Ecological Distribution and Genetic Variations of Some Aloe Species in Taif, KSA

Aloe is a medicinally and economically important genus. Many Aloes seem an endangered species because of over-collection, destruction of plants and destroyed of natural habitats. The objectives of current study was to survey, collect and identification of some Aloe species and to analyze genetic variations between the collected Aloe species.

Four Aloe species (A. armatissima, A. edentata, A. parvicoma and A. pseudorubroviolacea) and Agave americana (Asperagaceae) were used as plant materials for ecological and genetic studies. In RAPD and ISSR analysis 23 and 16 primers, respectively were screened.

Ecological study showed that the 4 species are endemic: 2 are endangered (A. edentata and A. parvicoma) and the others are not-endangered (A. armatissima and A. pseudorubroviolacea), while A. americana was introduced as ornamental species. Concerning RAPD, a total of 134 reproducible bands of them 131 bands are polymorphic ~ 97.65% polymorphism were produced, which ranged from 9 bands (primer OPC-04) to 18 (primer OPA-03) bands, with an average 13.4 bands/ primer, ranging from ~300-2500 bp. According to ISSR, 113 reproducible bands were totally yielded with an average 12.6 bands/primer, from ~180-1500 bp, of which 107 poly-morphic bands number (PBN) ~94.96% polymorphism ranged from 10 bands (primer UBC-818 and primer UBC-819) to 14 (primer UBC-814) with an average of 11.9 PB/primer.

The results revealed high genetic variations between 4 bands Aloe species and A. americana species, which will be in concern for improvement, breeding and conservation programs.