Pepper (Capsicum spp.) is one of the most important crops worldwide. The fruits of Capsicum species are known to contain high amounts of vitamins and carotenoids, and they have health-promoting properties. In this study, a total of 513 pepper accessions belonging to two Capsicum species, C. annuum and C. frutescens, were investigated for their morphological characteristics and contents of phytochemicals including carotenoids, β-carotene, vitamin C, capsaicinoids, and total soluble solids. The results revealed wide variations in morphological traits and phytochemical contents between the accessions and across species. In addition, the association of fruit color and orientation with phytochemical contents was evaluated; the results indicated that germplasm with yellow-colored and pendant-oriented fruits could be important due to their high vitamin C levels. Multivariate analysis of the agro-morphological and phytochemical parameters revealed that Capsicum germplasm were clearly distinguished according to species. Furthermore, cluster analysis showed that germplasms belonged to three groups, and six genotypes were determined as being good genetic resources with high health-promoting phytochemical contents. Especially, vitamin C content was positively correlated with fruit diameter, weight, and wall thickness. Our findings revealed morphological and phytochemical characteristics potentially useful for breeding programs.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is a globally significant leafy vegetable, valued for both its economic and nutritional contributions. The efficient conservation and use of the lettuce germplasm are crucial for breeding and genetic improvement. This study examined the genetic diversity and population structure of a core collection of the lettuce germplasm using genotyping by sequencing (GBS). A total of 7136 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified across nine chromosomes. Population analysis through Bayesian clustering and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) revealed three distinct genetic clusters. Cluster 2 exhibited the greatest genetic diversity (He = 0.29, I = 0.44), while Cluster 3 had high levels of inbreeding (F = 0.79). Agro-morphological trait evaluation further identified significant differences in leaf length, plant weight, and head height across clusters. These findings provide valuable insights into the genetic and phenotypic diversity of lettuce, facilitating the development of more robust breeding programs. Additionally, the core collection established in this study offers a representative subset of the lettuce germplasm for future genomic research and conservation efforts.

This study evaluated glucosinolate (GSL) composition and phenotypic traits in 72 radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. sativus) accessions, including 69 germplasm and 3 cultivars. Seven GSLs: glucoraphanin, glucoraphenin, glucoerucin, glucoraphasatin, glucobrassicin, glucobarbarin, and glucoberteroin were quantified using UPLC (mg/kg DW). Under the evaluated conditions, accession 10 (IT203308, Russia) showed high glucobarbarin (3976.9), while 38 (IT262009, Germany) and 39 (IT262067, North Korea) accumulated glucoraphasatin above 3500. Accession 40 (IT262091, North Korea) exhibited the highest glucoraphenin (612.9), and glucoerucin was enriched in 12 (IT204244, Israel), 19 (IT215036, Republic of Korea), and 35 (IT261962, Russia). Principal component analysis identified outliers: 10 (IT203308, Russia), 12 (IT204244, Israel), 19 (IT215036, Republic of Korea), 35 (IT261962, Russia), 38 (IT262009, Germany), 40 (IT262091, North Korea), 34 (IT261948, Kyrgyzstan), and 59 (IT306725, Malaysia), separated from central accessions. Multivariate analyses indicated that GSL accumulation and phenotypic variation were not consistently associated. These findings identify high-GSL and PCA-defined outlier accessions as potential donor resources for the breeding of radish with improved glucosinolate-related nutritional quality, while demonstrating that glucosinolate profiles cannot be reliably predicted from external phenotypes.