samples. Non-targeted tests or the use of NGS for any identity test needs considerable research and development and must be validated before it can be used in commercial operations as these methods are subject to considerable risk of false negative and positive results. Proper use of these tools can be used to ensure ingredient authenticity, and to avert adulteration, and contamination with plants that are a health concern. Lastly these tools can be used to prevent the exploitation of rare herbal species and the harvesting of native biodiversity for commercial purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramanyam Ragupathy
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Adam C. Faller
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Dhivya Shanmughanandhan
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Prasad Kesanakurti
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - R. Uma Shaanker
- Department of Crop Physiology and School of Ecology and Conservation, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Gudasalamani Ravikanth
- Conservation Genetics Lab, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Ramalingam Sathishkumar
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641046, India
| | - Narayanasamy Mathivanan
- Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany, University of Madras Guindy Campus, Chennai, 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jingyuan Song
- Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianping Han
- Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Steven Newmaster
- NHP Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
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DNA Authentication of St John's Wort ( Hypericum perforatum L.) Commercial Products Targeting the ITS Region. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10040286. [PMID: 30970623 PMCID: PMC6523358 DOI: 10.3390/genes10040286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is considerable potential for the use of DNA barcoding methods to authenticate raw medicinal plant materials, but their application to testing commercial products has been controversial. A simple PCR test targeting species-specific sequences within the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was adapted to screen commercial products for the presence of Hypericum perforatum L. material. DNA differing widely in amount and extent of fragmentation was detected in a number of product types. Two assays were designed to further analyse this DNA using a curated database of selected Hypericum ITS sequences: A qPCR assay based on a species-specific primer pair spanning the ITS1 and ITS2 regions, using synthetic DNA reference standards for DNA quantitation and a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) assay separately targeting the ITS1 and ITS2 regions. The ability of the assays to detect H. perforatum DNA sequences in processed medicines was investigated. Out of twenty different matrices tested, both assays detected H. perforatum DNA in five samples with more than 103 ITS copies µL−1 DNA extract, whilst the qPCR assay was also able to detect lower levels of DNA in two further samples. The NGS assay confirmed that H. perforatum was the major species in all five positive samples, though trace contaminants were also detected.
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