Morphological Characteristics and ITS Molecular Markers of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don: A Medicinal Plant in Southern Vietnam

<b>Background and Objective:</b> <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> (L.) G. Don is a medicinal plant known for its therapeutic properties, particularly in cancer treatment and diabetes management. Its morphological characteristics and genetic markers play a crucial role in species identification, conservation and breeding programs. This study aims to evaluate the morphological features and molecular markers of <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> in Southern Vietnam to enhance species characterization and support its medicinal utilization. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The samples of <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> (L.) G. Don were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. To determine the genetic relationship between the samples, using the improved CTAB DNA extraction method. The DNA was amplified by PCR with primers specific to the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) gene region and finally, the amplified product was sequenced based on the Sanger method. <b>Results:</b> The sequence comparison results of 6 <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> (L.) G. Don samples on the NCBI gene bank showed that the samples were similar to the sequence of <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> species with coefficients ranging from 98.86-100%. The results of the analysis of the pedigree diagram, the sequence of the ITS gene region, have identified a group of genera within the same family. <b>Conclusion:</b> The samples coincided with the species <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> with a high similarity coefficient ranging from 98.86-100%. Future studies should focus on exploring the genetic diversity of <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> across different regions and investigating its bioactive compounds for potential pharmaceutical applications.