Morphological and DNA barcode characteristics of Dioscorea zingiberensis C.H.Wright collected from Chu Yang Sin National Park, Dak Lak Province

Tóm tắt

Introduction: Dioscorea zingiberensis is a medicinal herb with significant nutritional and pharmacological value. It is listed in both the Vietnam Red Data Book and the Red List of Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, and first identified in Chu Yang Sin National Park, Dak Lak Province. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the morphological and anatomical characteristics of Dioscorea zingiberensis C.H.Wright collected from Chu Yang Sin National Park, Dak Lak. Methods: Roots, stems, and leaves were identified based on morphological and anatomical analysis, combined with gene sequencing using the Sanger method. The obtained sequences were compared with reference sequences available in the GenBank database. Results: The results illustrated D. zingiberensis is an herbaceous, climbing plant with left-twining stems; leaves are heart-shaped, alternate, and bear two small spines; the fruit is a capsule; and the rhizome is horizontal, light brown, and bears numerous hard, fibrous roots. The microscopic observations of the stems, leaves, and roots revealed characteristic anatomical features of the genus Dioscorea, which help distinguish the species from closely related taxa. DNA sequencing results demonstrated a high degree of similarity between the studied sequence and the published D. zingiberensis sequences in GenBank, confirming accurate species identification. Conclusion: This study established a reference dataset on the morphology, anatomy, and DNA barcode of D. zingiberensis collected from Chu Yang Sin, contributing to the accurate identification, conservation, and sustainable utilization of Dioscorea genetic resources in Vietnam.

Abstract

Introduction: Dioscorea zingiberensis is a medicinal herb with significant nutritional and pharmacological value. It is listed in both the Vietnam Red Data Book and the Red List of Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, and first identified in Chu Yang Sin National Park, Dak Lak Province. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the morphological and anatomical characteristics of Dioscorea zingiberensis C.H.Wright collected from Chu Yang Sin National Park, Dak Lak. Methods: Roots, stems, and leaves were identified based on morphological and anatomical analysis, combined with gene sequencing using the Sanger method. The obtained sequences were compared with reference sequences available in the GenBank database. Results: The results illustrated D. zingiberensis is an herbaceous, climbing plant with left-twining stems; leaves are heart-shaped, alternate, and bear two small spines; the fruit is a capsule; and the rhizome is horizontal, light brown, and bears numerous hard, fibrous roots. The microscopic observations of the stems, leaves, and roots revealed characteristic anatomical features of the genus Dioscorea, which help distinguish the species from closely related taxa. DNA sequencing results demonstrated a high degree of similarity between the studied sequence and the published D. zingiberensis sequences in GenBank, confirming accurate species identification. Conclusion: This study established a reference dataset on the morphology, anatomy, and DNA barcode of D. zingiberensis collected from Chu Yang Sin, contributing to the accurate identification, conservation, and sustainable utilization of Dioscorea genetic resources in Vietnam.