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Temporary immersion system (TIS) cultures are reported to be superior when compared to semi-solid (SS) and liquid (LQ) cultures for the in vitro plant regeneration of many plant species. In the present study, we used a TIS for plant regeneration of Gerbera jemesonii "Shy Pink" and compared the results with that of SS and LQ cultures. The number of shoots regenerated in the SS, LQ, and TIS cultures was 6.93, 3.13, and 3.03, respectively. The shoots regenerated with the SS and LQ cultures demonstrated 3.33 and 4.22% hyperhydricity, whereas the shoots regenerated with the TIS were healthy even though the number of shoots regenerated was less. The plantlets regenerated with the TIS demonstrated higher values for the number of roots, root length, biomass of the plantlets, leaf length/width, and area compared to the SS and LQ cultures. When the G. jemesonii "Shy Pink" plants were regenerated using the TIS, their levels of photosynthetic pigments were highest. The number of stomata on the abaxial surface of their leaves was 11.40, and the frequency of closed stomata was 59% for the plants regenerated with the TIS. The number of stomata was 21.4 and 14.5 for the plants regenerated with the SS and LQ cultures, respectively. Meanwhile, the frequency of closed stomata was 13% and 15% for the plants regenerated with SS and LQ cultures. Furthermore, G. jemesonii "Shy Pink" showed the highest survival of plants when regenerated in the TIS compared to SS and LQ cultures. The TIS was found to be the most suitable culture system for plant regeneration of G. jemesonii "Shy Pink" compared to SS and LQ cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The situation of discharging a large amount of dyes from the textile industries has caused many adverse effects on human health and the ecosystems. Emerging bio-nanomaterials represent a new trend in efficient dye removal in aqueous media. Herein, we mention that MgFe2O4 bioprepared using gerbera extract has been successfully used to adsorb malachite green (MG) in water. A comparison was made to determine the dye removal efficiency between biogenic MgFe2O4 (MFOB) and chemical MgFe2O4 (MFOC). The spherical MFOB material exhibited a large surface area of 85.0 m2 g–1 and high crystallinity. The obtained outcomes showed that the highest adsorption capacity of MG dye was 584.49 mg g–1 at a MFOB dose of 0.05 g L–1 and MG concentration of 10 mg L–1. Higher correlation coefficients in the Langmuir isotherm suggested monolayer adsorption of MG. The Box–Behnken design and response surface method were established to optimize MG removal percentage under the conditions, i.e., initial MG concentration (10–30 mg L–1), adsorbent dose (0.02–0.08 g L–1), and pH of dye solution (6–8). MFOB had good reusability with high removal efficiencies after three continuous cycles. Post reuse, this adsorbent still showed excellent stability through the verification of their structural properties in comparison with fresh MFOB, showing potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gerbera represents one of the top five most important traditional cut flowers. A major factor influencing the success of the cut flower industry is vase life which in turn has a significant influence on consumer preference. Therefore, the present study considered the effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) supplied in temporary immersion bioreactors (TIBs) on the growth and subsequent shelf life of gerbera flowers. The results showed an initial lag in the growth of plantlets produced from tissue culture, but this effect was reversed by the end of the study, particularly for plants exposed to AgNPs. Although AgNPs did not shorten the time to flowering (67 d in control plants compared with 73 d in AgNPs-treated plants), flower characteristics were not adversely affected by this delay. A significant finding from this study was the observation of improved vase life of flowers grown from plants treated with AgNPs (9.8 d) relative to control plants (8.2 d). This indicated the potential of AgNPs to sustain the longevity of cut flowers after harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pair of coumarin-based polycyclic meroterpenoid enantiomers (+)/(−)-gerbeloid A [(+)- 1a and (−)- 1b ] were isolated from the medicinal plant Gerbera piloselloides , which have a unique caged oxatricyclo [4.2.2.03,8] decene scaffold. Their planar and three-dimensional structures were exhaustively characterized by comprehensive spectroscopic data and X-ray diffraction analysis. Guided by the hypothetical biosynthetic pathway, the biomimetic synthesis of racemic 1 was achieved using 4-hydroxy-5-methylcoumarin and citral as the starting material via oxa-6 π electrocyclization and