DNA EXTRACTION AND OPTIMIZATION FROM FIBROUS LEAVES OF SOME DATE PALM CULTIVARS FROM PAKISTAN

Abstract

Pure DNA is first and foremost requirement for PCR amplification and DNA fingerprinting analysis of plant species. Leaves of date palm are hard, fibrous and difficult to grind. An attempt was made to isolate the high molecular weight DNA from fibrous unopened pale yellow leaves of ten date palm cultivars. The leaf samples were collected from orchards of Khairpur district. DNA was extracted with CTAB method using liquid nitrogen and supernatant was kept for an overnight for precipitation of DNA at 4⁰C. Quantification of extracted DNA was checked with spectrophotometer and on 0.8% agarose gel electrophoresis. DNA was further diluted for 10ng/µL and optimized for RAPD-PCR amplification.