Abstract
Goji berries (Lycium L.) have been an important element of traditional Chinese medicine for centuries due to their health-promoting properties and chemical composition, and they deserve the term “superfruit”. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphological parameters of Lycium (L. barbarum L., L. chinense Mill. and L. truncatum Y. C. Wang) fruits for 21 cultivars and varieties from the collections in the M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv). Cultivars and varieties differed by weight, shape, and size of fruits. Their morphometric parameters were the following: fruit weight from 0.44 (L. truncatum cv. Princess Tao) to 1.08 (L. chinense cv. Tybet) g, fruit length from 10.41 (L. chinense cv. Delikat) to 22.84 (L. truncatum cv. Super Sweet) mm, fruit diameter from 7.16 (L. truncatum cv. Princess Tao) to 13.48 (L. chinense cv. Delikat) mm, number of seeds in fruit from 1.0 to 49.0. The shape indexes of fruits were found ranging from 0.78 (L. chinense cv. Delikat) to 2.56 (L. truncatum cv. New Big). The analysis of coefficient of variation showed the difference of variability in morphometric characteristics between Lycium spp. cultivars and varieties. The most variable features are fruit weight (11.4–37.1%) and number of seeds in fruits (9.7–60.8%), which are important parameters for selection that indicates about potential success of selection. Using the cluster analysis with the Bray-Curtis similarity index allowed us to establish the relationships among the fruits Lycium spp. germplasm and arrange the cultivars and varieties into three relatively main clusters. Plants of the genus Lycium, due to the growing importance as functional food, require systematic research work. In cases of food use, large fruit size is important. In the results of our research on L. barbarum, L. chinense and L. truncatum, in terms of fruit sizes the following cultivars and varieties stand out : LB02, LC Amber Sweet and LT Super Sweet. The collected varieties can be the basis for obtaining new cultivars distinguished by the size of crops and their quality.
Highlights
The genus Lycium L. (Solanaceae Juss.) includes about 92(97) species, widespread in temperate and subtropical zones
The purpose of this study was to determine the variability of some morphological characteristics of fruits Lycium spp
There 21 genotypes were investigated in an experimental study 2016–2019, including three species (Lycium barbarum, L. chinense, L. truncatum) and cultivars and varieties (LB01–LB03, LC01–LC05, LT01)
Summary
The genus Lycium L. (Solanaceae Juss.) includes about 92(97) species, widespread in temperate and subtropical zones. (Solanaceae Juss.) includes about 92(97) species, widespread in temperate and subtropical zones. 35 species from all genus are used as food or medicine (Yao et al, 2018a). Goji berries are the most used in the quality of ‘superfood’. Under this name, the fruits of two species from east Asia: L. barbarum L. and L. chinense Mill. The fruits of two species from east Asia: L. barbarum L. and L. chinense Mill. They have been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years (Amagase & Farnsworth, 2017; Yao et al, 2017). Lycii Fructus (fruits of Lycium) are listed into several pharmacopeias, including China, Europe and UK (Chang et al, 2015; Yao et al, 2017)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
