Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
Sponge gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca), an economically significant member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions for its applications as a vegetable, medicinal plant, and fiber crop. This study aimed to genetically characterize 32 Luffa aegyptiaca genotypes using Inter-Primer Binding Site (iPBS) retrotransposon markers and evaluate their efficiency in detecting genetic diversity. A total of 25 iPBS primers were assessed, with an average polymorphism rate of 84.1% and a polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.54, thereby indicating moderate-to-high genetic differentiation within the population. Primers such as iPBS-2231 and iPBS-2256 showed exceptional performance, achieving 100% polymorphism rates and high PIC values, while primers like iPBS-2253 exhibited limited effectiveness. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram and Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) revealed three main genetic clusters and unique outliers, with Genotype 17 identified as the most genetically distinct due to its lowest similarity rate (0.54). Additionally, genetic similarity was generally higher among genotypes from the same geographic region, although exceptions were noted. The findings emphasize the critical role of primer selection in genetic analyses and provide a foundational framework for breeding programs and conservation efforts. The study highlights the potential of genetically unique genotypes for enhancing diversity and advancing agricultural sustainability in Luffa cultivation.