Integration of DNA barcoding and wood anatomy for the identification of selected timbers
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Date
2020
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Department of Forest Products and Utilization, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara
Abstract
In the field of wood marketing, the accurate identification of species has
greater importance. Traditional methods of wood identification are based on physical
characters and anatomical features of the wood species concerned. But they have
some major limitations which could be overcome by the integration of DNA
barcoding with traditional wood taxonomy methods. This study was conducted to
confirm the authenticity of certain wood samples based on their physical and
anatomical characters and to create a DNA Barcode database of seven selected timber
species that are regularly traded in Kerala. The wood samples of seven tree species
viz., Indian Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn), Mangium (Acacia mangium Willd), Indian
sandalwood (Santalum album Linn), Western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn), Red
sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus L.F), Mulluvenga (Bridelia retusa Spreng) and
Malabar neem (Melia dubia Cav) were collected from sawmills and timber traders
across Kerala and their anatomical and physical properties were studied in detail. The
identity of samples was confirmed using computer-aided wood identification
software in addition to the use of dichotomous keys. The wood samples were then
used for DNA isolation, amplification and sequencing.
The detailed study on general features such as colour and odour, physical
properties like moisture content and specific gravity and micro-anatomical properties
such as the number and distribution of vessels and rays was appropriate to confirm
the identity of species as the properties were highly comparable with the existing
databases. In further procedures, the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen) with some in
house modifications could yield the maximum quantity of DNA for the studied wood
species in the current study. Also the samples which are soaked in water yielded
maximum amount of DNA even if it was treated with wood chemicals during transits
for longevity. PCR amplifications were carried out using COBOL Plant Working
Group (2009) recommended universal primers for rbcL, matK, and trnH-psbA, from
which the matK region showed reasonable amplification.
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