Selection of the Most Appropriate Methods for Botanical Identification

Driven by recent advances in DNA testing methods, people are increasingly asking 'Which technologies and methods are most appropriate for authenticating the identity of botanical materials and botanically-derived extracts and products?' Unfortunately, the answer is complex–'It depends.' The selection of appropriate methods for confirming the identity of botanical samples depends on a wide variety of factors such as: country of origin, maturity at time of harvest, wildcrafted vs. cultivated materials, any known history of adulteration, chemically and visually related species, and much more. This presentation will provide a structured overview of how to tackle this important question and will briefly cover the benefits and drawbacks of commonly used techniques such as organolepsis, UV and NIR spectroscopy, LC and LC/MS.