Comparison of matK and rbcL DNA barcodes for genetic classification of jewel orchid accessions in Vietnam

BACKGROUND: Jewel orchid is the common name of several orchid species which can be alike in morphological characteristics, but variable in medicinal properties. At present, two DNA barcode loci, namely, maturase K (matK) and ribulose 1,5-biphosphate carboxylase (rbcL), are intensively utilized for plant identification. However, the discrimination effectiveness of these loci is variable among plant species. This study was carried out to compare the identifying efficacy of these two loci on jewel orchid population collected throughout Vietnam. RESULTS: The results revealed that 21 jewel orchid accessions studied were segregated into four different species with significant variations. The discrimination power of matK and rbcL markers in this jewel orchid study displayed different efficiency level. The rbcL gene has higher distinguishing potential than either matK gene alone or the combination of both genes. CONCLUSION: The findings of this project could provide valuable information that is necessary for classification, plant origin identification, breeding, and conservation program of jewel orchid in Vietnam. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43141-021-00188-1.