Use of DNA Barcoding for Protecting and Exploring Plant Biodiversity and Socioeconomic Impact

Plant taxonomy has thrived in the past 20 years due to the development of novel techniques known as DNA barcoding. Barcode regions are short nucleotide sequences, either coding or non-coding, ideally unique, from the organism’s genome, used to identify or classify a particular individual. Sequencing technology has made it easier to use whole-chloroplast genome sequences for barcoding, which has been the focus of recent studies. Single-locus DNA barcodes, which frequently lack the diversity required to differentiate closely related plant species, are recommended over this method. The advancements in DNA barcoding in plant taxonomy are thoroughly demonstrated in this review. It emphasizes how different barcode loci have been successful, how super barcodes have emerged from the chloroplast genome, and how next-generation sequencing has revolutionized plant identification methods.