Using plants in forensics: State-of-the-art and prospects

Oliveira, Manuela; Azevedo, Luísa; Ballard, David; Branicki, Wojciech; Amorim, Antonio

doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111860

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 164 publications

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“…It involves a series of steps starting with DNA isolation followed by DNA amplification of universal barcode loci, and sequencing. Sequenced barcode loci can then be added to a growing database or used for identification purposes by comparing the sequenced region of DNA to existing barcode reference libraries [8,9]. DNA barcoding for plants is broadly applied to provide insights into specieslevel taxonomy and assist in unknown species identification [10] and is useful for many professions and areas of study such as taxonomy, ecology, conservation, forensic science, agriculture, human/animal health and environmental protection [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Versatile DNA extraction from diverse plant taxa using ionic liquids and magnetic ionic liquids: a methodological breakthrough for enhanced sample utility

De Silva,

Cagliero,

Gostel

et al. 2024

Plant Methods

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Background There is a growing demand for fast and reliable plant biomolecular analyses. DNA extraction is the major bottleneck in plant nucleic acid-based applications especially due to the complexity of tissues in different plant species. Conventional methods for plant cell lysis and DNA extraction typically require extensive sample preparation processes and large quantities of sample and chemicals, elevated temperatures, and multiple sample transfer steps which pose challenges for high throughput applications. Results In a prior investigation, an ionic liquid (IL)-based modified vortex-assisted matrix solid phase dispersion approach was developed using the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Building upon this foundational study, the present study established a simple, rapid and efficient protocol for DNA extraction from milligram fragments of plant tissue representing a diverse range of taxa from the plant Tree of Life including 13 dicots and 4 monocots. Notably, the approach was successful in extracting DNA from a century old herbarium sample. The isolated DNA was of sufficient quality and quantity for sensitive molecular analyses such as qPCR. Two plant DNA barcoding markers, the plastid rbcL and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) regions were selected for DNA amplification and Sanger sequencing was conducted on PCR products of a representative dicot and monocot species. Successful qPCR amplification of the extracted DNA up to 3 weeks demonstrated that the DNA extracted using this approach remains stable at room temperature for an extended time period prior to downstream analysis. Conclusions The method presented here is a rapid and simple approach enabling cell lysis and DNA extraction from 1.5 mg of plant tissue across a broad range of plant taxa. Additional purification prior to DNA amplification is not required due to the compatibility of the extraction solvents with qPCR. The method has tremendous potential for applications in plant biology that require DNA, including barcoding methods for agriculture, conservation, ecology, evolution, and forensics.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Versatile DNA extraction from diverse plant taxa using ionic liquids and magnetic ionic liquids: a methodological breakthrough for enhanced sample utility

De Silva,

Cagliero,

Gostel

et al. 2024

Plant Methods

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Forensic species identification: practical guide for animal and plant DNA analysis

Corradini,

Gianfreda,

Ferri

et al. 2024

Int J Legal Med

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The importance of non-human DNA in the forensic field has increased greatly in recent years, together with the type of applications. The molecular species identification of animal and botanical material may be crucial both for wildlife trafficking and crime scene investigation. However, especially for forensic botany, several challenges slow down the implementation of the discipline in the routine.Although the importance of molecular analysis of animal origin samples is widely recognized and the same value is acknowledged to the botanical counterpart, the latter does not find the same degree of application.The availability of molecular methods, especially useful in cases where the material is fragmented, scarce or spoiled preventing the morphological identification, is not well known. This work is intended to reaffirm the relevance of non-human forensic genetics (NHFG), highlighting differences, benefits and pitfalls of the current most common molecular analysis workflow for animal and botanical samples, giving a practical guide. A flowchart describing the analysis paths, divided in three major working areas (inspection and sampling, molecular analysis, data processing and interpretation), is provided. More real casework examples of the utility of non-human evidence in forensic investigations should be shared by the scientific community, especially for plants. Moreover, concrete efforts to encourage initiatives in order to promote quality and standardization in the NHFG field are also needed.

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The impact of climate change and sustainability initiatives on forensic practice

Thompson

2024

Forensic Science International: Synergy

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Using plants in forensics: State-of-the-art and prospects

Cited by 3 publications

References 164 publications

Versatile DNA extraction from diverse plant taxa using ionic liquids and magnetic ionic liquids: a methodological breakthrough for enhanced sample utility

Versatile DNA extraction from diverse plant taxa using ionic liquids and magnetic ionic liquids: a methodological breakthrough for enhanced sample utility

Forensic species identification: practical guide for animal and plant DNA analysis

The impact of climate change and sustainability initiatives on forensic practice

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