Morphological and seed protein characterization of the cultivated and the wild taxa of Sesamum L. (Pedaliaceae)

Seed protein analysis and morphological characterization were carried out in one cultivated and one wild species of Sesamum, Sesamum indicum L. and S. occidentale Regel and Heer. Data on 13 quantitative and 33 qualitative characters of the cultivated species and seven accessions of the wild taxa were analyzed. The genetic diversity of the taxa was assessed using UPGMA dendrogram and one-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) was executed to identify the significant characters to delimit the taxa. Seed protein analysis showed diverse bands, ranging from 16 to 88 kDa. A dendrogram based on UPGMA analysis of seed protein suggested intraspecific relationships of the wild taxa as evidenced from the morphological characterization.