Molecular Characterization of Exotic and Indigenous Maize Inbreds for Biofortification with Kernel Carotenoids

摘要: Maize, consumed as food and feed, possesses a number of carotenoids for which ample genetic variability exists. Two them, lutein zeaxanthin, function antioxidants while β-cryptoxanthin β-carotene serve precursors to vitamin A in human body. We report here diversity 48 diverse maize inbreds their utilization the biofortification program. While there was wide variation (0.36–15.75 μg/g), zeaxanthin (0.25–22.76 (0.07–17.41 low observed (0.06–4.37 μg/g). Fifty-eight microsatellite markers having genome-wide distribution generated total 225 polymorphic alleles among inbreds. seven with mean 3.88 per marker locus were detected. 35 rare 11 unique obtained. The polymorphism information content ranged from 0.14 0.75 an average 0.52. Mean pair-wise dissimilarity 0.74 revealed nature inbre...