Benefits and Limitations of DNA Barcoding and Metabarcoding in Herbal Product Authentication

Abstract

IntroductionHerbal medicines play an important role globally in the health care sector and in industrialised countries they are often considered as an alternative to mono‐substance medicines. Current quality and authentication assessment methods rely mainly on morphology and analytical phytochemistry‐based methods detailed in pharmacopoeias. Herbal products however are often highly processed with numerous ingredients, and even if these analytical methods are accurate for quality control of specific lead or marker compounds, they are of limited suitability for the authentication of biological ingredients.ObjectiveTo review the benefits and limitations of DNA barcoding and metabarcoding in complementing current herbal product authentication.MethodRecent literature relating to DNA based authentication of medicinal plants, herbal medicines and products are summarised to provide a basic understanding of how DNA barcoding and metabarcoding can be applied to this field.ResultsDifferent methods of quality control and authentication have varying resolution and usefulness along the value chain of these products. DNA barcoding can be used for authenticating products based on single herbal ingredients and DNA metabarcoding for assessment of species diversity in processed products, and both methods should be used in combination with appropriate hyphenated chemical methods for quality control.ConclusionsDNA barcoding and metabarcoding have potential in the context of quality control of both well and poorly regulated supply systems. Standardisation of protocols for DNA barcoding and DNA sequence‐based identification are necessary before DNA‐based biological methods can be implemented as routine analytical approaches and approved by the competent authorities for use in regulated procedures. © 2017 The Authors. Phytochemical Analysis Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PhytoAuthent: Molecular authentication of complex herbal food supplements for safety and efficacy

“…If the safety of the herbal products is interpreted to the limit of specific bioactive compounds, then methods of chemical analysis are more relevant than analysis of the composition based on the DNA sequence data, but when analysing product authenticity, species substitution or falsification, DNA barcoding and DNA metabarcoding offer uncomparable resolution in species diversity detection (Raclariu et al 2017a). …”

“…The EMA supports the use of innovative analytical technologies, such as DNA barcoding, to complement traditional chromatographic identification methods for substitute, filler and adulterant detection in herbal products. Many herbal preparations and products have a history of safe use, but there is growing concern about their quality, efficacy and safety, as a result of studies showing major discrepancies between label information and analysed composition (Raclariu et al 2017a). …”

Turning Meadow Weeds Into Valuable Species for the Romanian Ethnomedicine While Complying With the Environmentally Friendly Farming Requirements of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy

“…The herbal products, sold as medicines or food supplements, represent a core part of the TM which has been has recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a growing and expanding global phenomenon (World Health Organization, 2013). The rapidly expanding global market is expected to reach US$ 115 billion in 2020 (Raclariu et al, 2018) while the trade of medicinal plants will grow at the rate of 15%-25% annually and will reach US$ 5 trillion by 2050 (Booker et al, 2012). The increasing demand for herbals and the limited Xanthium strumarium L.…”

Botanical origin authentication of dietary supplements by DNA‐based approaches

“…Dietary supplements are legally considered as foods, both in the United States and in the European Union (EU) under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act and Directive 2002/46/EC (2002), respectively. Being considered as foods, dietary supplements do not require any approval from regulatory agencies before being introduced in the market, with manufacturers and suppliers being responsible for their safety and conformity with food law requirements (Raclariu, Heinrich, Ichim, & Boer, 2018; Rocha, Amaral, & Oliveira, 2016). Therefore, in several countries, guidelines have been established with regard to the safety of botanicals and botanical products, including the Current Good Manufacturing Practices for food supplements (FDA Regulation, 2007) and Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (Moraes, Still, Lum, & Hirsch, 2015; Raclariu et al., 2018; Sgamma et al., 2017; Smillie & Khan, 2010; van den Berg, Serra‐Majem, Coppens, & Rietjens, 2011).…”

“…Being considered as foods, dietary supplements do not require any approval from regulatory agencies before being introduced in the market, with manufacturers and suppliers being responsible for their safety and conformity with food law requirements (Raclariu, Heinrich, Ichim, & Boer, 2018; Rocha, Amaral, & Oliveira, 2016). Therefore, in several countries, guidelines have been established with regard to the safety of botanicals and botanical products, including the Current Good Manufacturing Practices for food supplements (FDA Regulation, 2007) and Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (Moraes, Still, Lum, & Hirsch, 2015; Raclariu et al., 2018; Sgamma et al., 2017; Smillie & Khan, 2010; van den Berg, Serra‐Majem, Coppens, & Rietjens, 2011). Even so, with the growing demand for dietary supplements in both developed and developing countries and the consequent increase of the global market of these products, which is expected to reach US$ 140 billion by 2024 (Global Industry Analyst, Inc., 2018; Newmaster, Grguric, Shanmughanandhan, Ramalingam, & Ragupathy, 2013; Sucher & Carles, 2008), different safety issues have emerged recently.…”