Morphogenetic Diversity Research Articles

Between Meteorite, Glacier and Rivers—Towards Geotourism Development in Diverse Landscape

The morphogenetic diversity of an area often determines its high geodiversity, which is subsequently used for geotourism. Areas where geotourism is being intentionally developed note the funded impacts resulting from increased interest in the area by tourists. This paper presents a morphogenetically diverse area that has been formed by glacial activity, cosmic factors—meteorite impacts, fluvial factors and anthropogenic factors—especially those related to industrial activities and settlement processes. In this manuscript, we identified and assessed geosites in the diverse landscape of the Poznań region (Poland), as well as analyzed strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in relation to possible activities aimed at the development of geotourism. The multi-criteria assessment of existing and proposed geosites and SWOT analysis was used by us to assess geotourism development potential in this genetically highly diverse landscape. The work presented here demonstrates that not all formally created geosites by geological institutions are potentially attractive from the point of view of geotourism. The main factors that reduce the attractiveness of geosites are the lack of recreational infrastructure, poor accessibility and low educational values. The spectacularity of geosites is most often determined by their aesthetic value, representativeness, rareness and paleogeographical interest. The Poznań region has a high potential for the development of geotourism due to its valuable sites (Morasko Meteorite Reserve, Dziewicza Hill, post-mining area Szachty, Genius Loci and Ostrów Tumski); however, there is a need to develop a geotourism development strategy in the area. Given the morphogenetic diversity of the study area, there is a need to create a unique landscape geointerpretation center in this part of Europe, with a role in integrating tourism and especially geotourism activities.

Identification of metabolite profiles of local cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) from Southwest Maluku, Indonesia

Cowpea is considered an important food in the Southwest Maluku (SWM) District with high morphogenetic diversity. However, information on nutrition and metabolite profiles of the cowpea from SWM has been unrevealed for a new food ingredient for local people of SWM. The laboratory work was conducted descriptively to reveal the nutrient composition of the metabolite profile of some local cowpeas from SWM, Indonesia using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography -Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. Key chemical profiles of amino acids, fatty acids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and other secondary metabolites in cowpeas were analyzed using PCA. The results showed that there were fifteen amino acids, 35 fatty acids, and 52 secondary metabolites identified. The highest amino acid content found in all varieties was glutamic acid at 4.32 ± 0.31%. The highest fatty acid content was identified as arachidic acid at 15.83 ± 3.94%. The plant sterol identified in all varieties was stigmasterol with an average of 3.05 ± 0.43%. The KM7 variety had the highest amino acid in contrast to the KM6 variety. The highest stigmasterol, total flavonoids, and total phenolic content were found in the KM3 variety. These results reveal that local cowpeas have the potential for nutritional and functional food development.

Genetic and morphological diversity in populations of Annona senegalensis Pers. occurring in Western (Benin) and Southern (Mozambique) Africa.

Understanding morpho-genetic diversity and differentiation of species with relatively large distributions is crucial for the conservation and sustainable management of their genetic resources. The present study focused on Annona senegalensis Pers., an important multipurpose wild plant, distributed exclusively in natural ecosystems but facing several threats. The study assessed the genetic and morphological diversity, structure, and differentiation of the species in populations from Western (Benin) and Southern (Mozambique) Africa. The material was evaluated to ascertain the environmental (climatic) determinants of the variation within this species. Four sub-populations comprised of 154 individuals were phenotyped based on nineteen plant, fruit, and leaf morphological traits and further genotyped using ten polymorphic nuclear microsatellite (nSSR) markers. The results indicated strong differences in plant, fruit, and leaf morphological traits between Western and Southern populations. Furthermore, the studied populations were characterized by high genetic diversity, with an average genetic diversity index of 1.02. Western populations showed higher heterozygosity values (0.61-0.71) than Southern populations (0.41-0.49). Western and Southern populations were clearly differentiated into two different genetic groups, with further genetic subdivisions reflecting four sub-populations. Genetic variation between regions (populations) was higher (69.1%) than among (21.3%) and within (9.6%) sub-populations. Four distinct morphological clusters were obtained, which were strongly associated with the four genetic groups representing each sub-population. Climate, mainly precipitation and temperature indexes, explained the relatively higher variation found in morphological traits from Western (40.47%) in relation to Southern (27.98%) populations. Our study suggests that both environmental and genetic dynamics play an important role in the development of morphological variation in A. senegalensis.

