Detection of Botanicals and Adulterants Using the Novel DNA-Based Technology "Seq

描述（由申请人提供）：从化妆品到补充剂和药品-使用各种植物的天然产品对我们的健康和福祉起着重要作用。然而，欺骗性掺假给天然产品行业和消费者的安全带来了巨大的风险；有一些众所周知的案例涉及有毒物种的替代，导致疾病甚至死亡。有许多通常用于植物鉴定的方法-从显微镜到化学和红外辐射-它们检测和识别掺假的能力各不相同。尽管基于dna的技术尚未广泛应用于工业，但有许多方法为解决我们在掺假检测方面的挑战提供了巨大的潜力，特别是在密切相关的物种中。在拟议的项目中，我们将开发一种新的检测方法，Detect IDNATM，专门用于经济可靠地检测和识别掺假和污染物，甚至在胶囊和植物提取物等加工材料中也是如此。“检测DNA”是基于一种创新的方法，整合和完善了两种成熟的技术：定点PCR分析和DNA测序，我们将其命名为“测序定点PCR”（SSTP）。本提案的目标是证明该技术并展示我们的检测IDNATM测试线的商业可行性。我们将通过以下具体目标来实现这些目标：(1)设计和优化PCR引物阵列；(2)验证PCR引物的敏感性和特异性；(3)对商品材料的适用性进行测试。对于第一阶段，我们将通过分析三个存在严重掺假问题的物种来证明我们方法的适用性和意义：黑升麻，黄帽和西洋参。虽然西洋参通常被劣质亲戚替代，但其他品种容易被有毒物种掺假，这给消费者带来了很大的安全问题。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): From cosmetics, to supplements and pharmaceuticals- natural products using a wide-array of botanicals play an important role in our health and wellbeing. However, deceitful adulteration poses a great risk to the natural products industry and the safety of its consumers; there are a number of well-known cases involving substitution by toxic species that have led to illness and even death. There are numerous methods commonly used for botanical authentication- from microscopy, to chemistry, and infrared radiation- that vary in their ability to detect and identify adulterants. Although DNA-based technologies have not yet been widely used in industry, there are a number of methods that offer great potential for solving our challenges with adulterant detection, especially of closely related species. In the proposed project, we will develop a new test, Detect IDNATM, specifically designed to affordably and reliably, detect and identify adulterants and contaminants, even in processed materials such as capsules and botanical extracts. Detect IDNA" is based on an innovative method that integrates and refines two well- established technologies: Site-Targeted PCR analysis and DNA sequencing, which we have named "Sequenced Site-Targeted PCR" (SSTP). The objectives of this proposal are to prove the technology and demonstrate the commercial viability of our Detect IDNATM testing line. We will accomplish these objectives with the following Specific Aims: (1) Design and Optimize an Array of PCR Primers; (2) Validate the PCR Primer Sensitivity and Specificity; and (3) Test the Applicability on Commercial Materials. For Phase I, we will demonstrate the applicability and significance of our method by analyzing three species, which have significant issues with adulteration: black cohosh, skullcap, and American ginseng. While American ginseng is commonly substituted by inferior relatives, the others are prone to adulteration by toxic species leading to great safety concerns for consumers.