DNA barcoding to trace botanicals from the field to the food supplement. DNA barcoding of botanicals

The global market of food supplements is growing and growing, along with onsumers demand for high-quality herbal products. Neverthless, substitution fraud and adulteration cases remain a common safety problem of global concern. In the last years, the DNA barcoding approach has been proposed as a valid molecular-based identification method and it is now commonly used in the authentication of herbal and food products. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether or not DNA barcoding can be applied to trace the plant species from the starting raw material to the finished (and processed) commercial products. We selected a panel of 28 phytoextracts obtained through three different extraction methods (i.e., maceration, percolation and sonication) with different solvents (i.e., ethanol, deionyzed water and glycerol). Furthermore, we chose six plant species for which we also collected and analysed all the intermediates of the industrial production. We sequenced and analyzed the sequence variability at both DNA barcoding (psbA-trnH, ITS) and minibarcoding (rbcL 1-B) marker regions. Phytoextracts obtained through hydroalcoholic treatment, with the lower percentage of ethanol (<40%), and aqueous processing, at the lowest temperature, had major rate of sequencig and identification success. This study proves that DNA barcoding is a useful tool for botanical traceability, that would provide consumers with safe and high quality herbal products.