DNA BARCODING OF UNANI MEDICINAL PLANTS: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF MOLECULAR AUTHENTICATION AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Asema Mahveen*, Aslaaf Nayeem Shaikh

ABSTRACT

The authentication of medicinal plants is essential for ensuring the identity, quality, and safety of herbal drugs used in the Unani system of medicine. Conventional identification methods may be challenging when plant materials are fragmented, powdered, processed, or morphologically similar to other species. DNA barcoding offers a complementary molecular approach for identifying medicinal plants through standardized DNA sequences. This review discusses the principles of DNA barcoding, commonly used herbal drugs barcode markers, sequence-based identification, and emerging technologies relevant to Unani medicinal plant authentication. The applications of GenBank and the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) in taxonomic identification are examined, alongside the potential of next-generation sequencing, DNA metabarcoding, and mini-barcoding. The review also evaluates challenges associated with degraded DNA, incomplete reference databases, closely related species, and complex herbal formulations. DNA barcoding cannot independently establish phytochemical composition, drug potency, or therapeutic efficacy; therefore, its integration with Pharmacognostic examination and chromatographic fingerprinting is important. Developing a curated reference library of authenticated Unani medicinal plants could strengthen botanical identification and support the scientific standardization of Unani drugs.

Keywords: DNA barcoding; Unani medicinal plants; molecular authentication; Mufrad?t; GenBank; BOLD; DNA metabarcoding; herbal drug standardization.