Method for detecting a particular plant species in a product

摘要

A method for detecting a particular plant species in a product such as a foodstuff, said method comprising extracting chloroplast DNA from said product and analysing said DNA to detect a sequence which is characteristic of said particular plant species. Regions of the chloroplast DNA which contain suitable characteristic sequences have been identified. The method may be adapted so that the amount of the detected species within a particular sample is determined. The method can be used to identify adulterant plant species in fruit product and oils and is particularly suitable for identifying mandarin DNA. Novel reagents and particularly oligonucleotides for use in the method are also claimed, as well as diagnostic kits for carrying out the method of the invention.