Molecular Analyses used in Genetic Diversity Studies of Bioactive Plants of Verbenaceae and Lamiaceae: A Review

Morphological traits used to be employed to differentiate plant genotypes within breeding programs. With the advancement of biotechnology, biochemical markers and DNA molecular markers have become the primary tools used in the differentiation of individuals, because these markers are not influenced by the environment, as it occurs with morphological traits. Consequently, these new techniques provide faster and more precise results. The isoenzymes and the DNA molecular markers RFLP, RAPD, AFLP, and SSR stand out among the biochemical and molecular markers. Each molecular marker presents advantages and limitations, which increases the applicability to different species and laboratory conditions, presenting more reliable results when used in association. Given the increase in the number of works related to bioactive plant species, this review seeks to present the panorama of the use of biochemical and molecular markers in studies on the genetic diversity involving the families Verbenaceae and Lamiaceae, which encompass a large number of medicinal and aromatic species of economic importance.