POMOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIOXIDANT PROFILING OF AONLA (Phyllanthus emblica) GROWN IN SUBTROPICAL ZONE OF INDIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/abr.2025.27.01.52Keywords:
Antioxidant potential, genetic diversity, molecular characterisation, morphology,, Phyllanthus emblicaAbstract
Aonla (Phyllanthus emblica) is widely used in the Ayurvedic and pharmaceutical industries due to the presence of medicinally important bioactive compounds. In the present study, seven commercial cultivars of P. emblica along with one wild genotype were characterized for morpho-molecular traits and antioxidant potential. Morphological evaluation was conducted using a randomized block design, while molecular analysis was carried out using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Pomological traits exhibited significant variation among the evaluated cultivars. Principal component analysis explained 75.1% of the total variation in fruit traits, clustering all commercial cultivars together and separating the wild genotype into a distinct group. The commercial cultivars were superior in all fruit traits and showed higher antioxidant potential compared to the wild genotype. Molecular characterization revealed a mean polymorphic information content (PIC) value of 0.51 with 76.7% polymorphism. At the cultivar level, polymorphic loci ranged from 79.2% in cv. Kanchan to 95.2% in cv. Krishna. Shannon’s information index varied from 0.28 in the wild genotype to 0.37 in cv. NA-7, indicating considerable genetic diversity. Cluster analysis using the UPGMA method showed a minimum similarity coefficient of 0.53 between the wild genotype and cv. Kanchan. The combined pomological and molecular results confirmed substantial variability among the evaluated aonla cultivars and demonstrated the usefulness of these approaches for precise characterization of P. emblica genotypes, which can be effectively exploited in future varietal improvement programmes.
Downloads
References
Bakshi, P., Wali, V. K., Jasrotia, A. M. I. T., Sharma, A., & Iqbal, M. (2015). Evaluation of different aonla (Emblica officinalis) cultivars under rainfed conditions of lower Shivalik foothills of Himalayas. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 85, 1012–1016.
Baliga, M. S., & D’Souza, J. J. (2011). Amla (Emblica officinalis Garten), a wonder berry in the treatment and prevention of cancer. European Journal of Cancer Prevention, 20, 225–239.
Chandra, N. D., Rawat, J. M. S., Singh, B., Khanduri, V. P., & Riyal, M. K. (2020). Determination of physicochemical properties of aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) fruits among different populations in Garhwal Himalaya. International Journal of Fruit Science, 20, 1579–1589.
Chaurasia, A. K., Subramanian, V. R., Krishna, B., & Sane, P. V. (2009). RAPD-based genetic variability among cultivated varieties of aonla (Indian gooseberry, Phyllanthus emblica). Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, 15, 169–173.
Doyle, J. J., & Doyle, J. L. (1987). A rapid DNA isolation procedure for small quantities of fresh leaf tissue. Phytochemical Bulletin, 19, 11–15.
Gantait, S., Mahanta, M., Bera, S., & Verma, S. K. (2021). Advances in biotechnology of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. syn. Phyllanthus emblica L.: A nutraceutical-rich fruit tree with multifaceted ethnomedicinal uses. 3 Biotech, 11, 62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-020-02615-5
Gaur, R. D. (2003). Flora of the district Garhwal Northwest Himalaya with ethnobotanical notes. Transmedia Publication Center.
Ghislain, M., Zhang, D., Fajardo, D., Huamán, Z., & Hijmans, R. J. (1999). Marker-assisted sampling of the cultivated Andean potato Solanum phureja collection using RAPD markers. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 46, 547–555.
Gocher, M., Gochar, R., Rawat, S. S., & Rana, D. K. (2020). Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of Phyllanthus emblica L. fruits under valley conditions of Garhwal Himalaya. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 9, 1295–1297.
Gomez, K. A., & Gomez, A. A. (1984). Statistical procedures for agricultural research. John Wiley & Sons.
Haripriya, S., Vadivel, E., Venkatachalam, R., & Gyathri, P. (2012). In vitro free radical scavenging activity of aonla (Emblica officinalis) varieties at various stages of fruit development. Journal of Applied Horticulture, 14, 63–66.
Hazarika, T. K. (2019). Physicochemical characterization of wild and semi-wild Indian gooseberry. Indian Journal of Horticulture, 76, 612–618.
Jaccard, P. (1908). Nouvelles recherches sur la distribution florale. Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles, 44, 223–270.
Joshi, K., Chavan, P., Warude, D., & Patwardhan, B. (2004). Molecular markers in herbal drug technology. Current Science, 87, 159–165.
Khan, K. H. (2009). Role of Emblica officinalis in medicine: A review. Botany Research International, 2, 218–228.
Kumar, P., & Khatkar, B. S. (2015). Physicochemical properties and nutritional composition of aonla (Emblica officinalis) varieties. International Food Research Journal, 22, 2358–2363.
Kumar, P., & Khatkar, B. S. (2016). Assessment of total polyphenols, antioxidants, and antimicrobial properties of aonla varieties. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 53, 3093–3103.
