Optimization of protocols for DNA extraction and RAPD analysis in West African fonio (Digitaria exilis and Digitaria iburua ) germplasm characterization

Fonio is an important indigenous grain crop of West Africa, but the extent of genetic diversity in fonio, its origin and phylogeny are not well understood. DNA markers allow precise characterization of plant germplasm accessions, but there is no literature report of their use in fonio. This paper reports theresult of protocol optimization research for DNA isolation and RAPD analyses in fonio. High quality DNA was successfully isolated and RAPD was effectively used to study genetic similarity among fonio accessions. This result might stimulate the application of DNA markers to investigate the origin and phylogeny of fonio in Africa

Cowpea: a legume crop for a challenging environment

Running title: Cowpea for a challenging environmentCowpea is a grain legume native from Africa and is a primary source of protein for millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the developing world. The main important characteristics of this crop include a good protein quality with a high nutritional value, its nitrogen-fixing ability, and an ability to be more drought- and heat-tolerant than most of its legume relatives. In a research perspective, studies of cowpea are relatively scarce, despite its relevance to agriculture in the developing world and its resilience to stress. The present review provides an overview of different aspects of cowpea, with a special emphasis on the molecular markers for assessing genetic diversity, as well as on biochemical and transcriptomic data with respect to evaluating cowpea drought stress tolerance. The integration of both datasets will be useful for the improvement of cowpea because research on drought stress tolerance is of major interest for this crop in a challenging environment. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.This work is supported by European Investment Funds by FEDER/COMPETE/POCI—Operacional Competitiveness and Internacionalization Programme, under Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006958 and National Funds by FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UID/AGR/04033/2013.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phytoremediation potential of some heavy metals by water hyacinth

The phytoremediation potential of water hyacinth plant (Eichhornia crassipes) was investigated on some metals. The plants were grown for 7 days each in phytoremediation tanks containing a solution of 100 ppm concentration of either Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Zinc (Zn), Lead (Pb), Iron (Fe), Cadmium (Cd), Magnesium (Mg), Copper (Cu) or Calcium (Ca). The change in fresh weight was examined. The percent removal of the metals by the plant was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry on the acid digest of the plant. The biomass decreased insignificantly (P>0.05) in the water hyacinth grown in the test solution and increased by 5.72 % (g/g) in the control. Metal uptake occurred to varying degrees. The highest amount of metal uptake per dry weight of water hyacinth was 13.52 ppm of potassium and lowest, 0.01ppm of lead. © 2010 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Metals, phytoremediation, water hyacinth

Genetic diversity in Nigerian brinjal eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) as revealed by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

The taxonomy of Solanum melongena L., also known as brinjal eggplant, has remained difficult because previous studies to establish genetic relationships among taxa are mainly based on morphological features, which are insufficient to establish genetic affinities. In the present investigation, five highly polymorphic random amplified polymorphic DNA primers were used to describe the genetic similarity and diversity among its accessions in Nigeria. The results show a high level of polymorphism based on the banding patterns among the samples. This indicated a wide and diverse genetic base. Four distinct clusters were equally noticeable at a coefficient of 0.80 from the dendrogram generated. Generally, the grouping pattern clearly indicates that irrespective of variations in fruit traits among samples, they were still grouped together in different clusters with a high similarity coefficient value. This probably showed some genetic relatedness/closeness among the samples concerned. The study also revealed that there is no association between RAPD pattern and the geographic origin of accessions. These agreed with previously published data on the characterization of eggplant. The study disclosed that molecular methods coupled with morphological analyses could make proper classification of S. melongena and other Solanum species in Nigeria possible to achieve.Keywords: Eggplant, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), Data, polymorphism, taxonomyAfrican Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 13(21) 2119-212

Assessment of Genetic Diversity of 12 Populations of Azadirachta Indica A. Juss From Three Different Locations In Lagos State, Nigeria Using RAPD Markers

Background: The beneficial effects of plant materials typically result from the combination of secondary products present in the plant. Neem tree is a common source of natural products for development of medicines againstvarious diseases.Objective: This study was aimed at determining the genetic relatedness of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) collected from three locations in Lagos State.Methods: Leave samples were collected and DNA was extracted using Dellarporta method with modifications. Several random amplified  polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers were screened for polymorphism andamplifications and only six that showed good amplifications and polymorphism were selected for DNA amplification.Results: The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) produced a total of 51 bands from 6 primers. Primer AC07 gave the highest numbers of polymorphic bands (12) while AG1 produced the least with 5 polymorphic bands when the products were run on agarose gel. An unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram generated, grouped the samples into one single cluster with two major subgroups. The 12 populations showed no variation in their genomic composition based on their location.Conclusion: This is an indication of homogeneity in the population of neem plants collected from different locations with a possible consistency in pharmacological activities if investigated.Key Words: Azadirachta, RAPD, Neem, UPGM