intramolecular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition. Subsequently, the results of the biological activity assay demonstrated that both (+)- 1a and (−)- 1b exhibited potent lipid-lowering effects in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and the high-fat diet zebrafish model. Notably, the lipid-lowering activity of (+)- 1a is better than that of (−)- 1b at the same concentration, and molecular mechanism study has shown that (+)- 1a and (−)- 1b impairs adipocyte differentiation and stimulate lipolysis by regulating C/EBP α /PPAR γ signaling and Perilipin signaling in vitro and in vivo. Our findings provide a promising drug model molecule for the treatment of obesity. A pair of unique caged coumarin-meroterpenoid enantiomers (+)/(−)-gerbeloid A were discovered from Gerbera piloselloides and synthesized biomimetically. (+)- 1a and (−)- 1b showed potent lipid-lowering activities in vitro and in vivo. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neck bending (NB) and capitulum wilting are the major issues that shorten the vase life (VL) of gerbera cut flower. In the present study, the influence of exogenous application of gibberellic acid (GA3, 1.0 mM) or calcium chloride (CaCl2, 5.0 mM) at three different pre-harvest times (one time spraying (T1): concurrent with the emergence of more than 50% of flowering shoots (15day before harvesting), two times spraying (T2): at T1 and 7day later (15 and 8day before harvesting), and three times spraying (T3): at T1 and 5 and 10day later (15, 10, and 5day before harvesting)) on extending VL of gerbera 'Stanza' cut flowers was investigated. GA3-T3 and CaCl2-T3 treatments decreased NB and extended VL of gerbera cut flowers by increasing vase solution uptake (VSU) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase enzyme (PAL) activity, which led to increasing water content and cell wall strength (due to increasing lignin deposition). On the other hand, GA3-T3 and CaCl2-T3 treatments decreased the activity of polyphenol oxidase enzyme (PPO) (the enzyme involved in browning reaction) and the oxidative damages through enhancing phenolic compounds accumulation and antioxidant enzymes activity. Pre-harvest treatments reduced H2O2 accumulation and membrane lipid peroxidation in gerbera 'Stanza' cut flowers. The results of the current study clearly demonstrated that both GA3-T3 and CaCl2-T3 treatments could reduce NB and extend VL of 'Stanza' cut flowers, therefore could be recommended as pre-harvest treatments to maintain quality of gerbera cut flowers during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity in the petal morphology of chrysanthemums makes this species an excellent model for investigating the regulation mechanisms of petal size. However, our understanding of the molecular regulation of petal growth in chrysanthemums remains limited. The GASA (gibberellic acid [GA]-stimulated Arabidopsis) protein plays a significant role in various aspects of plant growth and development. Previous studies have indicated that GEG (a gerbera homolog of the gibberellin-stimulated transcript 1 [GAST1] from tomato) is involved in regulating ray petal growth by inhibiting cell expansion in gerberas. In this study, we successfully cloned the GASA family gene from chrysanthemums, naming it CmGEG, which shares 81.4% homology with GEG. Our spatiotemporal expression analysis revealed that CmGEG is expressed in all tissues, with the highest expression levels observed in the ray florets, particularly during the later stages of development. Through transformation experiments, we demonstrated that CmGEG inhibits petal elongation in chrysanthemums. Further observations indicated that CmGEG restricts cell elongation in the top, middle, and basal regions of the petals. To investigate the relationship between CmGEG and GA in petal growth, we conducted a hormone treatment assay using detached chrysanthemum petals. Our results showed that GA promotes petal elongation while downregulating CmGEG expression. In conclusion, the constrained growth of chrysanthemum petals may be attributed to the inhibition of cell elongation by CmGEG, a process regulated by GA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Genetics of Dominant and Recessive Blossom Traits" by Graham Goode is an article that explores the genetic concepts of dominant and recessive inheritance in African violets. The author discusses Gregor Mendel's experiments with pea plants in the 1860s to understand how traits are passed down from one generation to the next. The article explains that dominant traits are stronger than recessive traits, and provides examples of different blossom colors and their dominant or recessive nature. It also mentions the role of bees in pollinating African violets and how certain flower colors attract them. The article concludes by listing dominant and recessive traits for African violet blossoms. Additionally, the article delves into the chemical pathways and genetic factors that determine the colors and traits of African violets. It explains how certain genes and enzymes influence the production of pigments, such as anthocyanins, which give the flowers their colors. The article also explores the inheritance patterns of these traits and how they can be manipulated through hybridization. It acknowledges that there is still much to learn about the complex genetics and biochemistry of African violets. [Extracted from the article]

