Induction of Tetraploidy to Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium Schulz-Bip.): Morphological, Physiological, Cytological, and Phytochemical Changes

Abstract

An efficient colchicine-mediated chromosome doubling of diploid feverfew followed by the morphophenological, physiological, phytochemical, and cytological changes of the obtained tetraploid plants was conducted. One-week-old seedlings of feverfew were treated with 0.05% (w/v) colchicine for 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 h. Tetraploid plants were regenerated after 4 months, showing significant changes in stomatal size and density; sizes of seed; flower, pollen, leaf, trichome, cell, nucleus, and parthenolide content; chromosome number; ploidy level; chlorophyll content index; and quantum efficiency of photosystem II. Such characteristics of induced tetraploid feverfews can be useful in medicinal and ornamental applications, e.g., the study of flower morphogenesis, trichome differentiation, and parthenolide biosynthesis. The increase in parthenolide in tetraploids of the next generation (selfed T ₀ plants) showed that ploidy induction is a good breeding method for feverfew.