molecular identification and phylogenetic differentiation of iranian hypericum species using 18s rrna gene barcoding and bioinformatic analysis

The hypericum genus is renowned for its medicinal properties, yet its commercial products are often adulterated due to challenges in morphological identification. this study presents a molecular approach using 18s rrna gene sequencing to identify and differentiate 12 hypericum species collected from various regions of iran. genomic dna was extracted, and the 18s rrna ribosomal genes were amplified using specific primers, and sequenced. besides, the morphologic characteristics of each sample were evaluated using light microscopy method. bioinformatic analyses, including multiple sequence alignment, conserved domains shading and phylogenetic tree construction, revealed distinct clades corresponding to individual species, validating the efficiency of dna barcoding of the studied hypericum samples. this method offers a rapid, reliable, and reproducible tool for accurate species identification, which is essential for quality control in the herbal industry. the developed molecular identification methods can also be applied, with slight modifications, to identify other hypericum specimens and similar plant species.