Jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum L.) is one of the important flower crop commercially cultivated for their attractive fragrant flowers and is highly valued for its essential oil in India. Essential oil extracted from the fragrant flowers has great demand in the international market for perfumery industry. The aesthetic and economic value of Jasmine is determined by the shape, colour and size of the flower, aroma and flower yield. Since jasmine is normally propagated by asexual means, there exists only limited variability in this species. Creation of variability is the major strategy for varietal diversification and evolving novel varieties in Jasmine. The unique variability for various economic traits can be obtained by employing several methods such as hybridisation, induced mutations, somaclonal variations and combination of several other methods. In this study, the derived mutant genotypes of cultivated Pink Pitchi that are developed by inducing mutation through physical (Gamma) and chemical mutagens (EMS) were assessed for 35 phenotypic traits including vegetative and floral characters. Variations in vegetative and floral characters were recorded both in cultivated as well as in mutant genotypes and resulted in the identification of four promising mutant genotypes of Pink Pitchi for further utilization in jasmine improvement for developing elite varieties in jasmine. In addition, the selected mutant genotypes viz., PPM-12, PPM-72, PPM-96, PPM-115 and non mutated Pink Pitchi genotypes were subjected to GCMS analysis for identifying the biochemical phytoconstituents and its respective biosynthetic pathways. The metabolite profiling resulted in the identification of various biochemical compounds such as Hexanoic acid, an aromatic hydrocarbon, ethyl ester and a saturated hydrocarbon Cyclohexene, 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethenyl)-, (S)- were found to be present only in Pink Pitchi whereas these compounds are absent in all the derived mutants of Pink Pitchi. Three compounds viz., Boldione, an organooxygen compound, a organochloride compound Caryophyllene and a branched alkane Nonane, 4,5-dimethyl- were present only in the gamma ray derived mutants PPM-96 and PPM-115 whereas they are absent in pink Pitchi and EMS derived mutants. Toluenes, Benzenoids and Polycyclic hydrocarbons such as 1-(p-Tolyl)butan-1-one, 2-Heptanone and Bicyclo [7.2.0]undec-4-ene, 4,11,11-trimethyl-8-methylene-, [1R-1R*,4Z,9S*)]- were found to be present only in the two EMS derived mutants PPM-12 and PPM-72 respectively. The morphological characterization for various phenotypic traits and identification of various metabolites in the mutant accessions of Jasminum species will have potential applications in jasmine improvement programme. Identification of biochemical compounds may ultimately help in industrial utility to identify the perfect stage of the flowers for higher concrete recovery and for unique fragrance of jasmine.

Jasminum grandiflorum, Pink pitchi mutants, phenotypic traits, GCMS profiling.

This study has documented various morphological and flowering traits along with various biochemical compounds present in different mutant genotypes of J. grandiflorum to represent the variability existing in Pink Pitchi mutants of jasmine. The jasmine mutants exhibited an incredible range of variations for various morphological and floral quality traits. Variations in vegetative and floral characters were recorded both in cultivated as well as in mutant genotypes. Such morphological variations resulted in the identification of four promising mutant genotypes of Pink Pitchi for further utilization in crop improvement programmes for development of elite varieties in jasmine. Data thus generated would be helpful in future crop improvement programmes in jasmine to cater to the needs of floriculture industry. Identification of biochemical compounds may ultimately help in industrial utility to identify the perfect stage of the flowers for higher concrete recovery and can assume that the identified compounds possesses a response for unique fragrance exclusive for jasmine species.

S.M. Soundarya, M Ganga, D. Malarvizhi, S. Divya, N. Senthil, K. Iyanar, R. Gnanam and M. Jawaharlal (2022). Phenotypic Characterization and Biochemical analysis in Mutant Genotypes of Pink Pitchi (Jasminum grandiflorum, L.). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(2): 1499-1509.