Abstract
Herbarium specimens have become a major source of information in molecular research of biodiversity. However, getting good DNA samples from old herbarium specimens is still a challenge. The purpose of this project is to test different DNA extraction methods for old material from herbaria that often exhibit high DNA fragmentation. We compared a CTAB-based DNA extraction that is followed by a clean-up with paramagnetic beads with a modified NucleoSpin Plant II protocol, based on silica columns. Our results demonstrate that silica column-based methods have less problems with contamination by polysaccharide and polyphenolic compounds. Taking practical considerations into account, the column-based method is better especially when trying to reduce the amount of leaf tissue used since handling with a tiny pellet makes CTAB difficult.
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