DNA FINGERPRINTING OF TINOSPORA CORDIFOLIA USING RAPD ANALYSIS

Abstract

Tinospora cordifolia Linn. is one of the important immunomodulating agents in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine. In this study, we analyze different samples of Tinospora cordifolia for genetic polymorphism using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Analysis of well-characterized marker compounds is now the most popular method for identifying and quality control of herbal materials. However, in many herbal species the chemical composition of the plant changes with environment growing and processing conditions, which lowers the reliability of authentification methods. For the determination of genetic polymorphism, one hundred and twenty decamer oligonucleotide primers were used to screen twenty selected samples. Total DNA extracted from the stem by using ethanol precipitation was used as the template in the PCR reaction. Four primers OPA-16, OPC-7, OPC-13 and OPG-5, showed reproducible distinct polymorphic patterns. The primers possess abilities in detecting variations in twenty collected samples of Tinospora cordiofolia. It can be applied to detect the presence of the drug in formulations. A low genetic diversity among the Tinospora cordifolia samples was revealed by RAPD analysis.