Tracing Styphnolobium japonicum (syn: Sophora japonica) as a potential adulterant of ginkgo-containing foods by real-time PCR

The rising demand for ginkgo-containing products and their high economic value make them desirable targets adulteration, particularly by the partial substitution with other plant species. Styphnolobium japonicum (plant rich in flavonol glycosides) is known as a potential adulterant of ginkgo-based foods. Therefore, this work aimed at developing species-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method identification/quantification S. an products. used EvaGreen dye, targeting internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region japonicum, providing acceptable performance parameters sensitivity down to 0.02 pg DNA. Moreover, qPCR assay was established using binary mixtures G. biloba, covering dynamic range 50−0.05% (w/w) added adulterant. After trueness evaluation blind samples, approach applied 21 commercial herbal infusions, from which one positive but below limit quantification (0.05 %), suggesting its inadvertent contamination rather than adulteration. To best our knowledge, first time, specific proposed quantify adulterations biloba accurate cost-effective tool authenticate