Botanicals and preparations derived from medicinal plants are essential sources of bioactive compounds with significant therapeutic potential, but ensuring their quality and safety requires a multidisciplinary analytical approach based on rigorous scientific principles. Although the use of these products has a long tradition, the high frequency of warnings about compositional inconsistencies and the risk of adulteration of herbal food supplements emphasises the need for stringent quality control measures with major implications for their efficacy and safety.

In this context, the main objective of the PlantCheck project was to investigate critical issues related to the authenticity and quality of herbal food supplements, building on a series of studies that had highlighted their vulnerability to substitution and contamination. For accurate characterisation, PlantCheck integrated advanced genetic analysis methodologies, such as DNA barcoding and metabarcoding, to identify and authenticate the plant species used in the formulation of these products. These techniques were complemented by metabolomics analyses (UHPLC-QTOF-ESI+MS), which allowed the simultaneous detection of a broad spectrum of relevant metabolites and biomarkers.

With its integrated and innovative approach, PlantCheck has helped to strengthen methods for authenticating botanical products and to develop effective strategies for quality assurance of herbal food supplements.