DNA profiling of Egyptian Astragalus spinosus (Forssk.) Muschl. species using AFLP markers

Abstract

Background: Species of Astragalus have been used medicinally for more than a thousand years. Astragalus spinosus (Forssk.) Muschl. extract has been used in the treatment of various diseases. Despite its numerous and varied uses, studies on the genetic makeup of Egyptian A. spinosus are lacking. Therefore, the current study was conducted to generate a molecular fingerprint for this species in two successive growth periods which will be used to recognize, record, and act as a molecular reference for future research. Method: Astragalus spinosus samples were collected from El-Hawala region of Marsa-Matrouh, Egypt's North Coast and subjected to molecular analyses using the amplified fragment length polymorphism technique (AFLP) with four primer combinations. Results: Our results revealed minute variations among A. spinosus samples regardless of different collecting periods. Conclusions: The current work confirmed the accuracy and reliability of the AFLP technique in constructing an accurate genomic picture of the investigated plant.