DNA barcode testing in authentication of botanical raw material coming of age

Several conventional techniques such as macroscopy, powder microscopy, and other pharmacognostic testing; organoleptic methods; chemotaxonomy; and chemical methods such as thin layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) have their own advantages as well as disadvantages in species authentication and form part of pharmacopoeial monographs. An ideal plant barcode needs to be amplifiable with only a single set of primers so that it can be efficiently retrievable from any of the over 200,000 plant species. [...]a single barcode fulfilling these two requirements has not been found in plants, and a combination of two or more will be required to approach the level of species discrimination and universality. [...]authors propose that the manufacturers of products, dietary supplements, and extracts may develop DNA mini-barcodes of shorter than 300 bp to test finished formulations and dietary supplements and validate before being made available to buyers. [...]we can create confidence among buyers with regard to authenticity of botanical raw material used.