Agronomy Publications Agronomy 2016 Genetic analysis of anthocyanin content in purple waxy corn (Zea mays L. var. ceratina Kulesh) kernel and cob B. Harakotr Thammasat University B. Suriharn Khon Kaen University K. Lertrat Khon Kaen University M. P. Scott United States Department of Agriculture, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/agron_pubs Part of the Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, and the Plant Breeding and Genetics Commons The ompc lete bibliographic information for this item can be found at http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ agron_pubs/181. For information on how to cite this item, please visit http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ howtocite.html. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Agronomy at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Agronomy Publications by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RESEARCH ARTICLE SABRAO Journal of Breeding and Genetics 48 (2) 230-239, 2016 GENETIC ANALYSIS OF ANTHOCYANIN CONTENT IN PURPLE WAXY CORN (Zea mays L. var. ceratina Kulesh) KERNEL AND COB B. HARAKOTR1*, B. SURIHARN2, K. LERTRAT2 and M.P. SCOTT3 1 Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand 2 Plant Breeding Research Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand 3 Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research, USDA-ARS, Ames (I.A.), USA *Corresponding author’s email: [email protected] Co-authors’ email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] SUMMARY Anthocyanins of pigmented corn become a topic of increasing interest recently due to consumer awareness of their various health benefits. A better understanding on the gene effects to anthocyanin is an important for high antioxidants breeding programs. The objective of the present study was to determine gene effect controlling of anthocyanin content in purple waxy corn kernel and cob by generation mean analysis. For the cross of KND 10- 4P (P1) × BW (P2), F2, and backcross generations were developed. All generations were planted in the randomized complete block design (RCB) with 3 replications at the Khon Kaen University, Thailand. Genetic analysis showed that the additive gene effects appeared to be a major contribution to the inheritance for pelargonidin-3-glucosid and peonidin-3-glucoside in the purple corn cob, indicate that selection for these anthocyanins is made at early breeding generations may be possible. Moreover, dominance and dominance × dominance epistatic effects were important for all studied traits in the corn kernel and cyanidin-3-glucoside in purple corn cob so initial selection can be carried out in large populations of later generations with increased homozygosity. Key words: Additive and dominance gene effects, epistasis, anthocyanin, pigmented maize Key findings: The results confirmed gene effects governing the inheritance of major anthocyanins in waxy corn kernel and cob were dominance and its epistatic effects and that selection for high these antioxidants level would be effective even in later generations. This information would help corn breeders to select for high anthocyanin level. Manuscript received: September 6, 2015; Decision on manuscript: May 5, 2016; Manuscript accepted: May 17, 2016. © Society for the Advancement of Breeding Research in Asia and Oceania (SABRAO) 2016 Communicating Editor: Bertrand Collard INTRODUCTION health benefits are attributed to the phytonutrients or phytochemicals appear in Epidemiological studies have confirmed that a edible plants. Thus, functional foods from high consumption of fruits, vegetables, and pigmented corn especially purple corn, have whole grains is strongly reduce risk against received great interesting in recent years due non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also to there are rich source of valuable nutrients. known as chronic disease such as; Particularly, it is rich in anthocyanins and cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is today other phenolic compounds in the aleurone the largest single contributor to global layer of corn kernel and cob that have long mortality and will continue to dominate been used by the people of the Peruvian Andes mortality trends in the future (Fuster and to color foods and sweet beverages (Aoki et Kelly, 2010; Isabelle et al., 2010). These al., 2002; Cevallos-Casals and Cisneros- 230 SABRAO J. Breed. Genet. 