Frugal method for extracting DNA from saliva suitable for low-budget labs and usable in PCR assays

Abstract

Blood is the preferred source of DNA as it yields large quantities of high-quality DNA. However, there are challenges associated with this process, including difficulty in finding small and thin veins, rigid veins due to aging, and individuals with phlebotomy aversion, especially children. Therefore, obtaining DNA from saliva is considered a suitable alternative that requires minimal resources and is usable in DNA assays without the need for a phlebotomist, at a lower cost compared to most DNA extraction kits that require expensive materials. The suggested frugal method relies on providing a new solution for extracting DNA from human saliva without the need for enzymes or high grade reagents or columns, which makes suitable for low budget laboratories in developing countries to manufacture it locally, it uses a phase separation with technical skills to extract the DNA from the saliva achieving safety by not using hazardous reagents, and it is a sustainable eco-friendly method that gives decent yield of good quality DNA in ~20 minutes to be used in PCR applications with a cost that is estimated to be 10 times cheaper than current used methods.