Research in Plant Metabolites

Research in Plant Metabolites

Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Some Indigenous Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi L.) Populations using RAPD Molecular Markers

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Tina Jalalifar 1
مهدی سلطانی حویزه 1
Ehsan Shahbazi 2
1 Department of Plant Breeding, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.
2 Department of Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
10.22034/jrpsm.2025.509010.1053
Abstract
The medicinal plant Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi L.) is a native species of Iran, rich in bioactive medicinal compounds. This study aims to assess the genetic diversity and distance among its native ecotypes, which can be useful for selecting suitable parents for the development of hybrid or composite populations. To investigate the genetic diversity of indigenous populations of Trachyspermum ammi (Ajwain) using RAPD molecular markers, 23 ecotypes were obtained from the gene bank of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (RIFR). After DNA extraction with CTAB-activated charcoal, A total of 20 primers were screened during the PCR amplification. Genetic similarity among populations was calculated using the Jaccard similarity coefficient, and a similarity-based dendrogram was constructed through the UPGMA clustering algorithm. Statistical analysis was performed using NTSYS software. PCR amplification generated 84 distinct DNA fragments, 81 of which (96%) were polymorphic, demonstrating significant genetic variability. The highest band numbers (6) were observed with primers OPC17, OPB15, OPB19, and OPB18. All primers, except OPB7, exhibited 100% polymorphism, underscoring the high genetic diversity present in the Trachyspermum ammi samples. Cluster analysis segregated the samples into three primary clusters: 21 ecotypes in the first group, ecotype 10 in the second, and ecotype 12 in the third. The results indicated that RAPD markers can be used to determine the genetic diversity of native ajwain populations and identify parents with greater genetic distance for selecting superior crosses.
Keywords
Ecotype
Genetic relationships
Jaccard coefficient
Cluster analysis
Genetic distance
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