Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of Nilgirianthus ciliatus populations using ISSR and RAPD markers: Implications for conservation of an endemic and vulnerable medicinal plant

Nilgirianthus ciliatus is of interest for its extensive applications in Ayurvedic medicine. The study focuses on the assessment of genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships in N. ciliatus populations to aid conservation of this species at risk of extinction. Thirty five inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and thirty random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were employed in PCR yielding 298 and 99 bands, respectively. Using ISSR markers, bands of 200–3500 bp were obtained and accounted for 77.0% of polymorphism observed. The polymorphism information content (PIC) and resolving power (R _p ) values were 0.59 and 20.8, respectively. RAPD analysis resulted in 99 total bands of which 89 were polymorphic (89.9%). The PIC value for RAPD was 0.61 and R _p value was 18.8. The two different cluster analyses (UPGMA and Neighbor Joining) and principal component analysis showed the genetic variation among the populations. Clustering of N. ciliatus populations from different geographical regions in distinct groups can be a good sign for clear separation that is supported by high bootstrap values. Overall, both ISSR and RAPD analyses were valuable for identifying genetic variations and phylogenetic relationships in N. ciliatus populations at the DNA level and these differences provides the basic knowledge for better conservation management policies and genetic identification of the different geographical populations of this plant.