Harnessing Protoplast Fusion And In Vitro Regeneration For The Development Of Elite Hybrid Plantago Ovata Forsk: A Morpho-Physiological And Phytochemical Evaluation

Abstract

Plantago ovata Forsk. (Isabgol) is a crop of medicinal value that is limited in the aspects of traditional breeding. The analysis is done to show a successful hybrid development of protoplast fusion and tissue culture, that has been checked through a tough process of morpho-physiological and biochemical tests. The protoplast isolation, PEG-mediated fusion and intensive phenotyping were used on seven parent genotypes (GI-1, GI-2, GI-3, GI-4, VI-1, VI-2 and Niharika) and six derived hybrids (H1-H6). The viability of protoplasts was more than 85 percent with high post fusion rates of between 12-18 percent. There was a large variability on germination (1.0-92.3 per cent), final panicle length (6.3-9.7 cm), and the accumulation of secondary metabolites. ANOVA proved the existence of influential genotypic effects on final panicle length (F = 4.39, p = 0.028). The biochemical profiling showed that best bets among the hybrid lines especially H2, and H3 had achieved remarkable total phenolics quantities (470.67 and 434.58 g g -1 FW respectively) and flavonoid concentrations (334.95 and 348.02 g g -1 FW respectively) in 30 days, which were better than most parent genotypes. The results support the protoplast fusion to be a viable technique in the development of biochemically enriched Isabgol hybrids of greater agronomic potential.