Medicinal Plant Research 2025, Vol.15, No.3, 99-109 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 99 Research Article Open Access Study on the Correlation Between Phenotypic Traits and Genotypic Diversity of Sapindus Germplasm Resources Jie Zhang 1, Yincheng Zhao 2 1 Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China 2 Tropical Medicinal Plant Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding author: jie.zhang@jicat.org Medicinal Plant Research, 2025, Vol.15, No.3 doi: 10.5376/mpr.2025.15.0011 Received: 01 Mar., 2025 Accepted: 10 Apr., 2025 Published: 05 May, 2025 Copyright © 2025 Zhang and Zhao, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Zhang J., and Zhao Y.C., 2025, Study on the correlation between phenotypic traits and genotypic diversity of Sapindus germplasm resources, Medicinal Plant Research, 15(3): 99-109 (doi: 10.5376/mpr.2025.15.0011) Abstract Sapindus has both economic and ecological value, is renowned for its saponin and oil utilization, and is widely distributed. This study integrates agronomic-morphological assessment with molecular markers such as SSR/ISSR to analyze the phenotype and genetic diversity of Sapindus germplasm and their correlations. The results showed that the oil content, saponin content and fruit size of Sapindus varied significantly. The population structure was consistent with the ecological adaptation zone. In some materials, saponins were negatively correlated with oil content, and candidate genes, like CYP716A, CAMTA, HD-ZIP, FATA, FAD2 and DGAT3, were identified. Research shows that, the integrated framework of phenotype, genotype and environment can support the construction of core germplasm and marker/genome selection, serving precision breeding and resource conservation. This study provides a reference for Sapindus marker-assisted/genomic selection, precision breeding, and resource conservation. Keywords Sapindus; Phenotypic diversity; SSR/ISSR; Correlation analysis; Core germplasm; Mark-assisted selection 1 Introduction Sapindus, belonging to the Sapindaceae family, is a multi-purpose tree species with economic, medicinal and ecological values. It is widely used in biodiesel production, biomedicine, and is valued as a source of natural surfactants for its high saponin content (Sun et al., 2018; Liu et al., 2021; 2022; 2025). The fruits and seeds of S. saponaria and its related species are particularly important, and its vegetable oils and saponins have extensive uses in industry and medicine (Wang et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2021). In addition to economic value, the Sapindus also plays an important role in ecological restoration and sustainable land management, and is an important resource for balancing industrial development, and environmental protection (Liu et al., 2022; 2025). Sapindus saponaria and its closely related species are widely cultivated, because of their diverse utilization values. Saponins extracted from fruit peels are highly efficient natural surfactants, while seed oil is regarded as a promising raw material for biodiesel (Liu et al., 2021; 2022). These characteristics enable Sapindus to be widely used in detergent, cosmetic, pharmaceutical production and ecological restoration projects (Sun et al., 2017; Wang et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2025). Also, the Sapindus genus has a strong adaptability to various environmental conditions, further enhancing its value in sustainable agriculture and forestry (Sun et al., 2018). Sapindus plants are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. China and other regions in Asia and America have important genetic resources (Sun et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2020). But, the conservation and effective utilization of these germplasm resources are confronted with challenges, such as habitat loss, overexploitation, and limited breeding programs (Liu et al., 2022). Recent studies have emphasized the necessity of systematic assessment, and conservation strategies to maintain genetic diversity and ensure the long-term sustainability of Sapindus resources (Sun et al., 2017; 2018; Liu et al., 2022). Phenotypic traits, like fruit size, saponin content and oil content, are key indicators for measuring economic value and adaptability in Sapindus breeding programs (Wang et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2021). The assessment of agronomic morphological diversity helps to screen out superior materials with excellent traits, which can be used as parents to breed new varieties with high yield, high quality and strong stress resistance (Sun et al., 2017; 2018).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==