Morpho-genetic screening and population structure analysis of Capsicum landraces of North-eastern Himalayan regions of India

ABSTRACT North-eastern Himalayan (NEH) region of India possesses numerous unique and traditionally important Capsicum landraces. The extent of phenotypic variation and phylogenetic relationship of the NEH Capsicum landraces is poorly understood. Therefore, Capsicum landraces consisting of 34 Capsicum annuum L., 5 C. chinense Jacq. and 57 C. frutescens L, that were collected from different states NEH region of India, were studied for morpho-genetic diversity. Accessions were agro-morphologically characterised using the IPGRI minimal descriptors. Genetic diversity analysis was done using 20 microsatellite markers spanning all 13 linkage groups of Capsicum. Multivariate analyses indicated that C. frutescens accessions were agro-morphologically different from both C. annuum and C. chinense. On an average, 3.6 alleles per locus were detected. Considerable genetic diversity (polymorphic information content, PIC = 0.46) was found within the accessions. The phylogenetic and model-based population structure analyses classified the landraces into two to three groups with varied species homogeneity with a majority of members in a cluster belonging to the same species. This study provides important information on the morpho-agronomic variability and genetic structure of chilli landraces of northeastern India which will be useful to identify groups with similar genetic backgrounds for conservation and effective selection of parents for future breeding programme.

Toward geomorphometry of plains - Country-level unsupervised classification of low-relief areas (Poland)

Low-relief areas are not fully the main subject of geomorphometric analyses. The development of the automatic classification of landforms mainly focuses on landforms related to the fluvial morphogenetic cycle. Thus, the morphogenetic diversity of the plains is not reflected in the existing classification systems. The area of Poland where the low relief area exceeds 80 % of the country's territory and results in various morphogenetic processes was selected for the analysis. The purpose of the analysis was recognition of the differentiation of surface types. The first step includes selecting appropriate morphogenetic variables, the second unsupervised classification using the Gaussian Mixture Model, and the third one encompassing the interpretation, namely the labeling process. Twenty Land Surface Types were distinguished, five belonging to uplands, and the remaining 15 types of plains were divided into four subgroups: rolling plains, dissection plains, smooth plains, and near-flat plains. Compared with other classification systems, terrain forms, morphogenetic strides, and physiographic division. The comparison showed a strong correspondence between the morphogenesis of the area and the inventory of surface types, and the high consistency of the Land Surface Types patterns within physiographic units.

Morphogenetic diversity of the selected hatchery populations of an Indian major carp (Labeo rohita, Hamilton, 1822) in the Mymensingh region of Bangladesh

Environmental changes due to the domestication of wild population in hatchery conditions often lead to morphogenetic alterations in fish. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the genetic purity, demographic history, and population structure of Labeo rohita collected from three hatcheries in Bangladesh using a geometric morphometric approach in conjunction with mtDNA cyt b gene sequences and microsatellite markers. The geometric morphometric analysis revealed significant variation in centroid size (body size) among the different populations of L. rohita. However, MANCOVA and subsequent ANCOVA models showed no significant variation in body shape (relative wraps, RWs) among those populations. Both DNA-based techniques amplified all genotypes and revealed a high degree of genetic diversity across all populations. Clustering analyses based on the Neighbour-Joining (NJ) phylogenetic approach found that the hatchery populations have indisputably diverged from the wild populations. The study of haplotype networks, neutrality testing, and mismatch distributions revealed a complex population expansion pattern involving genetic introgression resulting from human translocation. This tendency is exacerbated further by anthropogenic factors, resulting in the loss of various alleles from hatchery populations. The unevenness of pair-wise FST and the hierarchical analysis of molecular variance of population structure showed a distinct variation between wild and hatchery populations. This genetic loss occurs due to improper domestication processes of the hatchery populations. Ignorance of appropriate hatchery procedures may lead to adverse selection by using poor seed leading to stock deterioration in the hatchery population. This study could help to establish appropriate breeding strategies and provide essential information for the genetic improvement program of L. rohita.

