Abstract

MORILLO C., Ana Cruz et al. Genetic diversity and total carotene content in accessions of the cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). Acta Agron. [online]. 2011, vol.60, n.2, pp.97-107. ISSN 0120-2812.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a perennial shrub cultivated in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. It is an important dietary source for humans in tropical countries. Carotenoids are natural pigments that are widely distributed in the nature, where about 50 of them have provitamin A activity, b-carotene has been the most efficient. Among the procedures to fortify (enrich or increase the nutritional content of foods or crops) cassava varieties, the study of genetic variability of the content of carotenoids in the root is one of the most common to carried out processes of selection and recombination in the breeding program which will allow the identification of superior genotypes. In this study, the evaluation of genetic diversity produced a dendrogram with six groups of 68% similarity. The average observed heterozygosity was Ht = 0.559. Regression and correlation analysis between content of total carotenoids and microsatellites markers showed that they were highly correlated with high levels of carotenoids and were found in linkage of the group D of the molecular and genetic cassava map.

Keywords : Carotenoids; cassava; genetic variation; Manihot esculenta; microsatellite; nutritional value; quality protein..

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