EFFICACY OF SEVERAL QTL AND miRNA-SSR MARKERS TOWARDS HEALTH BENEFIT TRAITS IN AN ELITE DARJEELING TEA CULTIVAR

Abstract

Antioxidant and free radical scavenging ability of tea polyphenols are considered as health benefit traits that mainly contributed by tea catechins. Therefore understanding of genetic and molecular basis of this secondary metabolite production is of prime interest to facilitate the crop improvement program in tea plant efficiently. Some QTLs for these quality traits have already been available. In present study, 10 QTL linked SSRs and 14 newly developed microRNA based SSRs have been characterized in two Darjeeling tea cultivars having contrast characters and their progeny clone TS569 for validating possible association with catechin contents and antioxidant activities. Individual catechins and radical scavenging activity have been estimated by high performance liquid chromatography and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Some of the polymorphic loci are indicated to be co-varied with such biochemical physiognomies. Characterization of microRNA based SSRs polymorphism are being the first time report in tea and discussed as ideal choice for further genotypic studies in tea.