Identification of promising low-phytate lines in F₂ population trough FT-IR analysis in sesame

Reducing phytic acid content in crop seeds through breeding is an important strategy to enhance nutritional quality. Twenty-eight crosses were generated from eight parent using half-diallel mating design. Both quantitative and qualitative estimation of oil was carried out for eight parents and their derived twenty-eight crosses. F₂ population were raised from the cross, VRI-1 × Prachi and 100 plants were randomly selected for estimation of oil percentage. Based on high oil percentage, 25 individual plants of F₂ seeds were analyzed using FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) for screening of promising lines for low phytic acid content. The FT-IR spectra were used to assess the presence or absence of phytic acid based on absorption peaks in the 3350 cm^-1 to 889 cm^-1 range. Significant variation in phytic acid content was observed among all the individual plant genotype. Plant numbers 12, and 23 exhibited absence of band at 3100-3600 cm^-1 (3350 cm^-1) and were shortlisted as potential candidates for further evaluation.