Development of a polymerase chain reaction assay for the specific detection of Citrus aurantium in plant food supplements

Plant food supplements (PFS) for weight-loss are very popular, being among the most-well consumed. The aim of this study was to detect Citrus aurantium in PFS, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods. For this purpose, teas labelled as containing C. aurantium were commercially acquired. Voucher leaves of C. aurantium and other Citrus spp. (C. sinensis, C. limon, C. medica) were gently provided by Germplasm Banks. Primers were specifically designed in three different genomic sequences, namely RGAs4-6-like gene that encodes a resistance-like protein and two anonymous marker genes of C. aurantium retrieved from NCBI database. DNA was extracted using the commercial Nucleospin Plant 11 kit. Yield, purity and integrity of extracts were evaluated by UV /Vis spectrophotometry and agarose gel electrophoresis.

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