Assessment of genetic diversity among some accessions of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) using electrophoresis of seed storage proteins

The genus Salvia (Lamiaceae) comprises over 900 species in the world, with a relatively wide dispersion in the Iran’s flora. Until now, about 58 species of the genus have been reported and identified in Iran, in which 17 of them were endemic. In order to study, investigate and evaluate the intraspecific diversity, similarity and dissimilarity among Iranian Salvia officinalis accessions, an experiment was carried out using SDS-PAGE technique. In this study, the seeds from five accessions were collected from gene bank and were evaluated. The seed storage proteins were extracted by buffers and were measured. Phylogenetic relationships were analyzed according to presence and absence of bands on the gel. A dendrogram was prepared using calculation of the accession’s similarity index. Mean comparison were done by Tukey’s test. The seed protein contents showed significant differences (p≤0.01) among accessions. A total of 39 bands were indicated on the gel. The maximum diversity was detected in the accession No. 2 while, the lowest band’s number were recorded with the accessions No. 1 and 5. Based on dendrogram, the accessions were divided into two groups; one includes accession No. 1 and 4 other accessions were located in the second group further classified into two subgroup including accessions No. 2 and 3 in one clade and accessions No. 4 and 5 in the other ones.