Isoenzyme variation in Piper spp.

Abstract

The study on “Isoenyme variation in piper spp. Was conducted in the Department of plantation Crops and Spices , college of Horticulture , Vellanikkara , Thrissur from June 1993 to December 1994. Material included 11 species of the genus piper including piper nigrum linn . Maximum accessions available in each species were analysed for three enzymes viz., peroxidase, esterase and GOT using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis The selection of ideal part for electrophoresis for each enzyme was done based on observations of banding pattern of stem, root and different maturity stages of leaf. Root was selected for peroxidase and tender leaf was selected for esterase and GOT in all species except in p.attenuatum Buch –Ham and P.betle Linn. Where for GOT root was selected. Isoenzyme pattern of 26 varieties of p.nigrum were compared for peroxidase esterase and GOT. When all the three enzymes are taken in to account maximum similarity of ‘one’ was observed between Kottanadan and Ceylon and also among Perumunda, Malligesera and Nilgiri-4. On grouping the 11 species of piper based on isoenzyme similarity p. nigrumLinn., p. pseudonigrum Velayudhan and Amalraj, p. bababudani Rahiman and p.galeatum DC formed one group, p.argyrophyllum Mig. And p.attenuatum Buch-Ham second group and p. chaba Hunter, p. hapnium Miq. And p.colubrinum Link . third group.p. betle Linn. And p.longrum Linn. Showed their distrinctiness from the rest of the species. Least similarity was observed between p.colubrinum on one side and p.pseudonigrum and p.bababudani on the other side (similarity index 0.0512)