Understanding the drifts in DNA barcoding: a systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.4942Keywords:
DNA barcoding, meta-analysis, species identification, trends studyAbstract
Although DNA-based analytical methods had been around for a while, it wasn't until 2003 that the term "DNA barcoding" became popular. The research-analytical and application paradigms have continued to develop and diversify since then. Initially, it was only applicable to the animal kingdom and later the method was modified by scientists studying plant biology tailoring it to fit the needs. This document provides a meta-analysis of DNA barcoding research trends, specifically in plant sciences, examining its methodological advancements, application diversity and evolving research themes. By classifying and analyzing the current data trends, we offer insights into the ongoing transformations of DNA barcoding. Furthermore, actionable recommendations for future research are proposed, including the development of more reliable, cost-effective markers and exploring ecological and biodiversity applications. This analysis serves as a guide for both novice and experienced researchers to navigate the rapidly advancing field of DNA barcoding.
Downloads
References
Hebert PD, Gregory TR. The promise of DNA barcoding for taxonomy. System Biol. 2005;54:852. https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150500354886
Savolainen V, Cowan RS, Vogler AP, Roderick GK, Lane R. Towards writing the encyclopedia of life: an introduction to DNA barcoding. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2005;29360(1462):1805–11. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2005.1730 PMID: 16214739; PMCID: PMC1609222
Yu J, Wu X, Liu C, Newmaster S, Ragupathy S, Kress WJ. Progress in the use of DNA barcodes in the identification and classification of medicinal plants. Ecotoxic Environ Safety. 2021;208:111691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111691
Kress WJ. Plant DNA barcodes: Applications today and in the future. J System Evol. 2017;55:29. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12254
Ceríaco LM, Gutiérrez EE, Dubois A, Carr M. Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary and potentially harmful for biological sciences. Zootaxa. 2016;4196:435. https://doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4196.3.9
Kreuzer M, Howard C, Adhikari B, Pendry CA, Hawkins JA. Phylogenomic approaches to DNA barcoding of herbal medicines: developing clade-specific diagnostic characters for Berberis. Front Plant Sci. 2019;10:586. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00586
DeSalle R, Goldstein P. Review and interpretation of trends in DNA barcoding. Front Ecol Evol. 2019;7:302. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00302
Siddiqui ZH, Abbas ZK, Hakeem KR, Khan MA, Ilah MA. A molecular assessment of red algae with reference to the utility of DNA barcoding. DNA Barcoding and Mol Phylog. 2020;103.
Hebert PD, Cywinska A, Ball SL, DeWaard JR. Biological identifications through DNA barcodes. Proceed Royal Society of London. Series B: Biol Sci. 2003;270:313–21. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.20 02.2218
Stoeckle M. Taxonomy, DNA and the bar code of life. Biosci. 2003;53:796–97. https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053[0796:TDATBC]2.0.CO;20.CO;2
Kress WJ, García-Robledo C, Uriarte M, Erickson DL. DNA barcodes for ecology, evolution and conservation. Trends Ecol Evol. 2015;30:25.
Hollingsworth PM. DNA barcoding in biodiversity hot spots: and outstanding questions. Heredity (Edinb). 2008;101:1. https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.2008.16 PMID: 18398425
Huang WJ, Li FF, Liu YJ, Long CL. Identification of Crocus sativus and its adulterants from Chinese markets by using DNA barcoding technique. Iran J Biotech. 2015;13:36.https:// doi.org/10.15171/ijb.1034
Johnson RN, Wilson-Wilde L, Linacre A. Current and future directions of DNA in wildlife forensic science. Forensic Sci Int Genet. 2014;10:1.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsigen.2013.12.007
Gao R, Zhang G. Potential of DNA barcoding for detecting quarantine fungi. Phytopathol. 2013;103:1103.https:// doi.org/10.1094/phyto-12-12-0321-r
techen n, parveen i, pan z, khan ia. dna barcoding of medicinal plant material for identification. curr opi biotech.2014;25:103.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2013.0 9.010
Newmaster SG, Grguric M, Shanmughanandhan D, Ramalingam S, Ragupathy S. DNA barcoding detects contamination and substitution in North American herbal products. BMC med. 2013;11:1.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03504-x
Yan LJ, Liu J, Möller M, Zhang L, Zhang XM, Li DZ, Gao LM. DNA barcoding of Rhododendron (Ericaceae), the largest Chinese plant genus in biodiversity hotspots of the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains. Mol Ecol Resourc. 2015;15:932.https:// doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12353
Costion C, Ford A, Cross H, Crayn D, Harrington M, Lowe A. Plant DNA barcodes can accurately estimate species richness in poorly known floras. PloS One. 2011;6:e26841.https:// doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0026841
Bala K, Robideau GP, Désaulniers N, De Cock AWAM, Lévesque CA. Taxonomy, DNA barcoding and phylogeny of three new species of Pythium from Canada. Persoonia-Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi. 2010;25:22.https:// doi.org/10.3767/003158510x524754
Toju H. High-throughput DNA barcoding for ecological network studies. Popul Ecol. 2015;57:37.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144- 014-0472-z
Xiang XG, Hu H, Wang W, Jin XH. DNA barcoding of the recently evolved genus Holcoglossum (Orchidaceae: Aeridinae): a test of DNA barcode candidates. Mol Ecol Resour. 2011;11:1012. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-0998.2011.03044.x
Hall JD, Fu?íková K, Lo C, Lewis LA, Karol KG. An assessment of proposed DNA barcodes in freshwater green algae. Cryptog Algol. 2010;31:529.
Hassel K, Segreto R, Ekrem T. Restricted variation in plant barcoding markers limits identification in closely related bryophyte species. Mol Ecol Resour. 2013;13:1047.https:// doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12074
Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding. https://ccdb.ca/
Collins RA, Cruickshank RH. The seven deadly sins of DNA barcoding. Mol Ecol Resour. 2013;13:969. https:// doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12046
Austerlitz F, David O, Schaeffer B, Bleakley K, Olteanu M, Leblois R, et al. DNA barcode analysis: A comparison of phylogenetic and statistical classification methods. BMC Bioinfo. 2009;10:S10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2105-10-S14-S10
Osathanunkul M, Osathanunkul K, Wongwanakul S, Osathanunkul R, Madesis P. Multiuse of Bar-HRM for Ophiocordyceps sinensis identification and authentication. Scientific Rep. 2018;8:12770.https:// doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-31164-4
Meyer CP, Paulay G. DNA barcoding: error rates based on comprehensive sampling. PLoS Boil. 2005;3:e422.https:// doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0030422
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Utkarsha Rathi, V Prabhavathi, Devender Singh Meena, Kiran Bamel
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright and Licence details of published articles
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Open Access Policy
Plant Science Today is an open access journal. There is no registration required to read any article. All published articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC Attribution 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
