Unravelling genetic diversity in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) genotypes from India’s Eastern plateau and hill region: Insights from morphological and molecular markers

Pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.), a nutritionally rich, dioecious cucurbit crop native to India, holds immense potential for enhancing food security, yet its genetic diversity remains underexplored, limiting breeding efforts for improved yield and quality. This study addresses this gap by...

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Main Authors: Ankit Kumar Sinha, P. Bhavana, A.K. Singh, J.K. Ranjan, H. Choudhary, G.P. Mishra, K. Thamilarsi, Paresh Chaukhande, Reshma Shinde, Prakash Kumar, Jitendra Rajak, Sajiya Ekbal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1687157X25000861
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author Ankit Kumar Sinha
P. Bhavana
A.K. Singh
J.K. Ranjan
H. Choudhary
G.P. Mishra
K. Thamilarsi
Paresh Chaukhande
Reshma Shinde
Prakash Kumar
Jitendra Rajak
Sajiya Ekbal
author_facet Ankit Kumar Sinha
P. Bhavana
A.K. Singh
J.K. Ranjan
H. Choudhary
G.P. Mishra
K. Thamilarsi
Paresh Chaukhande
Reshma Shinde
Prakash Kumar
Jitendra Rajak
Sajiya Ekbal
author_sort Ankit Kumar Sinha
collection DOAJ
description Pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.), a nutritionally rich, dioecious cucurbit crop native to India, holds immense potential for enhancing food security, yet its genetic diversity remains underexplored, limiting breeding efforts for improved yield and quality. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the genetic diversity of 46 pointed gourd genotypes using morphological traits and ISSR markers. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed three principal components explaining 72.53% of the total morphological variation, with fruit weight (0.47), pulp weight (0.46), and fruit volume (0.44) as primary contributors to PC1, and total fruit yield (0.53) and number of fruits per plant (0.49) dominating PC2. The PCA biplot identified five distinct genotype groups, highlighting significant diversity. Molecular analysis with sixteen polymorphic ISSR markers generated 96 bands, of which 76 were polymorphic (78.91%), with Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) ranging from 0.35 to 0.47. Cluster analysis grouped genotypes into seven morphological and two primary molecular clusters, the latter further divided into six sub-clusters. Swarna Rekha, Swarna Suruchi, Swarna Alaukik, HAP 24, HAP 78, and HAP 113 were identified as highly diverse. These findings demonstrate that integrating morphological and molecular markers effectively uncovers genetic variability, providing a robust foundation for breeding programs. Future work will focus on leveraging these diverse genotypes for hybridization to develop high-yielding, nutrient-rich cultivars and exploring additional molecular markers to further refine genetic diversity assessments.
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spelling doaj-art-d1caaa29fd6f4848b27ee5dfd853c5ea2025-08-24T05:11:53ZengElsevierJournal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology1687-157X2025-09-0123310054210.1016/j.jgeb.2025.100542Unravelling genetic diversity in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) genotypes from India’s Eastern plateau and hill region: Insights from morphological and molecular markersAnkit Kumar Sinha0P. Bhavana1A.K. Singh2J.K. Ranjan3H. Choudhary4G.P. Mishra5K. Thamilarsi6Paresh Chaukhande7Reshma Shinde8Prakash Kumar9Jitendra Rajak10Sajiya Ekbal11ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, FSRCHPR, Ranchi, Jharkhand 834010, India; ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, IndiaICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, FSRCHPR, Ranchi, Jharkhand 834010, India; Corresponding author.ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, FSRCHPR, Ranchi, Jharkhand 834010, IndiaICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, IndiaICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, IndiaICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, IndiaICAR- National Institute of Secondary Agriculture, Ranchi 834010, IndiaICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, IndiaICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, FSRCHPR, Ranchi, Jharkhand 834010, IndiaICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, IndiaICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, IndiaICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, FSRCHPR, Ranchi, Jharkhand 834010, IndiaPointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.), a nutritionally rich, dioecious cucurbit crop native to India, holds immense potential for enhancing food security, yet its genetic diversity remains underexplored, limiting breeding efforts for improved yield and quality. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the genetic diversity of 46 pointed gourd genotypes using morphological traits and ISSR markers. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed three principal components explaining 72.53% of the total morphological variation, with fruit weight (0.47), pulp weight (0.46), and fruit volume (0.44) as primary contributors to PC1, and total fruit yield (0.53) and number of fruits per plant (0.49) dominating PC2. The PCA biplot identified five distinct genotype groups, highlighting significant diversity. Molecular analysis with sixteen polymorphic ISSR markers generated 96 bands, of which 76 were polymorphic (78.91%), with Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) ranging from 0.35 to 0.47. Cluster analysis grouped genotypes into seven morphological and two primary molecular clusters, the latter further divided into six sub-clusters. Swarna Rekha, Swarna Suruchi, Swarna Alaukik, HAP 24, HAP 78, and HAP 113 were identified as highly diverse. These findings demonstrate that integrating morphological and molecular markers effectively uncovers genetic variability, providing a robust foundation for breeding programs. Future work will focus on leveraging these diverse genotypes for hybridization to develop high-yielding, nutrient-rich cultivars and exploring additional molecular markers to further refine genetic diversity assessments.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1687157X25000861CucurbitaceaeDioeciousISSR markerPolymorphism
spellingShingle Ankit Kumar Sinha
P. Bhavana
A.K. Singh
J.K. Ranjan
H. Choudhary
G.P. Mishra
K. Thamilarsi
Paresh Chaukhande
Reshma Shinde
Prakash Kumar
Jitendra Rajak
Sajiya Ekbal
Unravelling genetic diversity in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) genotypes from India’s Eastern plateau and hill region: Insights from morphological and molecular markers
Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Cucurbitaceae
Dioecious
ISSR marker
Polymorphism
title Unravelling genetic diversity in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) genotypes from India’s Eastern plateau and hill region: Insights from morphological and molecular markers
title_full Unravelling genetic diversity in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) genotypes from India’s Eastern plateau and hill region: Insights from morphological and molecular markers
title_fullStr Unravelling genetic diversity in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) genotypes from India’s Eastern plateau and hill region: Insights from morphological and molecular markers
title_full_unstemmed Unravelling genetic diversity in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) genotypes from India’s Eastern plateau and hill region: Insights from morphological and molecular markers
title_short Unravelling genetic diversity in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) genotypes from India’s Eastern plateau and hill region: Insights from morphological and molecular markers
title_sort unravelling genetic diversity in pointed gourd trichosanthes dioica genotypes from india s eastern plateau and hill region insights from morphological and molecular markers
topic Cucurbitaceae
Dioecious
ISSR marker
Polymorphism
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1687157X25000861
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