Species Identification and Genetic Diversity Analysis of Medicinal Plants Aconitum pendulum Busch and Aconitum flavum Hand.-Mazz

Jing Sun ^1,2, Qing Sun ^1,2, Xin Li ^1,2

⁰Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Biological Resources, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China.

Plants (basel, Switzerland) +

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April 9, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Morphological and molecular analyses confirm *Aconitum flavum* and *Aconitum pendulum* are distinct species. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers effectively differentiate these Aconitum species and reveal high genetic diversity.

Area Of Science

Botany and Plant Taxonomy
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background

The classification of the *Aconitum* genus is complex and debated.
*Aconitum flavum* and *Aconitum pendulum* are perennial herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Distinguishing between these two closely related *Aconitum* species is challenging.

Purpose Of The Study

To differentiate *Aconitum flavum* and *Aconitum pendulum* using morphological and molecular data.
To provide insights into the interspecies classification within the *Aconitum* genus.
To assess the genetic diversity and population structure of both species.

Main Methods

Morphological examination of inflorescence pubescence (appressed vs. spread).
Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers for genetic analysis.
Unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA) cluster analysis, principal coordinates analysis (PCoA), and Bayesian structural analysis.

Main Results

Morphological differences in pubescence clearly distinguished the two species.
Molecular analyses (UPGMA, PCoA, Bayesian) corroborated the morphological findings, dividing individuals into two distinct groups.
ISSR markers revealed high genetic diversity within both *A. flavum* (H<sub>e</sub> = 0.254) and *A. pendulum* (H<sub>e</sub> = 0.291).

Conclusions

*Aconitum flavum* and *Aconitum pendulum* are confirmed as distinct species.
ISSR molecular markers are effective tools for species identification and assessing genetic diversity in *Aconitum*.
The study supports the utility of combining morphological and molecular data for robust plant taxonomy.

Keywords:

Aconitum flavum Aconitum pendulum cluster analysis inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) pubescence on the inflorescence species identification