Genetic diversity and metabolic profiling of Maytenus emarginata Willd. plant parts and callus using RAPD, SSR markers and GC–MS

Maytenus emarginata plant has valuable medicinal properties for the treatment of various diseases such as cancer, and jaundice and is extensively used for local remedies in various disorders. It is one of the lesser-explored medicinal plant compared to other species of this genus, hence, needs to be explored for its conservation. The purpose of this study is to investigate genetic and metabolic diversity of plant parts (leaf, stem) and their respective calli, using RAPD, SSR markers and GC–MS analysis. RAPD and SSR profiling depicted 5 RAPD and 4 SSR primers to produce 46 loci and 47 bands with 100% polymorphism. The mean values of polymorphism information content (PIC) for RAPD and SSR were as high as 0.25 and 0.313, marker index (MI) was 0.244 and 0.680 and effective multiple ratios (EMR) were 2.3 and 3.0, respectively. Further, GC–MS profiling of methanolic extracts of four genotypes (leaf, stem, leaf callus and stem callus) denoted the presence of phenols, flavonoids, terpenes, aldehyde, esters, terpenoids and ketones, etc. β Amyrin was the most abundant compound in leaf (33.19%) and stem (42.72%), while 2- Cyclopenten-1-one, 2-hydroxy- (12.51%) and Squalene (15.55%) were most copious compounds in leaf callus and stem callus, respectively.