ABSTRACT
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a valuable tool for monitoring gene expression, quantifying foodborne pathogens, testing viral load, and also for forensic analysis and clinical diagnosis. Although PCR can be extremely effective with pure nucleic acids, its usefulness is limited, in part, by the presence of PCR-inhibitory substances originating from the samples or from the sample preparation, including the DNA extraction processes. These inhibitors can reduce or even block DNA amplication. Although many biological samples have been reported to inhibit PCR-based amplication, the biochemical and physical mechanisms and identities of many inhibitors remain unclear.
