Molecular characterization of biofortified cassava accessions with potential for use in genetic improvement

Abstract

Cassava presents potential as source of carotenoids for human diet, in special β-carotene (within the yellow roots) and lycopene (within the pinkish roots). So, the possibility for cassava to be, besides source of calories, source of vitamins and antioxidants as well is faced as a manner to improve the nutrition of inhabitants of developing countries. In the present work, the aim was to characterize by RAPD markers 20 accessions of biofortified cassava with potential for use in genetic improvement. The accessions were evaluated via RAPD markers, being then estimated the matrix of genetic similarity among the accessions by using the Jaccard index. The analysis using 12 primers generated a total of 144 markers, among which 120 (83%) were polymorphic. The clustering analysis revealed the formation of three groups, being group one formed by seven accessions with pinkish root pulp and two with yellow root pulp, group two formed by eight accessions with yellow root pulp and one accession with pinkish root pulp, and group three formed by improved accessions with either cream color or white root pulp. The RAPD markers were efficient to determine the genetic variability among the cassava accessions with yellow, pinkish, cream color and white root pulp, differentiated the improved accessions from the others and revealed a trend to separate the accessions with pinkish root pulp from the accessions with yellow root pulp.