Govinden-Soulange, J.Lobine, D.Frederich, M.Kodja, H.Coetzee, Martin Petrus AlbertusRanghoo-Sanmukhiya, V.M.2017-03-022017-01Govinden-Soulange, J, Lobine, D, Frederich, M, Kodja, H, Coetzee, MPA & Ranghoo-Sanmukhiya, VM 2017, 'Metabolomic and molecular signatures of Mascarene Aloes using a multidisciplinary approach', South African Journal of Botany, vol. 108, pp. 137-143.0254-6299 (print)1727-9321 (online)10.1016/j.sajb.2016.10.002http://hdl.handle.net/2263/59244In this research a multidisciplinary approach was used to unveil the genetic, metabolic uniqueness and relationships of endemic Mascarene Aloes (Aloe macra, Aloe purpurea, Aloe tormentorii) with respect to Aloe vera. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, DNA sequencing and antioxidant profiles of these Aloes were studied. Principal component analysis following 1 H NMR revealed the specificity of the Mascarene Aloes relative to Aloe vera. The superior free radical scavenging ability of A. purpurea, A. macra and A. tormentorii as compared to other Aloes was also unveiled. Phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast genes and ITS region sequences of these Mascarene Aloes were done using maximum parsimony and Bayesian analysis. Mascarene Aloes clustered within one clade separate from Aloe vera confirming their relative recent emergence in this genus. Results from this study showed that there is sufficient evidence at the metabolomic and molecular level to distinguish between Aloe purpurea from Mauritius and that of Reunionen© 2016 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Notice : this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in South African Journal of Botany. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. A definitive version was subsequently published in South African Journal of Botany, vol. 108, pp. 137-143, 2017. doi : 10.1016/j.sajb.2016.10.002.Aloe tormentoriiAloe purpureaAloe macraPhylogenyMetabolomics1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH)Postprint Article