This study assessed the utility of netted melon ‘Top Earl’s’ and cantaloupe melon ‘Alex’ as functional fruits by analysing their moisture content, vitreous sugar, folic acid, citric acid, and beta-carotene levels. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyse the free sugar, folic acid, citric acid, and beta-carotene levels. The moisture content was not significantly different between ‘Top Earl’s’ and ‘Alex.’ The glucose, sucrose, and fructose contents were three, two, and one-and-a-half fold higher in ‘Alex’ than in ‘Top Earl’s.’ Moreover, citric acid was approximately three times higher in ‘Alex’ than that in Top Earl’s.’ However, the folic acid content was higher in ‘Top ‘Earl’s’ than ‘Alex,’ and the amount was 124 μg / 100 g FW and 112 μg / 100 g FW respectively. ‘Beta-carotene was undetectable in ‘Top Earl’s,’ whereas it was 1000 μg / 100 g FW in ‘Alex.’ β-carotene, a substance that is converted in the body into vitamin A and acts as an antioxidant, is an important component in healthy food. These results suggested that the cantaloupe melon ‘Alex’ has a higher free sugar content and functional ingredients, such as antioxidants, including citric acid and beta carotene, than the netted melon ‘Top Earl’s.’

Agro-morphological characterization of Hibiscus germplasm is a fundamental prerequisite to initiate plant breeding programs. The prime aim of this study was to characterize 107 Hibiscus syriacus genotypes using agromorphological characteristics and to collect useful data to facilitate the breeders for H. syriacus breeding programs. In this study, it has been recorded that this species appears to have innumerable variability in the morphological characteristics among Korean and exotic cultivars. Plant height of Korean and exotic H. syriacus cultivars were recorded and data revealed that the maximum plant height (143 cm) was recorded in ‘Woodbridge’ which had tall-erect plant shape. ‘Serenade’ and ‘Saemaeul’ cultivars had vigorous growth and had plant height of 141 and 137 cm, respectively and both had tall-erect plant shape. The diameters of H. syriacus flower ranged from 4.1 cm in ‘Kakchang’ to 9.4 cm in ‘Pyonghwa’. The data analysis exhibited that analysis flowers of ~ 86% of Korean cultivars had single type of flower’s form compared to exotic cultivars (~ 61%). The data related to flower shape showed that among Korean native cultivars the maximum plants (52.1%) had intermediate type of flowers followed by bowl (26.1%) and flat type (21.8%). Similar trend in exotic cultivars were observed for flower shape. In case of petal shape among total cultivars studied, 27.9% native H. syriacus plants had broard type of petals whereas 17.7 exotic cultivars had intermediate type of petals. Present results indicated high variability among H. syriacus cultivars, which presents great significance for Hibiscus breeding programs and for genetic studies in order to develop new varieties of H. syriacus.

조직배양묘인 Dtps. pulcherrima (sib.) × Dtps. ‘Kyotoprinty’ 를 이용하여 호접란 체세포 변이체의 형태적 유전 적 변이를 조사하였다. 잎과 꽃에서의 색깔과 형태 변이 도 다양하게 관찰되었다. 조직배양시에 발생하는 잎의 변이와 꽃의 변이중에서 대표적인 개체들 13개를 골라 정상적인 개체와 함께 total genomic DNA를 분리하고 RAPD 분석하여 변이체와 정상적인 개체간 DNA 밴드 차이가 나는지 살펴보았다. 그 결과 Operon primer OPO-06과 OPO-07를 이용한 PCR 분석에서 다형성이 관찰되었다. 잎의 변이를 일으킨 개체와 꽃의 변이를 야 기한 개체에서 각각 특이한 DNA Marker를 선발할 수 있었다.