Cultivation of crops under protected conditions can enhance the yield and quality of agricultural produce. Gerbera is one of the high-value cut flowers which can be commercially cultivated under greenhouse conditions in tropical and subtropical regions. The choice of commercially viable cultivars is essential for obtaining its marketability. Moreover, cultivars of gerbera should be highly productive. Considering the above facts, the present study was conducted in 2020-2022 in the Protected Cultivation Unit of the Centurion University of Technology and Management where 10 cultivars were chosen as treatments. They were Intense, White house, Stanza, Dune, Dana-ellen, Artist, Sunway, Silvester, Pre-intenzz and Ankur. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The data collected on the growth parameters, quality, yield, and vase life revealed that among all the cultivars of gerbera, Dana-ellen showed its superiority over others in terms of plant height and number of leaves (49.3 cm and 31.0 at 120 days after sowing respectively), days to first flowering (84.3), flower stalk length (64.8 cm), flower stalk girth (67.2 cm), ray floret length (8.7 mm) and suckers per plant (3.4); however, it remained on par with Dune, Intense, and Silvester in expression of most of the crop parameters. Similarly, the same variety Dana-ellen registered the highest yields (27.3, 33.7 and 34.7 flowers per plant during first, second and third years of the study respectively) among all the cultivars. Moreover, the variety Dune recorded the maximum vase life of 8.4 days and 9.2 days with citric acid and sucrose solutions, respectively. The study concluded that the cultivation of Dana-ellen, Dune, Silvester, and Artist under open-ventilated saw-tooth polyhouse conditions can be commercially viable for achieving higher flower quality and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lonas annua (L.) Vines & Druce (Asteraceae), commonly known as African Daisy or Yellow Ageratum is a rare therophyte native to northwestern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia) and Italy (Sicily and Sardinia). In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Lonas annua was analyzed by GC-MS. No one report has been previously published on the essential oil of this species. The results showed the presence of large quantity of two unusual metabolites 2,3-dihydrofarnesol (41.64%), and acenaphthene (36.18%). Chemotaxonomic considerations were carried out in order to confirm the phylogenetic reconstructions of Anthemideae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gerbera (Gerbera hybrida) is a widely cultivated ornamental plant. However, its genetic improvement is limited by the lack of genetic analysis and molecular markers for traits. In this study, we analyzed the phenotypic and genotypic variation of 140 F1 progeny from two gerbera varieties with different flower types and colors. We evaluated the flower's morphology, color, and pigment content of the F1 population and performed cluster principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis. The results showed that the main ornamental traits of the hybrid progeny varied greatly. The segregation ratios of single and double flowers and ligulate and split ray florets were both 1:1. The flower colors of the F1 progeny were mainly red and purple-red, similar to the male parent's color. Furthermore, we conducted a genetic analysis of the hybrid progeny using EST-SSR markers and performed association analysis with phenotypic traits. We identified 2, 2, 3, 1, and 2 loci to be associated with peduncle length (PL), ray floret length (RFL), and outer ray floret; the level of apex relative to the top of involucre (LAI); outer corolla lips (OCL); and the b* of ray floret color, respectively. Our results reveal the genetic patterns of important ornamental traits and provide a theoretical basis and practical tools for gerbera genetic breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study on the genotype and traits analysis of Gerbera varieties for vegetative traits. The study evaluated ten genotypes of Gerbera to determine genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance for 15 quantitative traits. The results showed significant differences among genotypes for all the traits studied, with high phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation observed for number of leaves per plant and leaf width. The study also conducted path coefficient analysis and cluster analysis to further analyze the traits. The findings provide valuable insights for breeders and researchers in the field of Gerbera cultivation and improvement. [Extracted from the article]

