Although DNA testing has been available to the supplement industry for years, relatively few manufacturers have incorporated it into routine quality programs.
According to Dr. Kerin Law, co-founder and chief scientific officer of LeafWorks, the conversation has shifted because the technology itself has changed. Advances in sequencing, reference databases and bioinformatics have made it possible to answer questions that earlier DNA methods often could not.
The database matters as much as the sequencing
Ask Law what has changed, and she doesn’t start with the sequencing instrument.
She starts with the database.
Earlier DNA testing providers often relied on public genomic databases that could contain mislabeled specimens, incorrectly identified sequences or even adulterated reference materials, she explained. Even when sequencing worked as intended, inaccurate reference material could undermine the results.
“The quality of the reference database matters just as much as the sequencing technology,” Law told NutraIngredients.
That’s why LeafWorks spent nine years building its own curated genomic database using authenticated botanical materials. At the same time, the company developed methods to recover DNA from processed products, in which the genetic material is often fragmented or present only in trace amounts.
Those limitations have long challenged PCR-based methods such as universal DNA barcoding.
NIU previously reported on the retraction of a paper that helped spark the 2015 New York Attorney General investigation into herbal supplements, a case that raised broader questions about the application of DNA barcoding to processed botanical products.
Law argues that modern sequencing approaches should be viewed separately from those earlier methods because both the analytical tools and the underlying reference systems have evolved.
More data, fewer tests
Law is equally quick to point out what next-generation sequencing is not.
It isn’t a replacement for High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC), microscopy or chemistry-based testing, she said. Those techniques still provide information about plant parts, potency and chemical composition that DNA cannot.
Instead, sequencing fills a different role.
“We are not limited by the number of botanical targets we can evaluate simultaneously...if the species is represented in our database and we can recover sufficient DNA from the product, we can identify multiple species from the same sequencing run,” Law explained.
Manufacturers can return to the same dataset later, screening it against different species lists as new questions arise or as additional genomes are added to the reference database. The same sequencing run that verifies declared ingredients could also help investigate adulterants, allergens or other biological contaminants without repeating the laboratory work.
That flexibility is particularly relevant for products that have historically been difficult to authenticate. Law pointed to medicinal mushrooms and complex botanical blends, in which closely related species or overlapping chemical profiles can complicate identification with conventional analytical methods.
Lower barriers, different challenges
As part of the partnership, NOW established a next-generation sequencing laboratory at its Sparks, Nevada, facility while relying on LeafWorks to analyze the sequencing data.
“Incorporating next-generation DNA sequencing for genomic-level ID adds another valuable tool to our testing program, enhancing our ability to verify botanical identity,” said Maria Mendres, microbiology manager at NOW, in the manufacturer’s press release.
The collaboration also reflects broader efforts across the herbal products industry to strengthen botanical identity verification, according to the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA).
“AHPA is thrilled to see longstanding members, NOW and LeafWorks collaborate to advance the standards of botanical identity verification,” said Holly Johnson, CSO at AHPA.
“This partnership demonstrates how next-generation genomic tools can be designed to be fit for purpose to reinforce product quality and exemplifies our industry’s proactive commitment to creating robust, scientifically valid methods to confirm identity for botanical materials,” Johnson added.
Equipment is no longer the biggest barrier to adoption, according to Law. A basic Oxford Nanopore sequencing setup now costs about $5,000, while higher-throughput Illumina instruments typically range from roughly $80,000 to $100,000.
The harder part comes after the sequencing.
“The greater challenge is not simply purchasing a sequencing instrument,” Law explained. Instead, she continued, “it is developing the fit-for-purpose sample preparation methods, validated reference database, analytical pipeline and specialized expertise required to produce reliable botanical identity results.”
That’s the gap LeafWorks is aiming to fill. Rather than asking manufacturers to build those capabilities in-house, the company analyzes in-house sequencing data and returns species-level identity reports.
Looking ahead, Law expects next-generation sequencing to become another tool within botanical quality programs rather than a replacement for existing methods. As manufacturers look for ways to improve ingredient verification and supply-chain transparency, she believes the ability to extract multiple answers from a single sequencing dataset will become increasingly valuable.