Assessment of morpho-genetic diversity of guava (Psidium guajava) hybrids and genotypes

A total of 20 diverse guava genotypes, including the newly bred hybrids were characterized using the morphological, physio-biochemical parameters and microsatellite markers at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi during 2018-19. Most of the qualitative morphological and physio-biochemical parameters had a coefficient of variation value >20%, which indicated substantial diversity. The longest leaves (14.87 cm) were recorded in Lalit, which was statistically at par with Pant Prabhat (14.67 cm), while amongst the hybrids, it is in GH 2018-10 (13.93 cm). The maximum leaf area was recorded in Pant Prabhat (60.33 cm2) while amongst hybrids it was in GH 2018-2 (53.40 cm2). The highest stomatal conductance and net photosynthetic rate was recorded in guava genotype Shweta (9.63 μmol/m2/s) (0.25 mol/m2/sec) while amongst the hybrids it was in GH 2018-8 (8.73μmol/m2/s) (0.26 mol/m2/sec), respectively. The mean genetic diversity indices, viz. major allelic frequency, number of alleles, gene diversity, heterozygosity and polymorphic information content of eight SSRs were 0.497, 3.75, 0.599, 0.071 and 0.542, respectively among the guava genotypes. Furthermore, the eight SSRs based Neighbour-joining (N-J) tree separated the newly bred guava hybrids into different clusters, clades and out-groups.

Incidence, Speciation, and Morpho-Genetic Diversity of Penicillium spp. Causing Blue Mold of Stored Pome Fruits in Serbia.

Blue mold, caused by Penicillium spp., is one of the most economically important postharvest diseases of pome fruits, globally. Pome fruits, in particular apple, is the most widely grown pome fruit in Serbia, and the distribution of Penicillium spp. responsible for postharvest decay is unknown. A two-year survey was conducted in 2014 and 2015, where four pome fruits (apple, pear, quince, and medlar) with blue mold symptoms were collected from 20 storage locations throughout Serbia. Detailed morphological characterization, analysis of virulence in three apple cultivars, and multilocus phylogeny revealed three main Penicillium spp. in order of abundance: P. expansum, P. crustosum, and P. solitum. Interestingly, P. expansum split into two distinct clades with strong statistical support that coincided with several morphological observations. Findings from this study are significant and showed previously undocumented diversity in blue mold fungi responsible for postharvest decay including the first finding of P. crustosum, and P. solitum as postharvest pathogens of quince and P. crustosum of medlar fruit in the world, and P. expansum of quince in Serbia. Data from this study provide timely information regarding phenotypic, morphological and genotypic plasticity in P. expansum that will impact the design of species-specific detection tools and guide the development of blue mold management strategies.

Genetic diversity of the Algerian peanut population analyzed using morphological markers and seed storage proteins

Background. The peanut is one of the most important oil crops suitable for cultivation in the tropical areas of the world. Despite its agronomic importance, few studies have been carried out to assess the morphogenetic diversity of Arachis hypogaea L., especially in East African countries. The major interest of this morphologic study lies in the potential of this species to provide useful genes for the improvement of cultivated peanuts. To date, no study has been performed in Algeria to characterize local peanut varieties.Materials and methods. Thirty peanut accessions were collected from four principal areas of peanut production in Algeria. Genetic characterization using 15 agronomic characters and 25 morphological descriptors showed a high level of diversity among accessions. Principal Component Analysis and the Hierarchical Ascendant Classification were made to clarify the genetic relationship between peanut accessions.Results and discussion. Results showed that leaflet size (length and width), seed shape and size, oil content, and branching pattern were the principal characters to discriminate the screened A. hypogaea accessions. In addition to that, the weights of 10 pods and 100 seeds were the most variable traits and presented a CV of 42.53% and 40.12%, respectively. On the other hand, total storage proteins extracted were separated using SDS-PAGE and revealed thirty bands that were used to generate a matrix and make a cluster analysis using the UPGMA method, exhibiting different storage proteins compositions. Moreover , the phenotypic diversity observed agrees with the storage protein profile diversity, while the accessions grouped in similar clusters belong to the two subspecies of A. hypogaea. The results of the current study show that morphological traits and seed storage proteins can be useful for exploring the diversity among A. hypogaea accessions.

Morpho-genetic diversity in zygotic populations derived from Rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush.) and their tolerance against Phytophthora

Morpho-genetic diversity in zygotic populations derived from Rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush.) and their tolerance against Phytophthora

Functional and genetic diversity of native rhizobial isolates nodulating cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) in Mozambican soils

