DNA barcoding is currently a widely used and effective tool that enables rapid and accurate identification of plant species. In the current study, the performance of plastid and nuclear regions as DNA barcodes in some plants from family Labiatae were tested. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the utility of DNA barcoding in discriminating some Labiatae species present in Egypt. Two cpDNA regions (ITS and rbcL) were chosen that were proposed by previous studies and were tested either as single locus or as loci barcodes determined by Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL). The rbcL region presented a higher discrimination power among species than ITS region. However, both ITS and rbcL were useful in discrimination among the collected species of the family Labiatae. ITS and rbcL both together could serve as single- region barcodes for Labiatae species contributing plant species identification, conservation and the trade control of valuable plant resources.
Key words: Conservation, DNA barcodes, ITS, Labiatae, rbcL, species identification
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