Genetic Profiling and Taxonomic Authentication of Indian Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae: Phyllantheae) Genus through Molecular Phylogeny, DNA Barcoding, and ITS2 Secondary Structure Predictions: A Comprehensive Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Phyllanthus is a genus of plants that are both ecologically and medicinally valuable. This diversity highlights the need for accurate identification in order to support both conservation efforts and medical research. The escalating demand for Phyllanthus-derived herbal products raises concerns regarding market adulteration and misidentification. In response, our study employs DNA barcoding, specifically targeting the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region, to authenticate Indian Phyllanthus species. The study underscores the ITS2 region's efficacy in identifying Indian Phyllanthus species, demonstrating substantial advancements in resolving genus relationships compared to prior analyses. To check if our plant DNA matches known ones, we used two tools: NCBI BLASTn and the ITS2 database. The results showed really high similarities, ranging from 98–100%. This helps us understand how closely related our plant is to others in the Phyllanthus family. We deposited the genetic data, particularly DNA sequences, of Phyllanthus plants into the NCBI GenBank repository. The construction of a phylogenetic tree through multiple sequence alignment of the ITS2 gene confirms clustering among Phyllanthus species, illuminating genetic relationships and diversity crucial for conservation. The ribosomal nuclear ITS2 region exhibits notable differences within and between species, validated by DNA barcodes and secondary structure analyses using minimum free energy calculations. This study underscores the effectiveness of ITS2-based DNA barcoding in accurately identifying Phyllanthus species, mitigating adulteration concerns, ensuring product quality, preserving biodiversity, and promoting sustainable utilization of these invaluable plant resources.