Identification and symbiotic characterization of indigenous rhizobial isolates are the basis for inoculant formulations needed for sustainable grain legume production. This study screened for morpho-genetic diversity of indigenous cowpea nodulating rhizobia in farmers’ fields across two contrasting agroecological zones of Northern Mozambique. The photosynthetic function induced by the isolates in their homologous cowpea was assessed. The results showed high genetic variability among the isolates based on morphology and ERIC-PCR fingerprinting. The trap cowpea genotype did not influence the diversity of isolates collected from the two different agroecologies, suggesting that the cowpea-rhizobia compatibility may be conserved at species level. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene assigned representative rhizobial isolates to species in the Bradyrhizobium and Rhizobium genera, with some isolates showing high divergence from the known reference type strains. The isolates from both agroecologies highly varied in the number and biomass of nodules induced in the homologous cowpea, resulting in variable plant growth and photosynthetic activities. A total of 72% and 83% of the isolates collected from the agroecological zones 7 and 8 were respectively classified as highly effective candidates with > 80% relative effectiveness compared to plants fertilized with nitrate, indicating that elite native strains populated the studied soils. Moreover, the top 25% of high N2-fixing isolates from the two agroecologies recorded relative effectiveness ranging from 115 to 154%, values higher than the effectiveness induced by the commercial Bradyrhizobium sp. strain CB756. These strains are considered as having potential for use in inoculant formulations. However, future studies should be done to assess the ecologically adaptive traits and symbiotic performance under field conditions.

Genetic Diversity of Gora Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Landraces of Chotanagpur Plateau Region in Eastern India

The rice cultivars grown in the uplands of the state of Jharkhand, India are traditionally known as gora rice. These cultivars possess many important traits such as high seedling vigour, deeper roots and drought tolerance. In this study, a collection of gora landraces were assessed for morpho-genetic diversity using SSR markers. Morpho-agronomic analysis indicated that although seed morphological features are traditionally used for differentiating landraces, based on overall morpho-agronomic features also the cultivars could be differentiated as found in case of black gora. A genetic diversity analysis using 39 SSR markers detected considerable gene diversity (0.52) within gora cultivars. The white gora accessions were classified as indica, and rest including black gora, brown gora and other gora accessions belonged to aus group. This germplasm set provides scope for further genetic studies on multiple abiotic stress tolerance traits such as drought, submergenece and phosphorus starvation and traits for aerobic adaptation.

A longitudinal study on morpho-genetic diversity of pathogenic Rhizoctonia solani from sugar beet and dry beans of western Nebraska

BackgroundRoot and stem rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani is a serious fungal disease of sugar beet and dry bean production in Nebraska. Rhizoctonia root rot and crown rot in sugar beet and dry bean have reduced the yield significantly and has also created problems in storage. The objective of this study was to analyze morpho-genetic diversity of 38 Rhizoctonia solani isolates from sugar beet and dry bean fields in western Nebraska collected over 10 years. Morphological features and ISSR-based DNA markers were used to study the morphogenetic diversity.ResultsFungal colonies were morphologically diverse in shapes, aerial hyphae formation, colony, and sclerotia color. Marker analysis using 19 polymorphic ISSR markers showed polymorphic bands ranged from 15 to 28 with molecular weight of 100 bp to 3 kb. Polymorphic loci ranged from 43.26–92.88%. Nei genetic distance within the population ranged from 0.03–0.09 and Shannon diversity index varied from 0.24–0.28. AMOVA analysis based on ΦPT values showed 87% variation within and 13% among the population with statistical significance (p < 0.05). Majority of the isolates from sugar beet showed nearby association within the population. A significant number of isolates showed similarity with isolates of both the crops suggesting their broad pathogenicity. Isolates were grouped into three different clusters in UPGMA based cluster analysis using marker information. Interestingly, there was no geographical correlation among the isolates. Principal component analysis showed randomized distribution of isolates from the same geographical origin. Identities of the isolates were confirmed by both ITS-rDNA sequences and pathogenicity tests.ConclusionIdentification and categorization of the pathogen will be helpful in designing integrated disease management guidelines for sugar beet and dry beans of mid western America.

Insights into the Phylogeny, Nodule Function, and Biogeographic Distribution of Microsymbionts Nodulating the Orphan Kersting's Groundnut [Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Marechal & Baudet] in African Soils.

