Potential Risks of Plant Constituents in Dietary Supplements: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Peganum harmala Seeds
Molecules March 4, 2021 Matilde Calderoni, Maddalena Altare, Luca Mastracci et al. 8 citations
The illegal online trade of Peganum harmala seeds, which contain monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibiting alkaloids used in hallucinogenic preparations like ayahuasca, poses forensic and safety challenges. This work demonstrates two complementary identification methods: optical and electron microscopy for visual seed identification, and a real-time qPCR test that detects P. harmala DNA with species specificity down to less than 1 picogram. The qPCR assay accurately quantifies the presence of P. harmala seeds or seed fragments in complex herbal mixtures, providing a reliable indication of a product's potential danger.