Correlation between hypericin content and the ploidy of somaclones of <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> L.

Abstract

Abstract An altered ploidy level was observed in plants regenerated by adventitious shoot formation from seedlings of Hypericum prformatum L. (2n = 4x = 32). Among the somaclones of the R o generation, the presence of diploids (2n = 2x = 16), triraploids (2n = 3x = 24), tetraploids (2n = 4x = 32) and mixoploids was detected. Cytogenetic analyses of the R 1 and R 2 progenies showed that the chromosomal instability of the R o somaclones was transferred onto the next generation. While almost all the seed progeny of diploids (100% in R 1 and 94% in R 2 ) progenies showed that the chromosomal instability of the R o somaclones was transferred onto the next generations. While almost all the seed progeny of diploids (100% in R 1 and 94% in R 2 ) and more than 60% of tetraploids (61% in R 1 and 73% in R 2 ) retained their chromosome number, cytogenetic diversity was observed in the progeny of triploids, mixoploids and some tetraploids. Somaclones and their offspring were analyzed for hypericin content. Statistical evaluation showed a correlation between hypericin content and ploidy during a two‐year cultivation of R 0 somaclones and in their R 1 and R 2 progenies.