Efficient DNA barcode regions for classifyingPiperspecies (Piperaceae).
Piperspecies are used for spices, in traditional and processed forms of medicines, in cosmetic compounds, in cultural activities and insecticides. Here barcode analysis was performed for identification of plant parts, young plants and modified forms of plants. Thirty-sixPiperspecies were collected and the three barcode regions,matK,rbcLandpsbA-trnHspacer, were amplified, sequenced and aligned to determine their genetic distances. For intraspecific genetic distances, the most effective values for the species identification ranged from no difference to very low distance values. However,Piper betlehad the highest values at 0.386 for thematKregion. This finding may be due toPiper betlebeing an economic and cultivated species, and thus is supported with growth factors, which may have affected its genetic distance. The interspecific genetic distances that were most effective for identification of different species were from thematKregion and ranged from a low of 0.002 in 27 paired species to a high of 0.486. Eight species pairs,Piper kraenseandPiper dominantinervium,Piper magnibaccumandPiper kraense,Piper phuwuaenseandPiper dominantinervium,Piper phuwuaenseandPiper kraense,Piper pilobracteatumandPiper dominantinervium,Piper pilobracteatumandPiper kraense,Piper pilobracteatumandPiper phuwuaenseandPiper sylvestreandPiper polysyphonum, that presented a genetic distance of 0.000 and were identified by independently using each of the other two regions. Concisely, these three barcode regions are powerful for further efficient identification of the 36Piperspecies.
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; Genetics and Environmental Toxicology (GET) Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
Arunrat
A
Chaveerach
Genetics and Environmental Toxicology (GET) Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Thailand; Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand.
Tawatchai
T
Tanee
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; Genetics and Environmental Toxicology (GET) Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
Arisa
A
Sanubol
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; Genetics and Environmental Toxicology (GET) Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
Pansa
P
Monkheang
Genetics and Environmental Toxicology (GET) Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Thailand; Faculty of Law, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
Runglawan
R
Sudmoon
DNA barcoding; Piper species; matK gene; psbA-trnH spacer; rbcL gene