Assessment of genetic variation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.)

Tomatoes are a major source of antioxidants such as carotenoids, including lycopene and beta carotene,vitamin-C, vitamin-E and polyphenols such as Kaempferol and quercetin, a notable capacity to eliminate active oxygen species (AOS). Characterization and quantification of genetic diversity has long been a major goal in evolutionary biology. The analysis of genetic variation both within and among elite breeding materials is of fundamental interest to plant breeders. Molecular markers have proven to be powerful tools in the assessment of genetic variation and elucidation of genetic relationship within and among species. In this dissertation, we evaluated the major phytochemicals in tomato with special attention on compound playing a significant role in determining the antioxidant activity as well as nutritional value in tomato. As well as we found out the phylogenetic relationships of tomato lines using SDS-PAGE and RAPD markers.