A. occidentale plant varieties using a wide range of SSR markers on DNA
extracts from dried A. occidentale leaves (Fig. 3). The speed of extraction,
minimal costs, absence of toxic chemicals and high quality of DNA obtained
make this method ideal for extraction of DNA from dry plant material
in any laboratory that has limited equipment and resources. The
proposed protocol can be adopted for any PCR-based genetic analysis
of dried plant materials, especially for large number of plant samples
in lab settings with limited resources.
4. Conclusion
In summary, we established a rapid, environmentally friendly and
cost efficient method for genomic DNA extraction from dry leaves. The
quality of DNA obtained using this method was sufficient for downstream
PCR-based genomic analysis such as genetic characterization of
different varieties of A. occidentale using SSR markers.
Existing genomic DNA extraction protocols may need modifications
to accommodate for differences in types and concentrations of secondary
metabolites in various plant species.
Authors' contributions
SOK conceived the study. EWG, SOK, and KCS wrote the paper. KCS,
TK, and LJ performed the study. SOK and EWG analyzed, discussed
and assessed the data. HA-S, LA, AS, and LB-M contributed reagents/
materials/analysis tools