Evaluación del ADN extraído de hojas y ramas de especímenes de herbario: estudio de caso en especímenes de Psychotria y Palicourea depositados en el herbario forestal UDBC

Abstract

Botanical specimens deposited in herbaria are invaluable sources of DNA not used sufficiently. Research on this topic has focused on the extraction of DNA from specimen leaves, however, branches have not been evaluated exhaustively. In order to know the possibility of extracting DNA from branches of herbarium specimens, we evaluated the DNA quantity and quality in leaves and branches of botanical specimens treated with alcohol, compared to leaf tissues dehydrated in silica gel. We used specimens of the genera Psychotria and Palicourea deposited in the collection of the UDBC herbarium. DNA concentration and purity values were higher in dehydrated tissues in silica gel compared to DNA extracted from leaves and branches of botanical specimens. Branches of herbarium specimens are valuable sources of DNA that should be explored in more detail because, when compared to the leaves, they represent advantages such as affecting the integrity of the specimens to a lesser degree, not altering significantly the eventual description of the plants, and decreasing the possibility of extracting DNA from a different organism.