DEVELOPMENT OF MOLECULAR MARKERS FOR ORIGIN DETERMINATION IN SAFFRON

Measures of molecular and morphological genetic variation are often used to set conservation priorities and design management strategies for plant taxa.
More recently, the certification of the origin and quality of food is another area where the use of molecular techniques is getting increased.
Random Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs) is a DNA polymorphism assay based on the amplification of random DNA segments with single primers of arbitrary nucleotide sequence been widely utilized in plant genomic studies.
Saffron is considerate to be the most expensive spice in the world, due to its cultivation that requires careful handling at every step and yields so very little.
Because of its great cost, many adulteration ways have been exploited and consumers through the centuries have guarded against paying for impure saffron.
We investigated the distinction and variability of Crocus sativus from several geographic areas (Italy, Iran, Greece and Spain) using 38 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and dry stigmas as plant material.

I International Symposium on Saffron Biology and Biotechnology

J. Pardo, J.-A. Fernández, L.G. Gómez

Crocus sativus, DNA, RAPD markers, stigma

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.650.9