Flower Species Ingredient Verification Using Orthogonal Molecular Methods.

Flowers are gaining considerable interest among consumers as ingredients in food, beverages, cosmetics, and natural health products. The supply chain trades in multiple forms of botanicals, including fresh whole flowers, which are easier to identify than dried flowers or flowers processed as powdered or liquid extracts. There is a gap in the scientific methods available for the verification of flower species ingredients traded in the supply chains of multiple markets.

Real-time PCR methods for identification and stability monitoring of subsp. UABl-14 during shelf life.

subsp. UABl-14 is an important probiotic strain that was found to support digestive health. Here we present the development and validation of real-time PCR methods for strain-specific identification and enumeration of this important strain.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Fingerprints and Mini DNA Markers for the Authentication of Cinnamon Species Ingredients Used in Food and Natural Health Products.

(syn ) is considered 'true' cinnamon. However, it is reported that less expensive sources of cinnamon from (syn ), , and (toxic coumarin) may be used in the place of . We lack the quality assurance tools that are required to differentiate from other cinnamon species when verifying that the correct species is sourced from ingredient suppliers.

The power of DNA based methods in probiotic authentication.

Introduction: The global probiotic market is growing rapidly, and strict quality control measures are required to ensure probiotic product efficacy and safety. Quality assurance of probiotic products involve confirming the presence of specific probiotic strains, determining the viable cell counts, and confirming the absence of contaminant strains. Third-party evaluation of probiotic quality and label accuracy is recommended for probiotic manufacturers.

Real-time polymerase chain reaction methods for strain specific identification and enumeration of strain 8700:2.

Introduction: Reliable and accurate methods for probiotic identification and enumeration, at the strain level plays a major role in confirming product efficacy since probiotic health benefits are strain-specific and dose-dependent. In this study, real-time PCR methods were developed for strain specific identification and enumeration of 8700:2, a probiotic strain that plays a role in fighting the common cold.

Methods: The assay was designed to target a unique region in 8700:2 genome sequence to achieve strain level specificity.

Locked Nucleic Acid Hydrolysis Probes for the Specific Identification of Probiotic Strains subsp. DSM 15954 and Bi-07™.

Probiotic health benefits are now well-recognized to be strain specific. Probiotic strain characterization and identification is thus important in clinical research and in the probiotic industry. This is becoming especially important with reports of probiotic products failing to meet the declared strain content, potentially compromising their efficacy.

Development of Hydrolysis Probe-Based qPCR Assays for and for Detection of Adulteration in Ginseng Herbal Products.

Authentication of and products is important to be able to mitigate instances of adulteration and substitution that exist within the international supply chain of ginseng. To address this issue, species-specific hydrolysis probe qPCR assays were developed and validated for both and herbal dietary supplements. Performance of the probe-based assays was evaluated using analytical validation criteria, which included evaluation of: (1) specificity, in selectively identifying the target species; (2) sensitivity, in detecting the lowest amount of the target material; and (3) repeatability and reproducibility of the method in detecting the target species in raw materials on a real-time PCR platform (reliability).

Enumeration of Probiotic Strain Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) Using Viability Real-time PCR.

Probiotic health benefits are strain specific and are dose dependent. Hence, administering the correct strains, at the recommended doses is essential to achieve probiotic health benefits. Reliable methods are needed to facilitate probiotic strain identification and enumeration.

Detection of SAR-CoV-2 on surfaces in food retailers in Ontario.

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated increased interest in potential transmission routes. In food retail settings, transmission from infected customers and workers and customers through surfaces has been deemed plausible. However, limited information exists on the presence and survival of SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces, particularly outside laboratory settings.

Validation of a Triplex Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for Detection and Quantification of Traditional Protein Sources, L. and (L.) Merr., in Protein Powder Mixtures.

Several botanicals have been traditionally used as protein sources, including the leguminous L. and (L.) Merr.

Niche specificity and functional diversity of the bacterial communities associated with Ginkgo biloba and Panax quinquefolius.

Plant-associated bacteria can establish mutualistic relationships with plants to support plant health. Plant tissues represent heterogeneous niches with distinct characteristics and may thus host distinct microbial populations. The objectives of this study are to investigate the bacterial communities associated with two medicinally and commercially important plant species; Ginkgo biloba and Panax quinquefolius using high Throughput Sequencing (HTS) of 16S rRNA gene, and to evaluate the extent of heterogeneity in bacterial communities associated with different plant niches.