Kersting's groundnut [Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Marechal & Baudet] is a neglected indigenous African legume adapted to growth in N-deficient soils due to its ability to fix atmospheric N2 via symbiosis with rhizobia. Despite its nutritional and medicinal uses, to date there is little information on the phylogeny and functional traits of its microsymbionts, aspects that are much needed for its conservation and improvement. This study explored the morphogenetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and N2-fixing efficiency of Kersting's groundnut rhizobial isolates from contrasting environments in Ghana, South Africa, and Mozambique. BOX-PCR fingerprinting revealed high diversity among the rhizobial populations, which was influenced by geographic origin. Of the 164 isolates evaluated, 130 BOX-PCR types were identified at a 70% similarity coefficient, indicating that they were not clones. Soil pH and mineral concentrations were found to influence the distribution of bradyrhizobial populations in African soils. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA genes and multilocus sequence analysis of protein-coding genes (atpD, glnII, gyrB, and rpoB) and symbiotic genes (nifH and nodC) showed that Kersting's groundnut is primarily nodulated by members of the genus Bradyrhizobium, which are closely related to Bradyrhizobium vignae 7-2T, Bradyrhizobium kavangense 14-3T, Bradyrhizobium subterraneum 58-2-1T, Bradyrhizobium pachyrhizi PAC48T, the type strain of Bradyrhizobium elkanii, and novel groups of Bradyrhizobium species. The bradyrhizobial populations identified exhibited high N2 fixation and induced greater nodulation, leaf chlorophyll concentration, and photosynthetic rates in their homologous host than did the 5 mM KNO3-fed plants and/or the commercial Bradyrhizobium sp. strain CB756, suggesting that they could be good candidates for inoculant formulations upon field testing.IMPORTANCE Rhizobia play important roles in agroecosystems, where they contribute to improving overall soil health through their symbiotic relationship with legumes. This study explored the microsymbionts nodulating Kersting's groundnut, a neglected orphan legume. The results revealed the presence of different bradyrhizobial populations with high N2-fixing efficiencies as the dominant symbionts of this legume across diverse agroecologies in Africa. Our findings represent a useful contribution to the literature in terms of the community of microsymbionts nodulating a neglected cultivated legume and its potential for elevation as a major food crop. The presence of potentially novel bradyrhizobial symbionts of Kersting's groundnut found in this study offers an opportunity for future studies to properly describe, characterize, and delineate these isolates functionally and phylogenetically for use in inoculant production to enhance food/nutritional security.

Cortinarius uxorum, a new telamonioid species in Cortinarius sect. Firmiores from the Iberian Peninsula

Cortinarius is one of the most species-rich, conspicuous and widespread genera of basidiomycete ectomycorrhizal fungi. While knowledge of the morphogenetic diversity of Cortinarius in central and northern Europe is rather extensive, less is known about the genus in other regions, such as the Iberian Peninsula. The present study assesses the taxonomical status of an unknown Cortinarius species from the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park (north-eastern Iberian Peninsula), using morphological, phylogenetic and ecological data. As a result, C. uxorum is presented as new species in C. subg. Telamonia sect. Firmiores. It is phenotypically recognized by its medium to large-sized, stout basidiomata with persistent and copious whitish to silvery-white veil remnants on the pileus margin, and the ring-like stripe on the upper stipe. The restricted distribution of this species to a Natural Park highlights the need to consider fungi as a pivotal component of biodiversity in conservation policies.

Seed coat metabolite profiling of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) accessions from Ghana using UPLC-PDA-QTOF-MS and chemometrics

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is an important grain legume in Africa exhibiting high morpho-genetic diversity. However, not much information exists on the phytochemical profiles of its hulls. This study explored the metabolite profiles of seed-coats from thirteen cowpea accessions of varying phenotypes using UPLC-QTOF-MS and chemometric analysis. A total of 34 secondary metabolites were identified, which comprised phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, sphingolipids and fatty acids. Quantification of selected phenolic compounds revealed marked variations among the cowpea accessions. The chemical profiles of the test accessions were distinguished by multivariate analysis, and the results revealed a marked influence of seed-coat pigmentation on the observed differences in their metabolite profiles. Moreover, delphinidin (traces to 2257.6 µg/g), catechin glucoside (traces to 2840.6 µg/g), catechin (traces to 2089.2 µg/g) and epicatechin (26.3 to 3222.7 µg/g) contributed to the segregation amongst the studied samples. The concentrations of the discriminant metabolites were greater in the dark seeded cowpeas compared to their lighter seeded counterparts. The findings represent a useful contribution to the literature on cowpea seed coat metabolites, and also reveal their potential for use in the development of food and pharmaceutical products.

Assessment of genetic diversity in ragi [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn] using morphological, RAPD and SSR markers.

