Morphological and nutritional evaluation of the diploid and tetraploid plants of the species Melothria scabra Naudin

Tereza Anna Javůrková

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

Melothria scabra Naudin (Cucurbitaceae), known as the cucamelon or Mexican cucumber, is a climbing perennial plant with various culinary and medicinal uses. The aim of this work was to morphologically and nutritionally evaluate new genotypes of M. scabra. The plant material was taken from previous laboratory research at the Laboratory of Plant Tissue Cultures, Faculty of Tropical AgroSciences of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. Diploid and polyploid plants of Melothria scabra were propagated in vitro and the stability of the plant material was verified and evaluated by flow cytometry analysis and chromosome counting. The transfer of plants from in vivo to ex vitro was 100 % successful. The obtained polyploid and control diploid genotypes were cultivated under greenhouse conditions. After 50 days of cultivation, the plants were gradually harvested. The morphological and biochemical differences between the obtained genotypes were evaluated. Morphological differences in fruits (fruit length and width), flowers (flower width, flower spike width, flower height) and biochemical differences (dry weight and vitamin C) between diploid and autotetraploid M. scabra plants were evaluated.

Keywords

Cucamelon, flow cytometer, роlyрlоidizаtiоn, morphological evaluation, vitamin C content

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 16. 4. 2023

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 25. 5. 2023
• Vedúci: prof. Ing. Eloy Fernández Cusimamani, Ph.D.
• Oponent: Pavla Bryxová, Ing.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Bachelor programme:
Tropical Agriculture