Kava Chemotype testing & DNA Barcoding

[Kavaking]

The info attached gives a brief into to our philosophy here at Kava King. Its very simple: we believe in transparency and giving the customer the highest quality kava. We ensure this through multiple avenues two of which being displayed on the attached graphic. Chemotype testing on all incoming kava shipments and DNA barcoding which ensure what we are selling is in fact kava and contains no adulterations.

 

[verticity]

Interesting. Can "DNA Barcoding" distinguish between piper methysticum and piper wichmannii, or between kava cultivars?

 

[Steve Mariotti]

I admire and appreciate your commitment to quality with full transparency, @Kavaking! This is exemplary and something that I would love to see all vendors do de rigeur!

 

[Kavaking]

Verticity - I am going to get back to you on this to ensure the correct answer. We were thinking about holding a Q & A and I would bring along the botanist we have on staff who would be able to answer any and all advanced scientific questions!

 

[Steve Mariotti]

Verticity - I am going to get back to you on this to ensure the correct answer. We were thinking about holding a Q & A and I would bring along the botanist we have on staff who would be able to answer any and all advanced scientific questions!

For nerds like us, seeing the chemotype written out as 426351 or whatever is helpful in addition to seeing the kavalactone percentages. What you show is actually more information than the chemotype provides, which is great, but perhaps showing Dr. Lebot's chemotype as well would be a cool thing to add to the packaging?

 

[Kavaking]

@verticity

In regards to the question you asked earlier

The technology of DNA barcoding itself allows it to be so specific as to tell between two individuals, so you and me, or two plants of the same species. However background information about the genomes is needed, you need to know what nucleotides will always be present and which ones are indicative of actually differences. So with the current level of genetic information on Kava, I am not sure that we would be able to tell the varietal differences, though it is, in theory, possible once more information becomes available through research.

 

[Calophyllum]

To add to @Kavaking

The genetic resources to currently exist to differentiate Piper methysticum from Piper witchmannii. What would be even more interesting, in my opinion, and may not be too far off, will be to have the ability to discern between different cultivars and varieties of noble kava.

All Piper methysticum varieties are cultivated exclusivly through asexual means of propagation (root or stem cuttings, the flowers are sterile and do not produce seeds ever), thus each cultivar constitutes a distinct and unique genetic lineage. With current next generation sequencing technologies it would be within the scope of a single dissertation or reasonably well funded professional study to be able to create the genetic resources necessary to label cultivars using DNA barcoding.