Trigonella foenum graecum L. (Fenugreek) is a valuable medicinal plant cultivated for decades for its therapeutic characteristics. Still no pronounced improvement concerning wild form was accomplished as it is a self-pollinating crop. Induced mutagenesis is encouraged as a remarkable tool on this plant to circumvent the genetic bottleneck of cultivated germplasms. As a result, novel allelomorphic combinations for short-term agronomic attributes were developed. Fenugreek cultivar Pusa Early Bunching, selected for the present experiment, was mutagenized with five doses (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%) of caffeine and sodium azide (SA) to evaluate its impact on the qualitative and quantitative traits of M₁ and M₂ generation conducted in a Complete Randomized Block Design (CRBD), replicated five times during 2019–2020 and 2020–2021, respectively. The frequency of induced phenotypic variations was assessed in M₂ progenies, resulting in the identification and isolation of a broad spectrum of mutants with altered phenotypes. Mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency were found to be maximum at lower concentrations of the mutagen treatments and highest in SA, followed by caffeine. Various morphological mutants with modified characters were observed at different concentrations in M₂ generation. The spectrum of mutations was wider in SA than in caffeine, as caffeine produced 51 while SA produced 54 individual mutants under seven major categories. The maximum frequency of morphological mutants was associated with leaf, followed by plant size, plant growth habit, pod, seed size, seed shape, and seed color. Morphological and structural variations in the guard cells of stomata and seeds were observed through scanning electron microscopy. The variations created in the economically important traits may enrich the genetic diversity of this plant species. Moreover, these morphological mutants may serve as a source of elite genes in further breeding programs of fenugreek.

Trigonella, commonly known as Fenugreek, is among the most promising medicinal herbs consumed worldwide due its protein rich dietary contributions. This study involved induced mutagenesis on twoTrigonellaspecies (Trigonella foenum-graecumvar. PEB andTrigonella corniculatavar. Pusa kasuri) using caffeine and sodium azide as mutagens, resulting in the identification of nine high-yielding mutant lines in the M₃generation. Molecular characterization using SCoT markers revealed a high polymorphism of 28.3% and 46.7% in PEB and Pusa kasuri, respectively, facilitating the investigation of genetic divergence among the control and mutant lines. Similarity correlation analysis indicated a high similarity between mutant A and mutant C (0.97) and between mutant J and mutant O (0.88), while the lowest similarity was observed between mutant B and mutant F (0.74) and between control and mutant L (0.58). Mutant F and Mutant J displayed the highest seed yield and its attributing traits, and seed protein content in PEB and Pusa kasuri, respectively. Physiological parameters, including chlorophyll content (Mutants A and N) and carotenoids (mutant A and J), exhibited improvements. Assessment of stomatal and seed characteristics using scanning electron microscopy may lead to improved physiological processes and distinction at the interspecific level, respectively. Methanolic extracts of the control and the mutant lines of both species were subjected to GC-MS analysis, revealing 24 major phytocompounds known for their pharmacological activities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, etc.). Statistical methods such as Pearson correlation heatmap and pairwise scatter plot matrix provided insights into the correlations and linear associations among parameters for both PEB and Pusa kasuri. The strong correlation between iron content and seeds per pod in the mutant lines suggests a promising avenue for further research. Continued research and breeding efforts using these mutants can lead to significant advancements in agriculture and medicine, benefiting farmers, consumers, and industries alike.

Plant breeding, aimed at enhancing desired traits, depends on genetic diversity. Mutation breeding is a powerful method of rapidly expanding genetic diversity, facilitating crop improvement, and ensuring food security. In a recent study, researchers evaluated the genetic variability of Trigonella species using different doses of sodium azide (SA) (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%) through morphological, physiological, and cytogenetic studies. Morphological variations were observed in cotyledonary leaves, vegetative leaves, and overall plant growth and habit. Several quantitative parameters, such as plant height, fertile branches per plant, pods per plant (or clusters), seeds per pod, and seed yield, increased when treated with 0.2% and 0.4% SA compared to the control. Furthermore, the total chlorophyll content and carotenoids increased in the sample treated with 0.2% SA over the control but decreased with higher concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that stomatal aperture and seed dimensions increased at lower concentrations of sodium azide treatment. The study found a positive correlation between the different parameters studied in the Trigonella species, as indicated by high r-values. Based on their findings, it was concluded that the genotype of fenugreek can be improved by using 0.2% and 0.4% concentrations of sodium azide. However, the evaluation of observed variants in successive generations is a critical and necessary process to validate their potential as keystones for crop genetic improvements.

Trigonella corniculata L. (Kasuri methi), a medicinal plant from the Fabaceae family, with exceptional culinary value, nutritional importance, and therapeutic properties that offer valuable curative benefits. Mutation breeding is highly regarded by plant breeders as an effective method of enhancing crop productivity and achieving sustainable crop production. Genetic diversity serves as the foundation for plant breeding programs, compelling the introduction of mutations to enhance variability. This study employed caffeine treatment of five concentrations (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8% and 1.0%) on T. corniculata (var. ‘Pusa kasuri’) seeds, resulting in significant effect (p<0.05) on the morpho-physiological and quantitative parameters. Various statistical methods, including Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) unveiled correlations between plant characteristics. A strong positive correlation (0.99) emerged between clusters per plant and seed yield. Principal component analysis revealed that the first two out of twelve principal components contributed to 90% of the variation, indicating genotypic diversity. The correlation between clusters per plant, pods per cluster, and seed yield, as indicated by PCA and Pearson's correlation heatmap analysis, affirms high-yield potential. Methanolic extracts of T. corniculata were subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, revealing 17 major phytocompounds known for their pharmacological activities (antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, etc.). This study has the potential to pave the way for developing novel herbal remedies for various diseases using T. corniculata, potentially resulting in the formulation of new medications.

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal pollutant primarily introduced into the environment through anthropogenic activities. In plants, the absorption and retention of Cd lead to a cascade of morphological, physiological... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on Tech Science Press