Conservation of a Rare Medicinal Plant: A Case Study of Griffonia simplicifolia (Vahl ex DC) Baill

This study aimed at carrying out the vegetative propagation of Griffonia simplicifolia. This was achieved by growing nodal and stem cuttings of G. simplicifolia using two types of soils under varying environmental conditions including open area and humidity propagator. This revealed that terminal nodal stem cuttings showed the best growth forms in terms of shoot development as well as root development when subjected to open area and topsoil. However, when subjected to the humid propagator and river sand, the distal stem cuttings gave the best growth forms thereby promoting shoot and root development. Hence, it is concluded that the terminal nodes are the best parts to be used for the propagation of G. simplicifolia and the best growth medium is river sand. Furthermore, this research demonstrates that G. simplicifolia can be reproduced through macro propagation using stem cuttings and it can be seen as a basis for conservation and other breeding research on G. simplicifolia.

Chemical Characterization and DNA Fingerprinting of Griffonia simplicifolia Baill.

Background: Griffonia simplicifolia Baill. (Caesalpiniaceae) is a medicinal plant whose seeds are widely used in traditional medicine for their high content of 5-hydroxy-l-tryptophan (5-HTP), a direct precursor and enhancer of the activity of the brain hormone serotonin (5-HT). The plant extracts are used in dietary supplements aimed to alleviate serotonin-related disorders. Methods: In order to characterize the chemical components of G. simplicifolia seeds and their identity, we used a combined methodology by using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS for the qualitative and quantitative determination of the N-containing compounds, GC-FID and GC-MS for the characterization of the major fatty acids, and DNA fingerprinting based on PCR–RFLP for the unequivocal identification of the plant. Results: 5-HTP was the most representative compound, followed by lower percentages of the β-carboline alkaloid derivative griffonine and other alkaloids. Fatty acids were dominated by the unsaturated fatty acids linoleic acid and oleic acid, followed by the saturated fatty acids stearic and palmitic acids. PCR analysis of the internal transcribed spacer amplified sequence showed a major band at about 758 bp, whereas the PCR–RFLP analysis of this sequence using three different restriction enzymes (MspI, HhaI, and HaeIII) generated a specific fingerprinting useful for the plant identification. Conclusions: The combined chemical and molecular analysis of G. simplicifolia provided an interesting integrated approach for the unequivocal identification of commercial G. simplicifolia seeds.