DNA Authentication of St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) Commercial Products Targeting the ITS Region.

There is considerable potential for the use of DNA barcoding methods to authenticate raw medicinal plant materials, but their application to testing commercial products has been controversial. A simple PCR test targeting species-specific sequences within the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was adapted to screen commercial products for the presence of Hypericum perforatum L. material. DNA differing widely in amount and extent of fragmentation was detected in a number of product types. Two assays were designed to further analyse this DNA using a curated database of selected Hypericum ITS sequences: A qPCR assay based on a species-specific primer pair spanning the ITS1 and ITS2 regions, using synthetic DNA reference standards for DNA quantitation and a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) assay separately targeting the ITS1 and ITS2 regions. The ability of the assays to detect H. perforatum DNA sequences in processed medicines was investigated. Out of twenty different matrices tested, both assays detected H. perforatum DNA in five samples with more than 10³ ITS copies µL-1 DNA extract, whilst the qPCR assay was also able to detect lower levels of DNA in two further samples. The NGS assay confirmed that H. perforatum was the major species in all five positive samples, though trace contaminants were also detected.

Revitalizing health promotion: a case study from Serbia.

The last two decades of the twentieth century were difficult ones for health promotion in Serbia. The political, economic and social upheaval resulting from the civil conflict in the former Republic of Yugoslavia put enormous pressure on the health system overall and undermined a previously strong and effective health education and promotion service. In recent years the government, supported by external donors, has refocused attention on the need for high quality public health, including preventive activities as a central goal of the health reform process. This process is reviewed through a case study of a high profile health promotion campaign recently completed within the country. The potential for Serbia to regain its position as an innovator in community-based health care as well as the obstacles to be overcome are analysed.

Revitalizing health promotion: a case study from Serbia

Las dos últimas décadas del siglo XX fueron tiempos difíciles para la promoción de la salud en Serbia. Los transtornos políticos, económicos y sociales derivados del conflicto civil en la antigua República de Yugoslavia pusieron a prueba el sistema de salud en general y socavaron un servicio de promoción de la salud y de educación que en su día había sido fuerte y eficaz. En estos últimos años, el gobierno, con el apoyo de donantes externos, ha vuelto a centrar su atención en la necesidad de una salud pública de calidad, lo que incluye la realización de actividades de prevención como objetivo principal del proceso de reforma de la sanidad. El artículo estudia dicho proceso a través de un caso práctico que contempla una campaña de promoción de la salud de elevado perfil, realizada recientemente en el país. Asimismo, analiza el potencial de Serbia para recuperar su puesto de país innovador en una atención de salud de base comunitaria, y señala los obstáculos que tendrá que superar para lograrlo. (AU)