DNA Barcoding, GIS-Facilitated Seed Germination and Pilot Cultivation of <i>Teucrium luteum</i> subsp. <i>gabesianum</i> (Lamiaceae), a Tunisian Local Endemic with Potential Medicinal and Ornamental Value
Stefanos Kostas,
Stefanos Hatzilazarou,
Elias Pipinis,
Soumaya Bourgou,
Imtinen Ben Haj Jilani,
Wafa Ben Othman,
Wided Megdiche-Ksouri,
Zeineb Ghrabi-Gammar,
Mohamed Libiad,
Abdelmajid Khabbach,
Mohamed El Haissoufi,
Fatima Lamchouri,
Emmanouil Koundourakis,
Vasileios Greveniotis,
Evgenia Papaioannou,
Michalia A. Sakellariou,
Ioannis Anestis,
Georgios Tsoktouridis,
Nikos Krigas
Affiliations
Stefanos Kostas
Laboratory of Floriculture, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Stefanos Hatzilazarou
Laboratory of Floriculture, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Elias Pipinis
Laboratory of Silviculture, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Soumaya Bourgou
Laboratoire des Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, Centre de Biotechnologie de Borj-Cédria, Tunis 2050, Tunisia
Imtinen Ben Haj Jilani
Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, Université de Carthage, Tunis 1082, Tunisia
Wafa Ben Othman
Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, Université de Carthage, Tunis 1082, Tunisia
Wided Megdiche-Ksouri
Laboratoire des Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, Centre de Biotechnologie de Borj-Cédria, Tunis 2050, Tunisia
Zeineb Ghrabi-Gammar
Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, Université de Carthage, Tunis 1082, Tunisia
Mohamed Libiad
Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modelling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Taza 35000, Morocco
Abdelmajid Khabbach
Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modelling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Taza 35000, Morocco
Mohamed El Haissoufi
Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modelling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Taza 35000, Morocco
Fatima Lamchouri
Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modelling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Taza 35000, Morocco
Emmanouil Koundourakis
Laboratory of Floriculture, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Vasileios Greveniotis
Institute of Industrial and Forage Crops, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, 41335 Larisa, Greece
Evgenia Papaioannou
Laboratory of Forest Soil Science, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Michalia A. Sakellariou
Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Ioannis Anestis
Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Georgios Tsoktouridis
Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Nikos Krigas
Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
In the context of plant conservation and sustainable use of unique neglected and underutilized phytogenetic resources, this study focused on the Tunisian local endemic Teucrium luteum subsp. gabesianum (Lamiaceae). Using Geographical Information Systems and online databases, detailed taxon-specific ecological profiling was produced for the first time, which illustrated the temperature and climate conditions in its wild habitats and facilitated the investigation of how temperature affects its seed germination, thus making its cultivation in anthropogenic environments possible. Following the seed propagation first reported herein (77.5–81.25% at temperatures between 15 and 25 °C), species-specific in situ and ex situ conservation efforts or sustainable exploitation strategies can be enabled. This study also reported for the first time how chemical and integrated nutrient management (INM) fertilizers affect the growth and pilot cultivation of its seedlings (INM more advantageous). The firstly-reported herein DNA barcoding may enable its traceability, allowing future product design. The multidisciplinary approach followed has paved the way to bridge important research gaps hindering conservation efforts and/or the sustainable exploitation of this local Tunisian endemic plant to date. Based on the aforementioned results, the feasibility and readiness timescale for its sustainable exploitation was overviewed and re-evaluated herein, upgrading (>two-fold) its potential value for the medicinal-cosmetic, agro-alimentary, and ornamental-horticultural sectors.