Preprint / Version 1

DNA Barcode ITS Effectively Distinguishes the Medicinal Plant Boerhavia diffusa from Its Adulterants

Authors

  • Dhivya Selvaraj Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, India
  • Dhivya Shanmughanandhan Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, India
  • Rajeev Sarma Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, India
  • Jijo Joseph Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, India
  • Ramachandran Srinivasan Department of Botany, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, India
  • Sathishkumar Ramalingam Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, India

Keywords:

Adulterant, Boerhavia diffusa, ITS, DNA barcoding, Punarnava

Abstract

Boerhavia diffusa (B. diffusa), also known as Punarnava, is an indigenous plant in India and an important component in traditional Indian medicine. The accurate identification and collection of this medicinal herb is vital to enhance the drug’s efficacy and biosafety. In this study, a DNA barcoding technique has been applied to identify and distinguish B. diffusa from its closely-related species. The phylogenetic analysis was carried out for the four species of Boerhavia using barcode candidates including nuclear ribosomal DNA regions ITS, ITS1, ITS2 and the chloroplast plastid gene psbA-trnH. Sequence alignment revealed 26% polymorphic sites in ITS, 30% in ITS1, 16% in ITS2 and 6% in psbA-trnH, respectively. Additionally, a phylogenetic tree was constructed for 15 species using ITS sequences which clearly distinguished B. diffusa from the other species. The ITS1 demonstrates a higher transition/transversion ratio, percentage of variation and pairwise distance which differentiate B. diffusa from other species of Boerhavia. Our study revealed that ITS and ITS1 could be used as potential candidate regions for identifying B. diffusa and for authenticating its herbal products. Keywords: Adulterant, Boerhavia diffusa, ITS, DNA barcoding, Punarnava