A digital PCR approach to assess the purity of oregano

Herbs and spices are food categories known to be at high risk of adulteration. Presence of undeclared foreign plant species has often been reported in oregano and may have a direct impact on its organoleptic quality and potentially the safety of this aromatic herb. A droplet digital PCR approach was developed to assess the purity of oregano by quantifying the DNA copies of oregano versus the total plant DNA copies. Nuclear single-copy genes were selected by targeting the terpene synthase 5 gene from oregano and the plant phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase 2 gene. The reactions were specific to the Origanum genus and plant materials respectively, whereas trueness and precision data confirmed the reliability of the method to quantify oregano. The applicability of the method was further verified on proficiency test samples before being applied on commercial oregano samples.