title: Authentication of medicinal plant botanical identity by amplified fragmented length polymorphism dominant DNA marker: inferences from the Plectranthus genus.
abstract: In Brazil, Plectranthus species are known as "boldo" and have been used in popular medicine for analgesic and dyspeptic purposes. Plectranthus need to be well identified in order to be used as commercially genuine medicinal plants. Here we describe AFLP DNA patterns able to distinguish among different Pectranthus species. The genetic variability of P. grandis Cramer, P. barbatus Andr. and P. ornatus Codd was analyzed with two sets of AFLP primers allowing detection of 241 loci. A total of 22 monomorphic loci were identified in P. barbatus, 15 in P. grandis and 30 in P. ornatus. Among these, 5 loci were informative and species-specific to P. barbatus, 3 to P. grandis and 2 loci were unique to P. ornatus. The AFLP pattern analyzed by different clustering methods assembled individuals according to their species. So far, AFLP represents a genuine and strong method to certify medicinal plant materials.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Helna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Passinho-Soares
authors.forename: Durvalina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.forename: Maria Auxiliadora
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Margis-Pinheiro
authors.forename: Rogério
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Margis
mesh_terms: D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000737:chemistry*; D005819:Genetic Markers; D010802:Phylogeny; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D031346:Plectranthus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D005819:Genetic Markers