Kumari, R., Sinha, N., Sharma, S., & Dhiman, K. (2024). Biochemical characterization and antioxidant potential of Phyllanthus emblica L. International Journal of Advances in Biochemical Research, 8, 901–906.
Liu, X., Zhao, M., Wang, J., Yang, B., & Jiang, Y. (2008). Antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of emblica fruit (Phyllanthus emblica L.) from six regions in China. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 21, 219–228.
Luqman, S., & Kumar, R. (2012). Correlation between scavenging property and antioxidant activity in the extracts of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. Annals of Phytomedicine, 1, 54–61.
Luz, G. C., Strioto, D. K., Mangolin, C. A., & Machado, M. F. P. S. (2020). ISSR markers to assess genetic diversity of cultivated populations of Stevia rebaudiana. Breeding Science, 70, 508–514.
Mishra, M., Pathak, S., & Mishra, A. (2018). Physicochemical properties of fresh aonla fruits dropped at different stages of growth and development. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 7, 160–163.
Muzaffar, K., Sofi, S. A., Makroo, H. A., Majid, D., & Dar, B. N. (2022). Biochemical composition, postharvest processing, therapeutic potential, and utilization of Indian gooseberry(amla): A comprehensive review. Journal of Food Biochemistry, 46, e14132. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.14132
Nasim, N., Sandeep, I. S., Sahoo, A., Das, S., Panda, M. K., Acharya, L., et al. (2020). Population genetic structure and diversity analysis in Pandanus odorifer using ISSR and SSR markers. Industrial Crops and Products, 143, 111894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.111894
Nei, M. (1978). Estimation of average heterozygosity and genetic distance from a small number of individuals. Genetics, 89, 583–590.
National Horticulture Board. (2022). Area and production statistics. http://www.nhb.gov.in
Pandey, K., Lokhande, K. B., Swamy, K. V., Nagar, S., & Dake, M. (2021). In silico exploration of phytoconstituents from Phyllanthus emblica as potential therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 RdRp. Bioinformatics and Biology Insights, 15, 11779322211027403. https://doi.org/10.1177/11779322211027403
Pathak, R. K. (2003). Status report on genetic resources of Indian gooseberry—Aonla. IPGRI Office for South Asia.
Pathak, R. K., Srivastava, A. K., Dwivedi, R., & Singh, H. K. (1993). Aonla descriptor. Narendra Dev University of Agriculture & Technology.
Poeaim, S., Sangsoy, V., & Tangthirasunun, N. (2025). Evaluation of genetic diversity by molecular markers in Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica). International Journal of Agricultural Technology, 21, 177–190.
Rana, A. A., Kag, B., Hegde, V., & Sathyanarayana, B. N. (2012). RAPD marker assay-based genetic diversity in aonla (Emblica officinalis L.). International Journal of Current Research, 4, 32–36.
Rout, G. R., Senapati, S. K., & Arajita, S. A. (2010). Relationships among twelve Phyllanthus species using molecular markers. Czech Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding, 46, 135–141.
Royal Horticultural Society. (2001). RHS colour chart. RHS.
Rozar, K. P., Kumar, S., Sharma, R., Hegde, N., Kumar, K. S., & Kumari, N. (2024). Variability in morpho-physicochemical traits and selection of superior genotypes of aonla (Phyllanthus emblica L.). Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources, 37, 460–466.
Saleh, A. A., Mohammed, A. A., Ahmad, A., Dev, K., Rafat, S., Verma, A. K., & Rahmani, A. H. (2020). Amla (Emblica officinalis): Role in health management via controlling various biological activities. Gene Reports, 21, 100820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genrep.2020.100820
Singh, D., Bharti, H., & Singh, K. M. (2014). DNA fingerprinting of aonla varieties using RAPD markers. Indian Journal of Horticulture, 71, 117–119.
Singh, R. P., Singh, A. P., Singh, R. P., & Kewat, R. N. (2020). Biochemical studies on mango varieties during fruit development. International Journal of Chemical Studies, 8, 2905–2908.
Sokal, R. R., & Sneath, P. H. A. (1963). Principles of numerical taxonomy. W. H. Freeman.
Sumalatha, D. (2013). Antioxidant and antitumor activity of Phyllanthus emblica in colon cancer cell lines. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 2, 189–195.
Tewari, R., Kumar, V., & Sharma, H. K. (2019). Physical and chemical characteristics of Indian gooseberry cultivars. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 56, 1641–1648.
Wang, J., Ali, M. M., Wu, Y., Zhang, G., Zhang, X., Xie, L., et al. (2025). Genetic diversity and comprehensive evaluation of physicochemical traits in Phyllanthus emblica L. BMC Plant Biology, 25(1), 1187. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-07161-x
Williams, B. W., Cuvelier, M. E., & Berset, C. (1995). Use of a free radical method to evaluate antioxidant activity. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 28, 25–30.
