Identification of Melissa officinalis Subspecies by DNA Fingerprinting.

The random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis (RAPD) is a method to study genetic variability within and between populations and species on the basis of the amplification of anonymous fragments from genomic DNA templates by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We applied RAPD analysis in order to distinguish medicinal plant subspecies at the level of their genomes. In this study we investigated various samples of two MELISSA subspecies and showed that RAPD analysis is a fast and reliable method to distinguish subspecies on the pharmaceutical market that have been previously classified according to the distribution pattern of compounds present in the lemon balm oil.

Accumulation of biologically active furanocoumarins in agitated cultures of Ruta graveolens L. and Ruta graveolens ssp. divaricata (Tenore) Gams.

This study was designed to investigate the dynamics of accumulation of linear furanocoumarins (psoralen, bergapten, xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin, imperatorin) and their biogenetic precursor, umbelliferone, in agitated cultures of Ruta graveolens L. and Ruta graveolens ssp. divaricata (Tenore) Gams during 6-week growth cycles.

Accumulation of biologically active furanocoumarins in Ruta graveolens ssp. divaricata (Tenore) Gams in vitro culture.

The study was designed to investigate dynamics of accumulation of five linear furanocoumarins and umbelliferone in stationary liquid cultures of Ruta graveolens ssp. divaricata (Tenore) Gams during 6-week growth cycles. The contents of individual metabolites in biomass increased 1.