title: Metabolite profiles of essential oils and molecular markers analysis to explore the biodiversity of Ferula communis: Towards conservation of the endemic giant fennel.
abstract: Giant fennel (Ferula communis L.) is well known in folk medicine for the treatment of various organ disorders. The biological importance of members of genus Ferula prompted us to investigate the leaves of the endangered Tunisian medicinal plant F. communis L. not previously investigated. An estimate of genetic diversity and differentiation between genotypes of breeding germplasm is of key importance for its improvement. Thus, four F. communis populations were RAPD fingerprinted (63 RAPD markers generated by 7 primers) and the composition of their leaf essential oils (EO) (134 EO compounds) was characterized by GC-MS. Cluster analysis based on the leaf volatiles chemical composition of F. communis accessions defined three chemotypes according to main compounds have been distinguished: α-eudesmol/β-eudesmol/γ-terpinene; α-eudesmol/α-pinene/caryophyllene oxide and chamazulene/α-humulene chemotypes. A high genetic diversity within population and high genetic differentiation among them, based on RAPDs, were revealed (H(pop)=0.320 and GST=0.288) caused both by the habitat fragmentation, the low size of most populations and the low level of gene flow among them. The RAPD dendrogram showed separation of three groups. Populations dominated by individuals from the β-eudesmol/γ-terpinene; chemotype showed the lowest gene diversity (H=0.104), while populations with exclusively α-pinene/caryophyllene oxide chemotype showed the highest value (H=0.285). The UPGMA dendrogram and PCA analysis based on volatiles yielded higher separation among populations, indicated specific adaptation of populations to the local environments. Correlation analysis showed a non-significant association between the distance matrices based on the genetic markers (RAPD) and chemical compounds of essential oil (P>0.05) indicating no influence of genetic background on the observed chemical profiles. These results reinforce the use of both volatile compounds and RAPD markers as a starting point for in situ conservation. The analysis of chemical constitution of oil of the populations from a specific region revealed predominance of specific constituents indicating possibility of their collection/selection for specific end uses like phytomedicines. Sufficient molecular and biochemical diversity detected among natural populations of this species will form the basis for the future improvement. The correlation between matrices of RAPD and essential oils was not significant. The conservation strategies of populations should be made according to their level of genetic and chemical diversity in relation to geographic location of populations. Our results give some insights into the characterization of this as yet little investigated plant.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Biotechnology Center of Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia. Electronic address: fatma1707@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fatma Zohra
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Rahali
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Biotechnology Center of Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lamine
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Biotechnology Center of Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gargouri
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Biotechnology Center of Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Iness Bettaieb
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Rebey
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Biotechnology Center of Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Majdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammami
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Biotechnology Center of Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ibtissem Hamrouni
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Sellami
mesh_terms: D000081008:Bicyclic Monoterpenes; D044822:Biodiversity; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D005309:Ferula / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D000081222:Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D045787:Sesquiterpenes, Eudesmane; D013729:Terpenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000081008:Bicyclic Monoterpenes; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D000081222:Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D045787:Sesquiterpenes, Eudesmane; D013729:Terpenes; C499668:gamma-eudesmol; C053997:2-pinene oxide; C051082:beta-eudesmol; C118684:alpha-eudesmol; C018669:gamma-terpinene; C042686:humulene; C005451:alpha-pinene
keywords: Chemotyping; Essential oils; Ferula communis (Apiaceae); Genetic variation; Hierarchical clustering analysis; Metabolite profile; PCoA; RAPD