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ABSTRACT. Dried parts of different plant species often look alike, especially in powdered form, making them very difficult to identify. Ruta graveolens, sold as a dried medicinal herb, can be adulterated with Euphorbia dracunculoides. The genomic DNA was isolated from the leaf powder (100 mg each) using the modified CTAB method. Internal transcribed spacer sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA-ITS), and chloroplast spacer sequences (rpoB and rpoC1) are regarded as potential genes for plant DNA barcoding. We amplified and sequenced these spacer sequences and confirmed the sequences with a BLAST search. Sequence alignment was performed using ClustalX to look for differences in the sequences. A DNA marker was developed based on rpoB and rpoC1 of the nrDNA-ITS for the identification of the adulterant E. dracunculoides in samples of R. graveolens that are sold in local herbal markets. Sequence-characterized amplified region markers of 289 and 264 bp for R. graveolens and 424 bp for E. dracunculoides were developed from dissimilar sequences of this ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 10 (4): 2806-2816 2807Molecular typing of R. graveolens and E. dracunculoides nrDNA-ITS to speed up the authentication process. This marker successfully distinguished these species in extracted samples with as little as 5 ng DNA/µL extract.

Chilli is an important horticultural crop all over the world. Root rot of chilli is the most important disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani responsible for immense losses. Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) acting as a significant part in the proficiency of plants to protect themselves by means of hyper-sensitive reaction (HR) of plants toward the destructive pathogens. Additionally, SAR reveals as long time defense approach that may be weeks to months or sometimes throughout the entire season. The aim of this study was to induce systemic acquired resistance (SAR) against R. solani in chilli crop. Five plant activators salicylic acid, potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4), di-potassium hydrogen phosphate (K2HPO4), benzoic acid and citric acid were evaluated under Lab. and field conditions with three different concentrations (1, 2 and 3%). Salicylic acid gave better result at 3% concentration. After 3rd application, salicylic acid at 21 days interval expressed minimum disease incidence as compared to others treatments. At concentration of 3 % after twenty-one days of spraying salicylic acid showed minimum disease incidence (9.667%) followed by KH2PO4 (16.433%), K2HPO4 (20.241%), benzoic acid (23.367%) and citric acid (28.667%) while control expressed maximum disease incidence (86.467%). So, it is concluded that salicylic acid gave better result than others treatments.

Hot peppers used as natural flavoring and coloring agents are usually irradiated in prepacked form for decontamination. The effects of gamma radiation on the stability of functional components such as capsaicinoids and antioxidant compounds (carotenoids, ascorbic acid and total phenolics) were investigated in hot peppers (Capsicum annuum). Whole dried peppers packed in polyethylene bags were gamma irradiated at 0 (control), 2, 4, and 6 kGy and subsequently stored at 25 °C for 90 days. The irradiation dose did not substantially affect the initial contents of capsaicinoids, ascorbic acid and total phenolics, though the concentration of carotenoids declined by 8% from the control (76.9 mg/100 g) to 6 kGy radiation dose (70.7 mg/100 g). Similarly, during storage for 90 days at ambient temperature the concentrations of capsaicinoids and total phenolics remained fairly stable with mean percent reductions from 3.3% to 4.2%, while the levels of total carotenoids and ascorbic acid significantly (p < 0.05) declined by 12% and 14%, respectively. Overall, neither irradiation nor subsequent ambient storage could appreciably influence the contents of functional components in hot peppers. These results revealed that gamma irradiation up to 6 kGy can be safely used for decontamination to meet the needs for overseas markets without compromising product quality.

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Mushrooms have medicinal as well as nutritive value and extensively used as human food from the time immortal. In order to determine the genetic diversity among Pleurotus species of mushroom using morphological and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, about seven different species were collected. Five species, naming Pleurotus platypus (P-6), Pleurotus flabelatus (P-7), Pleurotus florida (P-17), Pleurotus ostreatus (P-19) and Pleurotus sajor-caju (P-56) were from Canada and two Pleurotus warm-stram (P-9) and Pleurotus eryngii (P-16) from Philpines. Seven different morphological traits that is, mycelial growth (mm), cap diameter (cm), total yield (kg), moisture contents (%), ash contents (%), nitrogen contents (%) and protein content (%) were recorded. The dendrogram based on morphological data divided seven species in cluster 'A' and 'B' having four and three species, respectively. The dendrogram based on RAPD analysis generated 3 clusters 'A', 'B' and 'C'. Out of 14 random primers, the maximum polymorphism was observed by primers OPL 3 (72.70 %) and OPL 11 (70%). The two species P-56 and P-17 were observed to be most similar having value 86% and constituting a cluster 'A'. The present work revealed that, morphological and RAPD markers showed different pattern of genetic diversity among different Pleurotus species.

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