Abstract
Ocimum spp, popularly known as Tulsi, has great commercial (food and perfumery industries) and medicinal importance due to antispasmodic, stomachicum, carminative, antimalarial and febrifuge properties. The aroma and flavor in Ocimum spp. is distinct due to the predominant aroma compound eugenol, camphor, citral etc. We used molecular techniques to assess the genetic variability and relatedness of 20 accessions of three germplasm of Ocimum spp. (Ocimum gratissimum, Ocimum sanctum and Ocimum basilicum) collected from different places of India. DNA was isolated by fixing a sample in alcohol without using liquid nitrogen. 20 accessions were analyzed through random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiling for similarity and genetic distance, using 18 primers. The binary (1/0) data was analyzed with REEPLOT to infer the genetic distance and to construct the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) based dendrogram. High degree of polymorphism (82.78%) was shown by RAPD markers. There was total 122 bands generated, 101 bands were polymorphic. Highest similarity was measured at approximately 0.97% and least was 0.46%. The present work showed interesting finding and proved to be a bidirectional evolution in Ocimum species. Therefore, RAPD markers can be used in the systematic study of wild plants and new crop. The present study would provide suitable keys for further studies. Key words: Ocimum, Tulsi, genetic diversity, degree of divergence, R marker.
Highlights
Tulsi, the holy Indian basil, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of India
Considering its potential as an aromatic, medicinal and pigmented plant and lack of molecular information about this plant, the aim of this study is to evaluate the genetic variability within the species and to determine the extent of correlation between the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles
Each accession of three Ocimum species was considered as an individual operational taxonomic unit (OTU)
Summary
Tulsi (family: Lamiaceae, Ocimum spp.), the holy Indian basil, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of India. The plant contains multiple bioactive substances having several health promoting and disease preventing properties (Prakash and Gupta, 2005) that are attributed to the essential oils stored in peltate glands of leaves and stems. The essential oils comprise a number of aromatic chemicals like terpenoids and phenyl propanoids. These compounds individually and in combination impart aroma and fragrance, plant-insect and plant-pathogen interactions and are used as antioxidants in pharmaceutical industries. The red colored Tulsi contains anthocyanin that has application as food colourants. Interspecific, intraspecific hybridization and polyploidy are very common for this plant resulting in diversity with great variations (Tilwari et al, 2013). Owing to a high degree of polymorphism exhibited by the species as abundant cross pollination, a large number of species, subspecies, varieties and strains have come into existence, which
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
