Molecular barcoding, in vitro propagation, and genetic fidelity analysis of Ipomoea mauritiana Jacq.—an important medicinal leafy vegetable
摘要
There has been a significant focus on using natural plant-based active compounds to enhance quality of life. Identifying and conserving the genetic resources of medicinal plants is crucial, particularly in many Western countries. Molecular identification is also essential for authenticating known species and ensuring their sustainable use. In this study, six DNA barcodes were utilized to identify the species of Ipomoea mauritiana, a medicinal leafy vegetable. The results indicated that two barcodes, i.e., rpoC1-A and rpoC1-B, were found to be the best options to identify the species. Additionally, propagation of Ipomoea mauritiana through in vitro was achieved using nodal explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium with 4.0 mg L−1 of kinetin (Kn), within 4 wk. However, using a MS medium with cytokinin and low doses of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) or α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) did not show any improvement in the shoot multiplication rate. The in vitro micropropagated shoots were rooted in ½ strength MS basal medium with 1.0 mg L−1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 2.0% (w/v) sucrose. It was observed that at higher concentrations of IBA, the rooting percentage decreased with callus proliferation at the basal end. The rooted plantlets were further established successfully in a soil mixture. The results also showed that, based on inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers, the micro shoots are genetically uniform and stable. This study represents the first report on molecular barcoding and the establishment of in vitro micropropagation for Ipomoea mauritiana. This investigation is significant for the conservation of medicinal plants, facilitating propagation, and enabling long-term storage.