DNA Barcoding Aromatic, Medicinal, and Condiment Plants from Portugal

The world market of aromatic, medicinal, and condiment plant (AMCP) production is constantly growing, with Portugal following the same trend. AMCPs have a big cross- sector effect impacting the pharma, cosmetic, and agri-food industries. Providing assurance to consumers and other stakeholders about the integrity, safety, authenticity, and quality of Portuguese AMCP-based products is of prime importance in adding value and trust to the national economy. DNA barcoding is a crucial method for identifying species in a wide panel of raw to strongly processed commodities, where accurate taxonomical adscription of correct names to DNA sequences is essential. This project aims to construct a reference collection curated by a national herbarium composed of all commercially relevant AMCPs from Portugal. From this reference collection, all relevant DNA barcode sequences will be obtained to allow species identification by molecular methods, while also contributing to the Barcode of Life project.