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EVALUATION OF TAXONOMIC STATUS OF MEDICINAL SPECIES  OF  THE GENUS  HYOSCYAMOUS,  WITHANIA, ATROPA AND DATURA BASED ON POLY ACRYLAMIDE GEL ELECTROPHORESIS

ZUBAIDA YOUSAF¹, SHAHID MASOOD², ZABTA KHAN SHINWARI², MIR AJAB KHAN³ AND ASHIQ RABANI²

Abstract: Seed protein profile of 42 accessions belonging to 7 species of 4 different genera (Datura, Hyoscyamus, Withania and Atropa) from the family Solanaceae were investigated through Poly Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis. Intra and inter specific relationship was estimated using Jaccard’s similarity index. A dendrogram based on UPGMA revealed the generic status and inter relationship of Hyoscyamus, Atropa, Withania and Datura. The specimens of Withania somnifera collected from Panjgur (109717, 109718, and 109710) not only showed the variation morphologically but also based on protein profiles. These specimens have the allelic variation at band of 66, 64 50, 42, 22 and 16 Kda. This accession is also geographically different from the rest of specimens of W. somnifera. These differences are enough to give it the rank of sub species of W. somnifera. Based on the total seed protein profile close association is found between Withania/Datura and Atropa/Hyoscyamaus but they maintain their generic status, as there is no intermixing of species was observed. The present study provides useful information for the identification of the taxa, their relationship and the delimitation of their taxonomic status.

¹Department of Botany, University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi, Pakistan

²Institute of Agri-biotechnology and Genetic Research, National Agricultural Research Center, Islamabad, Pakistan

³Department of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan