DNA barcoding: an efficient tool to overcome authentication challenges in the herbal market

Area of Science:

• Botany
• Genetics
• Pharmacognosy

Background:

• Global resurgence in herbal healthcare has increased the trade of raw herbal drugs.
• Accurate and rapid plant identification is vital for the success of the herbal drug industry.
• Conventional taxonomic identification is time-consuming for industrial-scale bulk identification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight DNA barcoding as a feasible tool for rapid and robust plant species identification.
• To discuss the role of DNA barcoding in resolving authentication challenges in the herbal market.
• To propose an integrated systems biology approach for holistic quality control of herbal drugs.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing established DNA barcode loci (matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA, ITS, trnL-F, 5S-rRNA, 18S-rRNA) for species identification.
• Employing next-generation sequencing and high-resolution melting curve analysis for species-level resolution in finished herbal products.
• Developing and applying multilocus strategies for enhanced plant identification accuracy.

Main Results:

• DNA barcoding provides a rapid and robust alternative to conventional taxonomic identification.
• Advances in DNA barcoding enable species-level resolution from finished herbal products.
• Multilocus strategies improve the efficacy of DNA barcode-based plant identification.

Conclusions:

• DNA barcoding is an effective tool for the herbal drug industry, ensuring accurate identification and quality control.
• Integrating DNA barcoding with metabolomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics offers a holistic systems biology approach for herbal authentication.
• This integrated strategy is essential for addressing authentication challenges in the global herbal market.