48 (2) 230-239 Zevallos, 2004). Researches show that this attention. Generation mean analysis provides pigment may have potential effects in information on the relative importance of suppression the risk of cardiovascular diseases average of effects of the genes (additive and cancers, anti-inflammatory, type 2 effects), dominance deviations, and effects due diabetes and chemoprotective properties to non-allelic genic interactions, in (Jones, 2005). Therefore, pigmented corn determining genotypic values of the breeding has become an important aspect for individuals and, consequently, mean genotypic bio-enhanced that is improved through values of families and generation (Said, 2014). biological means such as conventional plant Generation mean analysis is a useful technique breeding. that provides the estimation of gene effects for Waxy corn (Zea mays L. var. ceratina quantitative traits such as yield and yield Kulesh) is a special type of corn that is rich in components, is great merit lying in the ability anthocyanins and other antioxidant to estimate 3 types of epistatic gene effects compounds, and has widely cultivated and including additive × additive, additive × consumed in Thailand and other Asian dominance, and dominance × dominance countries (Harakotr et al., 2014; Hu and Xu, (Mather and Jinks, 1977; Singh and Singh, 2011). This corn type is harvested prior 1992). The genetic mechanisms governing maturity as fresh foods and matures as whole agronomic traits, yield, and yield attributes in grain foods, which are sold as processed corn corn have been reported (Dofing et al., 1991; kernels, fresh corn kernels, and frozen corn Leng, 1963; Shahrokhi et al., 2013). However, ears in the European and US markets there are very few reports concerning (Harakotr et al., 2014; Ketthaisong et al., information on anthocyanin level in corn 2014). Waxy corn have a various kernel color kernel and cob. Thus, this study was carried ranging from white to black colors that are out to estimate the relative importance of correlated to phytochemical constituents and additive and non-additive gene effects in concentrations. Grain colors in corn naturally controlling the inheritance of anthocyanin and occur from pigments and other substances, its derivatives content in both purple waxy including carotenoids, phenols and corn kernel and cob. It is hoped that results anthocyanin, which establish coloration in the from this work would be value for corn pericarp, aleurone layer, and/or endosperm breeders. (Ford, 2000). Increasing the levels of these bioactive compounds and pigments in waxy corn kernels should increase the nutritional MATERIALS AND METHODS quality of corn. Dark colored corn such as purple, blue and red are found generally in the Plant material aleurone and/or pericarp of corn kernels (Mahan et al., 2013). The intensity of these Two inbred lines (KND10-4P and BW) with colors depends upon the concentration of different kernel and cob colors were use as anthocyanins, presents in the corn kernel and genetic material in this study. These inbred cob. This pigment is primarily decided by lines were developed by the Plant Breeding genetic factors with some modifications of Research Center for Sustainable Agriculture, environmental conditions (Liang et al., 2009). Khon Kaen University, Thailand. KND10-4P is Corn breeders have studied the a waxy corn inbred line with purple kernels prospects for improvement of waxy corn and purple cobs, high anthocyanin content hybrids containing various kernel colors to (Figure 1A). This inbred line was developed enhance the functional and antioxidant from the cross between field corn population materials (Ji et al., 2010). Although, variations with dark purple kernel and cob, and waxy in the color of corn kernel have attracted corn population with white kernels, white geneticists since the early 1900s when studies cobs, good eating quality, stay green and high on the inheritance patterns of kernel color yield. The seeds of the F1 generation showing helped validate classical genetics (Ford, 2001). waxy endosperm were identified by using Further understanding regarding the qualitative potassium iodide (KI). The purple kernel and and quantitative genetic control of colored- purple cob inbred was obtained from kernel and cob corn and hence genetic consecutively self-pollination for 5 researchers on colored-corn has attracted great generations. BW is a waxy corn inbred with 231 Harakotr et al. (2016) white kernels and white cobs, high general combining ability (Figure 1B). A C B D Figure 1. Kernel and cob colors for parental lines [KND10-4p; P1 (A) and BW; P2 (B)], F1 (C), and F2 (D) generations. This inbred line was derived from commercial The seeds of the F1, F2, BC11, BC12 waxy corn variety with good eating quality, generations and their patents were use in the good standing ability and high yield. This experiment. The entries were planted in inbred line was also obtained after 5 Randomized Complete Block design