Distinguishing the Protected Designation of Origin Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L. cv. Şalak) from Closely Related Cultivars by High Resolution Melting

Abstract

The apricot cultivar Prunus armeniaca cv. Şalak (registered as “Iğdır Kayısısı”) is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) apricot and produced in Aras Basin (Iğdır, Turkey) region. Authenticating the special products, which has adulteration potential, by DNA based methods is reliable and cost-effective. The aim of the current study is to distinguish the PDO apricot from closely related cultivars by High Resolution Melting. We tested 12 SSR markers previously validated for Prunus spp. by means of distinguishing the ability of five closely related apricot cultivars that are Şalak (AS), Hasanbey (HB), Hacıhaliloğlu (HH), Kabaaşı (KB), and Şekerpare (SK) produced in Turkey. Capillary electrophoresis validation showed 11 of 12 markers amplified unique fragments for the cultivars. HRM analysis combined with the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) successfully distinguished the PDO AS from closely related cultivars. HRM analysis combined with PCA can be a cost-effective and reliable authenticating method for PDO food products.