Quantification of Actaea racemosa L. (black cohosh) from some of its potential adulterants using qPCR and dPCR methods.

The demand for popular natural health products (NHPs) such as Black Cohosh is increasing considerably, which in turn challenges quality assurance (QA) throughout the supply chain. To detect and quantify the target species present in a given NHP, DNA-based molecular techniques such as Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and digital PCR (dPCR) are standard tools in the food and pathogen testing industries. There is a gap in the literature concerning validated quantitative PCR methods for botanicals that can be utilized for QA and good manufacturing practices.

Validation and Optimization of qPCR Method for Identification of Actaea racemosa (Black Cohosh) NHPs.

Background: Actaea racemosa (black cohosh) herbal dietary supplements are commonly used to treat menopausal symptoms in women. However, there is a considerable risk of contamination of A. racemosa herbal products in the natural health product (NHP) industry, impacting potential efficacy.

A Validated Real-Time PCR Method for the Specific Identification of Probiotic Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103).

Background: Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is one of the best-studied and most widely used probiotic strains, with various health benefits. Because probiotic health benefits and safety are strain specific, the availability of a reliable assay for specific identification of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is vital to ensure probiotic efficacy.

Objective: To design and validate a probe-based real-time PCR assay for specific identification of strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.

Genome skimming and NMR chemical fingerprinting provide quality assurance biotechnology to validate Sarsaparilla identity and purity.

Sarsaparilla is a popular natural health product (NHP) that has been reported to be one of the most adulterated botanicals in the marketplace. Several plausible explanations are documented including economically motivated product substitution, unintentional errors due to ambiguous trade name associated with several different taxa, and wild harvesting of incorrect non-commercial plants. Unfortunately, this includes the case of an adulterant species Decalepis hamiltonii, a Red listed medicinal plant species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and declared as a species with high conservation concern by the National Biodiversity Authority of India (NBA).

Draft Genome Sequences of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Strains CBC-LB69 and CBC-LB8, Isolated from Homemade Dairy Foods in Bulgaria.

Here, we report the draft genome sequences of subsp. strains CBC-LB69 and CBC-LB8. The strains were isolated from naturally processed, homemade dairy foods in Bulgaria.

Draft Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus Strain CBC-LR1, Isolated from Homemade Dairy Foods in Bulgaria.

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of strain CBC-LR1, which was isolated from naturally processed, homemade dairy foods in Bulgaria. The genome was assembled in 29 contigs with a total length of 2,892,155 bp and a GC content of 46.7%.

Draft Genome Sequence of Streptococcus thermophilus Strain CBC-S77, Isolated from Homemade Dairy Foods in Bulgaria.

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of strain CBC-S77. The strain was originally isolated from naturally processed, homemade dairy foods in West Rhode Mountain, Bulgaria. The genome was assembled in 148 contigs with a total length of 1,707,130 bp, with 1,563 coding genes and a GC content of 39.

Real-Time PCR Assays for the Specific Identification of Probiotic Strains Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 and Lactobacillus reuteri LRC (NCIMB 30242).

The broad spectrum of health benefits attributed to probiotics has contributed to a rapid increase in the value of the probiotic market. Probiotic health benefits can be strain specific. Thus, strain-level identification of probiotic strains is of paramount importance to ensure probiotic efficacy.

Combined Targeted and Non-targeted PCR Based Methods Reveal High Levels of Compliance in Probiotic Products Sold as Dietary Supplements in United States and Canada.

Probiotics are defined as "live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host." The diverse health benefits have contributed to rapid increase in probiotic consumption and in the value of probiotic market, valued at USD 46 billion in 2019. For probiotics to be effective, the correct species/strains should be delivered viable in an adequate dose.

Mitochondrial plastid DNA can cause DNA barcoding paradox in plants.

The transfer of ancestral plastid genomes into mitochondrial genomes to generate mitochondrial plastid DNA (MTPT) is known to occur in plants, but its impacts on mitochondrial genome complexity and the potential for causing a false-positive DNA barcoding paradox have been underestimated. Here, we assembled the organelle genomes of Cynanchum wilfordii and C. auriculatum, which are indigenous medicinal herbs in Korea and China, respectively.