Chiang Mai Journal of Science

Print ISSN: 0125-2526 | eISSN : 2465-3845

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Integrative Analysis of Morphology, Anatomy, and Multi-Locus DNA Barcodes in Calotropis gigantea (L.) W.T. Aiton (Apocynaceae) from Vietnam

Hoang Quoc Tuan*, Vo Nguyen Tuyet Trinh, Le Minh Nhan, Le Thi Kim Chi and Tu Hoang Thuong
* Author for corresponding; e-mail address: hoangquoctuan@tdtu.edu.vn
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9855-9149
Volume: Vol.53 No.4 (July 2026)
Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12982/CMJS.2026.060
Received: 18 December 2025, Revised: 2 March 2026, Accepted: 8 May 2026, Published: -

Citation: Tuan H.Q., Trinh V.N.T., Nhan L.M., Chi L.T.K. and Thuong T.H., Integrative analysis of morphology, anatomy, and multi-locus DNA barcodes in Calotropis gigantea (L.) W.T. Aiton (Apocynaceae) from Vietnam. Chiang Mai Journal of Science, 2026; 53(4): e2026060. DOI 10.12982/CMJS.2026.060.

Graphical Abstract

Graphical Abstract

Abstract

     Calotropis gigantea is an important medicinal plant officially recognized in the Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia V, but it is frequently confused with its closely related congener, C. procera, particularly during the vegetative stage. This study provides an integrative pharmacognostic and molecular assessment of Vietnamese C. gigantea to support species authentication and herbal quality control. Field observations and morphological examination documented key diagnostic characters of C. gigantea, especially floral traits such as reflexed corolla lobes and rounded corona apices with paired auricles. The morphological distinction from C. procera was assessed by comparing the observed characters of C. gigantea with published taxonomic reference data for C. procera. Microscopic analyses of C. gigantea documented key anatomical and pharmacognostic features, including non-articulated unbranched laticifers and intraxylary phloem, which support authentication of the studied material. Molecular analyses of six barcode regions, namely rbcL, matK, rpoC1, trnH–psbA, ITS, and ITS2, were conducted for C. gigantea and compared with available GenBank sequences. These markers showed limited species-level discriminatory power within Calotropis. Chloroplast coding markers showed complete or near-complete sequence identity between available C. gigantea and C. procera sequences, while ITS, ITS2, and trnH–psbA did not clearly recover species-specific clades. These findings underscore the limitations of standard barcodes for closely related Calotropis species and highlight the need for a multi-evidence identification approach. The morphological and anatomical data provided here strengthen the pharmacognostic foundation for C. gigantea and offer practical reference criteria for regulatory authentication and quality assessment of herbal products in Vietnam.

Keywords: morphology, anatomy, DNA barcode, C. gigantea

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