Identification and characterization of novel UniGene-derived microsatellite markers in Podophyllum hexandrum (Berberidaceae)

Abstract

Podophyllum hexandrum Royle (syn, Sinopodophyllum hexandrum; Berberidaceae), commonly known as Himalayan mayapple, is a rhizomatous species of great medicinal importance (Nag and Rajkumar 2011). Its distribution is confined to alpine regions of the Himalayas. In India P. hexandrum is found from Ladakh to Sikkim at altitudes of 3000–4200 m. It is known for its anticancer properties. The rhizomes and roots of P. hexandrum contain antitumour lignans such as podophyllotoxin, 4′-dimethyl podophyllotoxin and podophyllotoxin 4-O-glucoside (Tyler et al. 1988; Broomhead and Dewick 1990). Of these lignans, podophyllotoxin is the most important for its use in the semisynthesis of anticancer drugs, etoposide and teniposide (Issel et al. 1984). Podophyllotoxin acts as an inhibitor of microtubule assembly. These drugs are widely used in treatment of lung cancer, testicular cancer, neuroblastoma, hepatoma and other tumours. Podophyllotoxin also shows antiviral activity and it interferes with critical viral processes (Giri and Narasu 2000). Podophyllotoxin content of Himalayan mayapple is quite high (4.3%) compared to that of P. peltatum (0.25%), the most common species in the Americas (Jackson and Dewick 1984). While P. hexandrum has a wide region of distribution, within that region it appears mostly in valleys with secondary vegetation. In any population, the plant shows a kind of clumped distribution pattern. Earlier, P. hexandrum was used in folk medicine by local healers in small quantities, but commercialization of the plant for its medicinal attributes in recent years has increased demand and conse-