Analysis of Vitamin P Content and Inheritance Models in Eggplant

The eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is rich in vitamin P (also known as rutin), which is beneficial for humans. In this study, the vitamin P contents of 53 eggplant lines were measured via UV spectrophotometry. The results showed that the vitamin P content differed significantly among the eggplant lines and the actual contents of vitamin P in fresh fruit pulp and fresh peel were 0.18–0.82 mg · g−1 and 0.42–2.32 mg · g−1, respectively. Furthermore, the mixed major gene and polygene inheritance model method was used for the inheritance analysis of the vitamin P content in F2 populations of three hybridization combinations. Inheritance analysis demonstrated that the vitamin P content of these eggplant lines was a quantitative trait. One or two major genes were the contributor, and the genetic effect was an additive-dominance effect. The high vitamin P content trait was regulated by the main gene and followed an additive effect. The heritability of the major genes controlling the high vitamin P content was low, while the heritability of the major gene that controls the low vitamin P content trait was high. These results provide a theoretical basis for the breeding of eggplants with high vitamin P content.