Novel variation for the tocopherol profile in a sunflower created by mutagenesis and recombination

Abstract

Abstractα‐Tocopherol is the main tocopherol in sunflower seeds (>90%). Because it exerts a weak antioxidant action in vitro, its partial replacement by other tocopherols is an important breeding objective in this crop. The objective of this research was to develop novel tocopherol profiles in sunflower through mutagenesis and genetic recombination. Seeds of four ‘Peredovik’ accessions were used for chemical mutagenesis with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). Single‐seed screening in the M2 generation resulted in two M2 seeds, derived from different M1 plants, with increased γ‐tocopherol contents of 19.2% and 96.7%, respectively. M3 progeny from the M2 seed with the 96.7% content bred true for high c‐tocopherol content, containing more than 90%γ‐tocopherol. M3 progeny from the M2 seed with only 19.2%γ‐tocopherol segregated in a range from 0 to 84.6%. Selection for high c‐tocopherol content produced an M4:5 line, designated IAST‐1, with a stable high concentration of γ‐tocopherol. Crosses between IAST‐1 and T589, with an increased b‐tocopherol content, produced F2 segregants with trans‐gressive levels of up to 77%β‐tocopherol or up to 68% d‐tocopherol. Both novel tocopherol profiles were confirmed in the F3 generation.