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn., 2n=36) is one of the most important minor crops, commonly known as 'ragi' and used as a staple food grain in more than 25 countries including Africa and south Asia. Twenty-seven accessions of ragi were collected from different parts of India and were evaluated for morpho-genetic diversity studies. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used for assessment of genetic diversity among 27 genotypes of E. coracana. High degree of similarity (90%) was obtained between 'IC49979A' and 'IC49974B' genotypes, whereas low level of similarity (9.09%) was found between 'IC204141' and 'IC49985' as evident in morphological and DNA markers. A total of 64 SSR and 301 RAPD amplicons were produced, out of which 87.50% and 77.20% DNA fragments showed polymorphism, respectively. The clustering pattern obtained among the genotypes corresponded well with their morphological and cytological data with a monophyletic origin of this species which was further supported by high bootstrap values and principal component analysis. Cluster analysis showed that ragi accessions were categorised into three distinct groups. Genotypes IC344761, IC340116, IC340127, IC49965 and IC49985 found accession specific in RAPD and SSR markers. The variation among ragi accessions might be used as potential source of germplasm for crop improvement.

Morphogenetic diversity of the ectomycorrhizal genus Cortinarius section Calochroi in the Iberian Peninsula

The taxonomic and genetic diversity of Cortinarius section Calochroi in one of the most biodiversity-rich regions in Europe, the Iberian Peninsula, was investigated through morphological and phylogenetic methods. This combined methodological approach allowed the identification of 15 known species and one new species, Cortinarius ortegae, which is described here. A dichotomous key is provided for field recognition of Calochroi species inhabiting different Iberian and Balearic Island woodlands. Polymorphism analyses within some studied species showed that the distribution of intraspecific lineages is dependent on geography and, in some cases, tree host. Furthermore, the dating analysis suggested that diversification within Calochroi started in the Pliocene and most of the current genetic diversity originated in the Pleistocene. This temporal scenario supports hypotheses in which climatic oscillations in the Quaternary may have been driving the evolution of this group of ectomycorrhizal fungi.

Descripción de semillas silvestres de Euphorbia strigosa Hook and Arn del estado de Nayarit, México

En México, Euphorbia strigosa se ha identificado como una especie con potencial ornamental, por su coloración y su porte pequeño (35 cm, se considera una versión enana de Euphorbia pulcherrima). La dificultad en la conservación de E. strigosa se encuentra en la gran variabilidad de sus semillas en función de las condiciones ambientales y genotípicas donde la especie crece. Por lo tanto, el objetivo del presente estudio fue describir las semillas de E. strigosa, de plantas silvestres del Estado de Nayarit, México (2013-2014). Se midieron variables grupales de peso de 1000 y 100 semillas, así como el número de semillas en 1 g y en 10 mL. Además, una muestra de 130 semillas de cada año se les evaluó individualmente variables físicas. Las semillas se clasifican en función de tres grados de luminosidad del color café (claro, medio y oscuro) y cuatro rangos de peso (3,0-8,0; 8,1-13,0: 13.1-18.0 y &gt; 18,1 mg). Basado en la clasificación de los factores: año de colecta, luminosidad del color café y el peso, se formaron 22 subgrupos. En cada subgrupo se evaluó el porcentaje de germinación. Se presentaron diferencias significativas en todas las características evaluadas, lo que indica la diversidad morfogenética de las semillas colectadas.

Morpho-genetic diversity and anti-bacterial activity in root extracts of nine solanaceous species

The family Solanaceae is immensely important because it has many species with food and medicinal values. There are nine major Solanaceous spp. Namely S. Melongena L. (Wambatu and Elabatu), S. virginianum L. (Katuwelbatu), S. torvum Sw. (Thibbatu), S. violaceum Ortega (Thiththathibbatu), S. trilobatum L. (Welthibbatu), S. hispidum Pers. (Gonabatu), S. pubescens Willd. (Walthibbatu), S. nigrum sensu Trimen (Small Kalukenweriya) and Datura stramonium L. (Sudu aththana) collected from Uva Province, Sri Lanka, a prominent area of growing these species. Currently these species are underutilized in spite of their medicinal importance. No detailed morphogenetic and medicinal level characterization of these species has been reported to promote their economic use. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the morphogenetic diversity and the antibacterial activity of these Solanaceous spp. The plant height, canopy width and leaf and fruit morphology were highly variable among these species. DNA barcoding using locus matK revealed a total of eight haplotypes. The polymorphism in matK locus is not diverse enough to set the species limit of the genotypes within S. melongena and to distinguish Thiththathibbatu from Walthibbatu. The antibacterial activity assay using ethanol extracts of roots demonstrated that all these species have inhibitory activity against Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC4838) and Gram negative Escherichia coli (JM109).