Abstract
Although traditional plant preservation methods (e.g. soaking in formalin or in high percentage alcohol) can effectively preserved the configuration of specimens, losses of hues is an unsolved problem. Anthocyanins, the main pigment of colorful flowers, are water-soluble, unstable, and susceptible to external environmental factors such as pH, temperature, light, and other substances like enzymes. So preservation and stabilization of anthocyanins is here the key step in preserving hues of flowers. In this research, Dendrobium orchids are used as objects of study, we successfully developed a preservation solution which is able to keep the color, morphology, and DNA of Dendrobium orchids. In the study, we modified the pH-differential method and used HPLC to carry out quantitative and qualitative analysis of anthocyanins. Electrophoresis and PCR were used to analyze the effect of the preservation solution on leaf DNA. The results reveal that the content of anthocyanins declined significantly at the first two weeks then became stable in the long-term tracking. The hues of Dendrobium orchids are basically the same. There is no significant degradation of leaf DNA, and the DNA extracted from the mersed samples could be subjected to PCR amplification. These results suggest that the preservation solution not only can keep the appearances of the flower Dendrobium orchids but also the leaf DNA. This research has important potentials for academic and applicative purposes.