Tag Archive for: DNA barcoding

Problems with DNA Barcodes in Plants

The question is simple: is DNA barcoding useful in assessing whether dietary supplements contain the herbs they say they contain? If we were looking at the raw leaves or seeds or flowers of the herb, yes. But that’s not what happened: scientists tested bottles of herbal preparations pulled right off the shelves. In my opinion, as well as experts in the field, looking for the DNA won’t work.

The way we use herbal products today is very different from the way herbals were used earlier in our history. We don’t use raw plants or poultices the way . . .

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DNA Barcoding in Plants

I like to know how things work, and researching DNA barcoding in plants opened up a whole new world I was only partly familiar with. DNA barcoding is a method that examines regions on DNA to categorize animals, insects, plants, and just about everything else on this planet that has DNA.

I first learned about using DNA to identify organisms when I wrote the section on the microbiome in Real-Life Detox. Using specific regions of the DNA strand, scientists were able to identify more than 5 . . .

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If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.