Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2007.3266.3271ShokrpourMajid MoghaddamMohammad MohammadiSeyed AbolghasemZiaiSeyed AliJavanshirAziz 1220071019The aim of present study was to investigate the genetic variation within and between 32 milk thistle ecotypes collected from northern (23 accessions) and southern (9 accessions) regions of Iran along with two introduced varieties, CN seeds and Budakalaszi, for morphological and flavonolignans properties. The two collections were assessed at separate field experiments. MANOVA for all the morphological traits showed significant difference between ecotypes. Univariate ANOVA verified these differences for most of the traits in the northern ecotypes (first collection) while for southern ecotypes no significant differences were obtained for the studied traits except seed yield. Among and within ecotypes genotypic coefficient of variation indicated higher level of variation among ecotypes than within ecotypes. In both of the experiments, there was a large genetic variation for silybin and silymarin quality and quantity. Cluster analysis of 34 accessions was performed for morphological traits and silymarin and silybin characteristics, separately. The resulting dendrogram based on silybin and silymarin characteristics revealed that the native accessions such as Dezfoul, Fereydounkenar and Nour, had highest flavonolignans and they were better than the foreign varieties. Also, there was no clear relationship between clustering based on morphological traits and flavonolignan compounds.]]>Allard, R.W.,19601st Edn.,pp: 372-372pp: 372-372Anonymous,20022002Burgess, C.A.,2003Silybum marianum (milk thistle).]]>2003Cacho, M., M. Moran, P. Corchete and J.F. Tarrago,1999Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.]]>1446368Carrier, D.J., T. Crowe, S. Sokhansanj, J. Wahab and B. Barl,2002106574Dvorak, Z., P. Kosina, D. Walterova, V. Simanek, P. Bachleda and J. Ulrichova,2003Silybum marianum. ]]>137201212Hammouda, F.M., S.I. Ismail, N.M. Hassan, A.K. Zaki, A. Kamel and H. Rimpler,1993Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. Cultivated under different agricultural conditions.]]>79091Hetz, E., R. Liersch and O. Schieder,1993Silybum marianum.]]>59A702A702Hetz, E., R. Liersch, O. Schieder,1995Silybum marianum and S. eburneum with respect to leaf colour, outcrossing ratio and flavonolignan composition.]]>615457Jaradat, A.A., M. Shahid and A.Y. Al-Maskri,200444304315Kazmierczak, K. and K. Seidler-Lozykowska,1997Silybum marianum L. Gaertn.).]]>63195198Krecman, V., N. Skottova, D. Walterova, J. Ulrichova and V. Simanek,199864138142Leng-Peschlow, E.,1996Silybum marianum.]]>10s25s26Mohammadi, S.A. and B.M. Prasanna,20034312351248Morazzoni, P. and E. Bombardelli,1995Silybum marianum (Carduus marianus).]]>66342Murphy, J., M. Caban and K. Kemper,2000Silybum marianum).]]>2000Omer, E.A., A.M. Refaat, S.S. Ahmed, A. Kamel and F.M. Hammouda,1993Silybum marianum.]]>11723Quaglia, M.G., E. Bossu, E. Donati, G. Mozzanti and A. Brandt,1999Silybum marianum fruits by high performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis.]]>19435442Ram, G., M.K. Bhan, K.K. Gupta, B. Thaker, U. Jamwal and S. Pal,2005Silybum marianum Gaertn.]]>76143147Rodriguez-Perez, F., F. Rodriguez-Serrano and D. Toro,2002Silybum marianum on the viral load on hispanic patients with chronic hepatitis.]]>2002Sharma, S.,19961st Edn.,Pages: 512Pages: 512Skottova, N., L. Kazdova, O. Oliyarnyk, R. Vecera, L. Sobolova and J. Ulrichova,2004Silybum marianum and Prunella vulgaris reduce a high sucrose diet induced oxidative stress in hereditary hyperglyceridemic rats.]]>50123130Steel, R.G.D. and J.H. Torrie,19802nd Edn.,Pages: 481Pages: 481Wallace, S.N., D.J. Carrier, R.R. Beitle, E.C. Clausen and C.L. Griffis,200343748Wallace, S.N., D.J. Carrier and E.C. Clausen, 2003105-108891903Wricke, G. and W.E. Weber,1986Zi, X. and R. Agarwal,19999674907495