• The application of pH with Ca on two gerbera was explored. • The application of pH alone or in combination increased the number of flowers. • The preharvest application of Ca improves the postharvest life of gerbera flowers. Among the various categories of plant biostimulants currently available on the market, protein hydrolysates, primarily composed of a heterogeneous mixture of peptides and amino acids, have gradually gained prominence. Nevertheless, the positive effects of these products on the production and longevity of cut flowers are still not well-explored. The purpose of this research was thus to fill this gap by assessing the impacts of a plant-derived protein hydrolysate, with and without the addition of calcium (PH and PH+Ca), on the growth, quality, and vaselife of two cultivars of gerbera with different pigmentation (Brunello and Tommy, red and yellow, respectively). Regardless of cultivar, foliar application of PH improved growth, flower production, absorption of key nutrients, and photosynthetic performance, compared to the control. On the other hand, the PH+Ca treatment exhibited the best results during vaselife. For both cultivars, the application of PH+Ca increased the durability of gerbera flowers, reducing the weight loss by an average of 19 % on day 10 compared to untreated flowers. Although cultivar-dependent, the positive effects of the PH+Ca biostimulant were also observed on petal pigmentation during vase life. For the Tommy cultivar, for instance, the Chroma values of treated flowers remained unchanged during the post-harvest period, unlike what was observed for untreated flowers. Therefore, considering the positive effects resulting from the use of PH and PH+Ca on gerbera, it would be interesting to further investigate the use of biostimulants in floriculture to increase the sustainability of the sector and especially with regard to cut flower production, without reducing or even improving the performance that is conventionally achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our study constructed the first genome-wide simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in G. hybrida. • The big population of 170 gerbera cultivars exhibiting distinct flower patterns and colors were used to analyze genetic variation and diversity. • We successfully constructed the first unique fingerprint map encompassing 170 gerbera germplasm lines, selecting 14 SSR markers for differentiating germplasm. • Our findings will provide valuable insights into the identification of gerbera germplasm resources and kinship studies among various groups. Gerbera hybrida is a highly sought-after cut flower globally, renowned for its diverse flower color and pattern resulting from its complex inflorescence meristem architecture. However, the scarcity of genomic information and molecular markers has impeded efforts to comprehend the genetic diversity of G. hybrida. To address this, our study aimed to construct genome-wide simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in G. hybrida , utilizing genomic data from an inbred line. We employed 170 gerbera cultivars exhibiting distinct flower patterns and colors to analyze genetic variation and diversity. Our analyses revealed highly polymorphic SSR markers, a total of 69 alleles (Na) were amplified by 14 pairs of primers, in which polymorphic information content (PIC) ranging from 0.380 to 0.700 with an average value of 0.583. The polymorphic results of the observed heterozygosity (Ho) and Shannon's information index (I) were 0.499 and 1.195, respectively, showing a high level of genetic diversity within the enriched sequences of the G. hybrida genome. Leveraging these markers with strong differentiation, we successfully constructed a unique fingerprint map encompassing 170 gerbera germplasm lines. This study involved the construction of an SSR fingerprint library for G. hybrida germplasm resources, employing genetic analysis for screening and molecular-level identification. The findings provide valuable insights into the identification of gerbera germplasm resources and kinship studies among various groups. Moreover, this study lays a solid foundation for future advancements in molecular design breeding improvement and germplasm resource development in G. hybrida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]