Analysis of Several Popular Cultivars of Madagascar Periwinkle ( Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don.) using Biochemical Markers

Abstract

Band designs of esterase (EST), peroxidase (PO) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) isozymes in several selected cultivars of Catharanthus roseus by using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) were investigated in this study. It was confirmed that cultivar differences in isozyme polymorphism can be revealed by applied electrophoretic patterns. Three isozyme systems produced a total of 16 bands with polymorphism ranged from 66.6-100%. Considering the patterns of isozyme variations in the five cultivars of Catharanthus roseus, it is evident that the cultivar ‘First kiss coral’ displayed crimson red petal with large white eye’ displayed demarked profiles of EST, PO and PPO isozymes than other cultivars. This is the first report on isozyme polymorphism in members of the Cathanarathus roseus (L.) G. Don.