Preliminary Studies on Isolation of Genomic DNA suitable for PCR from Some African Sapindaceae

For any meaningful genetic research, basic techniques of biotechnology must be in place, one of which is isolation of DNA. Although several protocols exist for the extraction of plant DNA, a major but limiting step in genetic research is poor extraction. This study was conducted in order to isolate pure genomic DNA from some members of family Sapindaceae in Africa using a rapid and efficient method. Fresh and dried young leaves from 56 species were sampled for extraction of genomic DNA. The methodology employed includes a modification in the quantity of plant materials and reagents used and excluded the use of ultracentrifugation techniques. The result revealed genomic DNA with absorbance ratio ranging between 1.4 and 2.0 for all the taxa sampled. Hence, it was concluded that the modified protocol yielded genomic DNA suitable for PCR based analysis.