Comparison of Different Genomic RNA Extraction Methods From the Medicinal Plant Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.)

RNA extraction is considered a crucial step in the molecular studies and the results of subsequent work such as, PCR, Real-TIME PCR and RACE PCR depend on the quality and quantity of the extracted RNA. Some standard methods are available in total RNA extraction of plant tissue, which are effective for the ordinary plants. But it is difficult to extract the total RNA from the plants with high levels of carbohydrates and secondary metabolites such as phenolic compounds. Yarrow is one of the valuable medicinal and industrial species of the pasture of Iran that contains high levels of secondary metabolites. So far, there is no report on a suitable method for extraction of total RNA from it.
Material and Total RNA extraction was done through three methods including RNXTM(-Plus), Lithium Chloride and Phenol-Chloroform. Then the quality and quantity of extraction RNA was evaluated.
The results showed that among the three methods, extracted RNA with phenol-chloroform had high quantity and quality as the A 260/280 ratio was well within the accepted range of 1.8-2.
Using phenol-chloroform method tends to remove polyphenols and polysaccharides from plant tissue cell contents and causes more efficient RNA extraction. Given of this, the phenol-chloroform method is recommended for total RNA extraction of valuable plant Yarrow in future studies.