Basic HTML Version
Medicinal Plant Research 2014, Vol.4, No.6, 46
-
54
http://mpr.biopublisher.ca
51
Genetics
The use of cytological and, especially, nuclear DNA
and cpDNA molecular analyses in assessing the
genetic stability or instability of organogenesis and
somatic embryogenesis-derived plants of one fennel (F.
vulgare
) donor plant belonging to
Francia Pernod
population, was evaluated. Different morphogenic
callus types and both organogenic and embryogenic
plants showed the normal diploid chromosome
number. All regenerated plant types, when examined
by RAPD analyses did not show any nuclear DNA
polymorphism. No variation was detected in these
plants independently from their morphogenic origin in
two cpDNA regions which exhibited the same length,
base sequence and restriction profiles. Moreover, the
study of a cpDNA microsatellite region including a
single Art repeat did not reveal any variation of the
repeat numbers in these regenerated plants. These
results on the genetic stability and uniformity of
organogenic and embryogenic regenerated fennel
plants was supported also by a comparison of the
cpDNA microsatellite region with other natural fennel
plants where variations were found in some of them
except Francia Pernod (Bennici et al., 2004).
The composition of hexane extract constituents of ripe
mericarps ("achenes") of eleven indigenous populations
of
F.
vulgare
was studied. Natural populations were
selected along a gradient of annual rainfall from ca.
1000 mm in the northern region down to 125 mm in
the Negev desert. Eighteen constituents, with estragole,
TRANS-anethole, fenchone, limonene and alpha-pinene
as the major components were separated by GC-MS.
Characterized by the level of estragole and
TRANS-anethole, four different groups were obtained:
(1) Highest estragole (63%) and the lowest
TRANS-ane-thole (3%) characterized the population
of Mt. Meron; (2) estra-gole (39%~47%) and
TRANS-anethole (17%~29%) in 3 mountainous
populations; (3) estragole (21%~29%) and
TRANS- anethole (38%~49%) in the coastal and
lowland populations; (4) two exceptional populations
with the lowest content of estragole (ca.8%) and high
content of TRANS-anethole (55% and 74%). A
reversed association between the content of estragole
and TRANS-anethole suggests a common precursor.
In habitats with a high precipitation, the content of
estragole was high and that of TRANS-anethole was
low, and vice versa under limited rainfall. It is
proposed that the composition of oleoresins of F.
vulgare var. vulgare could be governed by
environmental conditions. Never-theless, it is not
ruled out that genetic variations account for the
recorded differences (Oz Barazani et al., 1999).
Zahid et al. (2009) reported that
F.
vulgare
is an
important, well-known aromatic and medicinal herb.
Fifty accessions of fennel were collected from
different parts of Pakistan and evaluated for important
characteristics like seed germination percentage
(ger %), days to initiation of flowering, plant height,
stem girth, nodal distance, umbel diameter, days to
50% maturity, days to harvesting, seed yield per row,
weight of 100 seeds, Harvest index (%). Genomic
DNA of the accessions was extracted and subjected to
RAPD analysis in order to ascertain their genetic
diversity. Twenty-four out of 30 decimer primers
generated 145 clear bands and 70 (48%) were
polymorphic. Sixteen primers OPA- 01, OPA-03,
OPA-04, OPA-05, OPA-07, OPA-10, OPA-11, OPA-14,
OPA-15, OPA-18, AC-11, AC-14, AC-15, AC-16,
AC-18 and AC-20 gave polymorphism for different
characters. About 66.6% of polymorphic primers
generated the highest index to resolve genetic
diversity even in small number of accessions. Seven
accessions from Punjab, 3 from NWFP, one from
Balochistan and one from Northern Areas of Pakistan
had appeared with promising characters.
Khalil et al. (2007) reported that eight medicinal
plants (
F.
vulgare
) were cultivated in the Experimental
Farm Station of the National Research Centre at
Shalakan Kalubia Governorate, Egypt, during the two
consecutive seasons 2003/2004. Plants were grown
under organic farming conditions, as the soil was
treated with organic compost without using mineral or
chemical fertilization. The herbs of the plants were
harvested and subjected to the estimation of phenolic
compounds and antioxidative activities in their
extracts. The results showed that plant growth
parameters varied greatly. Marigold plants were
significantly the highest, while sage plants resulted
significantly in the heaviest fresh and dry herb weight.