Detection and Quantification of Botanical Impurities in Commercial Oregano () Using Metabarcoding and Digital PCR.

DNA technology for food authentication is already well established, and with the advent of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and, more specifically, metabarcoding, compositional analysis of food at the molecular level has rapidly gained popularity. This has led to several reports in the media about the presence of foreign, non-declared species in several food commodities. As herbs and spices are attractive targets for fraudulent manipulation, a combination of digital PCR and metabarcoding by NGS was employed to check the purity of 285 oregano samples taken from the European market.

Use of elemental profiles determined by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and multivariate analyses to detect adulteration in Ceylon cinnamon.

The price of Cinnamomum verum (Ceylon cinnamon) is around twice as high as that of the other cinnamon varieties commonly grouped under the name cassia cinnamon, making the former spice an attractive target for fraudsters. This work demonstrates that elemental profiles obtained by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence in combination with multivariate analyses can be used as a screening method to detect Ceylon cinnamon adulteration. Thirty-six elements were analysed in 52 commercially available cinnamon samples, 29 Ceylon, 8 cassia, and 15 for which no indication about variety was provided.

DNA Accounting: Tallying Genomes to Detect Adulterated Saffron.

The EU General Food Law not only aims at ensuring food safety but also to 'prevent fraudulent or deceptive practices; the adulteration of food; and any other practices which may mislead the consumer'. Especially the partial or complete, deliberate, and intentional substitution of valuable ingredients (e.g.

C-type lectin receptor DCIR modulates immunity to tuberculosis by sustaining type I interferon signaling in dendritic cells.

Immune response against pathogens is a tightly regulated process that must ensure microbial control while preserving integrity of the infected organs. Tuberculosis (TB) is a paramount example of a chronic infection in which antimicrobial immunity is protective in the vast majority of infected individuals but can become detrimental if not finely tuned. Here, we report that C-type lectin dendritic cell (DC) immunoreceptor (DCIR), a key component in DC homeostasis, is required to modulate lung inflammation and bacterial burden in TB.