A simple method for RNA isolation from various tissues of the tree Neolamarckia cadamba

Plant tissues contain abundant polysaccharides, phenolic compounds and other metabolites, which makes it difficult to isolate high-quality RNA from them. In addition, Neolamarckia cadamba contains large quantities of other components, particularly RNA-binding alkaloids, which makes the isolation even more challenging. Here, we describe a concise and efficient RNA isolation method that combines the cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and Plant RNA Kit (Omega) protocols. Gel electrophoresis showed that RNA extracted from all tissues, using this protocol, was of good integrity and without DNA contamination. Furthermore, the isolated RNA was of high purity, with an A (260)/A (280) ratio of 2.1 and an A (260)/A (230) ratio of >2.0. The isolated RNA was also suitable for downstream applications, such as reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). The RNA isolation method was also efficient for recalcitrant plant tissues.