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Browsing by Author "Richter, Camila Palacio"

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  • Development of a DNA-based methodology for the identification of Pfaffia glomerata in herbal products
    Publication . Richter, Camila Palacio; Amaral, Joana S.; Maniglia, Thiago Cintra; Rodrigues, Vânia
    Pfaffia glomerata (Brazilian ginseng) is a medicinal plant widely recognized for its adaptogenic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. Due to its growing commercial value, as well as to its common name that includes the word “ginseng”, and the morphological similarity to other ginsengs, it is increasingly prone to adulteration. This study aimed to develop and validate a species-specific real-time PCR method for the identification and quantification of P. glomerata in commercial herbal products. Primers targeting the ITS1 region were designed and evaluated both in silico and experimentally. Specificity was assessed against 51 medicinal plant samples, including other species known for their adaptogenic properties. Sensitivity assays confirmed an absolute detection limit of 0.001 ng of P. glomerata DNA. Quantitative analysis using binary mixtures with Withania somnifera and the ∆Cq normalization method reliably detected P. glomerata at levels as low as 0.1% (w/w) and allowed the accurate estimate of the percentage of P. glomerata material in the range of 50% to 0.1% (m/m). The method was applied to 25 commercial products labeled as P. glomerata, Pfaffia paniculata, Pfaffia, Brazilian ginseng, or other possibly adulterant species of Brazilian ginseng, seven samples showed inconsistencies with the label and were considered as adulterated. P. glomerata DNA was also found to be present in nine other samples, but only at trace amounts (
    2025Master thesis Open access Show more