Hippeastrum Hybridum Research Articles

Phytochemical analysis, antioxidant, acetylcholinesterase, and α-amylase inhibitors from extract.

To investigate the effects of Hippeastrum hybridum (HH) as a free radical scavenger, and an inhibitor of the two enzymes i-e Alpha-amylase (α-amylase) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). In this study, HH plant was preliminary analyzed for phytochemical screening and then tested for its antioxidant, anti-α-amylase, and anti-AChE efficiency via standard procedures. Phytochemical analysis shows the existence of different compounds; while Coumarins and quinones were absent. The total phenolic, flavonoid, and tannins content were found to be (78.52 ± 0.69) mg GAE/g, (2.01 ± 0.04) mg RUE/g, and (58.12 ± 0.23) mg TAE/g of plant extract respectively. 28.02% ± 0.02% alkaloid and 2.02% ± 0.05% saponins were present in the HH extract. The HH extract showed the anti-oxidant property with IC50 (50% inhibition) of (151.01 ± 0.13) (HH), (79.01 ± 0.04) (Ascorbic acid) for ferric reducing, (91.48 ± 0.13) (HH), (48.02 ± 0.11) (Ascorbic acid) against Ammonium molybdenum, (156.02 ± 0.31) (HH), (52.38 ± 0.21) (Ascorbic acid) against DPPH, 136.01 ± 0.21 (HH), 52.02± 0.31 (Ascorbic acid) against H2O2, and 154.12 ± 0.03 (HH), (40.05 ± 0.15) (Ascorbic acid) μg/mL against ABTS respectively. Statistical analysis indicated that HH caused a competitive type of inhibition of α-amylase (Vmax remained constant and Km increases from 10.65 to 84.37%) while Glucophage caused the un-competitive type of inhibition i-e both Km and Vmax decreased from 40.49 to 69.15% and 38.86 to 69.61% respectively. The Ki, (inhibition constant); KI, (dissociation constant), Km, (Michaelis-Menten constant), and IC50 were found to be 62, 364, 68.1, and 38.08 ± 0.22 for HH and 12, 101.05, 195, 34.01 ± 0.21 for Glucophage. Similarly, HH causes an anon-competitive type of inhibition of AChE i-e Km remains constant while Vmax decreases from 60.5% to 74.1%. The calculated Ki, KI, Km, and IC50 were found to be 32, 36.2, 0.05, and 18.117 ± 0.018. From the current results, it is concluded that HH extract contains bioactive compounds, and could be a good alternative to controlling oxidants, Alzheimer's and Type-II diabetic diseases.

Impact of jasmonates, salicylic acid, and fungal elicitor on the health of <i>Hippeastrum hybridum</i> bulbs achieved by <i>in vitro</i> procedure

Production of high-quality vigorous plant materials obtained by micropropagation requires not only a good regeneration procedure but also efficient ways to enhance their post-transplanting ability to cope with external environmental factors. There is increasing interest in <i>Hippeastrum hybridum</i> on the horticultural market. However, the traditional method of cultivation using seeds and bulbs does not meet the growing demand and requirements of available priming procedures, thus leading to a search for more effective methods of reproduction. The aim of the study was to assess the morphogenetic abilities of bulb and flower explants for regeneration and investigate whether the enrichment of the multiplication process by exposure to elicitors will improve the health of the obtained plants through faster synthesis of phytoalexin. The study revealed that high regeneration efficiency can be obtained by using twin-scales, peduncles, and receptacles. Over 76% of explants were capable of bulblet induction and the micropropagation rates were 2.3, 2.7, and 5.0, respectively. At the rooting stage, the use of regulator-free medium was required, yielding a high percentage of rooted shoots of over 90% (shoots obtained on twin-scales and peduncles). The materials obtained <i>in vitro</i> did not differ morphologically from the initial materials. However, it was noted that, after exposure to the <i>Phoma narcissi</i> fungal elicitor or to jasmonic acid (JA) and jasmonic acid methyl ester (MeJA), the <i>in vitro</i>-derived bulbs were able to synthesize phytoalexin with higher efficiency than the untreated ones. Therefore, the described methods can be useful for <i>H. hybridum</i> multiplication. Moreover, the enrichment of the multiplication process with the stage of exposure to elicitors ensures initial immunity of <i>H. hybridum</i> to the pathogen <i>Phoma narcissi</i>, which can be used as a priming procedure.

Identification of HpMYB1 inducing anthocyanin accumulation in Hippeastrum Hybridum tepals by RNA-seq

BackgroundCultivated Hippeastrum × hybridum is a popular ornamental plant with large and colorful flowers, long flowering duration, and high commercial value. As its main ornamental feature, its flower color is related to the anthocyanin content in the tepals. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of anthocyanin biosynthesis in H. × hybridum have not yet been elucidated.ResultsIn the present study, 12 cDNA libraries of four stages of H.× hybridum ‘Royal Velvet’ tepal development were used for RNA-seq, obtaining 79.83 gigabases (GB) of clean data. The data were assembled into 148,453 unigenes, and 11,262 differentially expressed genes were identified. Forty key enzymes participating in anthocyanin biosynthesis were investigated, and the results showed that most of the anthocyanin structural genes were expressed at low levels in S1 and were markedly upregulated in S2 and S3. The expression profiles of 12 selected genes were verified by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the R2R3-MYB transcription factor (TF), HpMYB1, involved in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis was identified by sequence, expression pattern, and subcellular localization analyses. Its overexpression in tobacco significantly increased the anthocyanin levels in various tissues and activated anthocyanin-related genes.ConclusionsUsing RNA-seq technology, we successfully identified a potential R2R3-MYB gene, HpMYB1, that regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis in H.× hybridum ‘Royal Velvet’. Our findings provide basic transcript information and valuable transcriptome data for further identification of key genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis and can be applied in the artificial breeding of new H. × hybridum cultivars with enhanced ornamental value.

First report of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) naturally infecting amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybridum) in India

First report of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) naturally infecting amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybridum) in India

Ex vivo antiacetylcholinesterase studies on silver nanoparticles synthesized using green approach

For the green fabrication of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), scientists are favoring herbal sources to avoid the toxic effects of synthetic sources. Thus, in this study, the AgNPs were generated using the herbal extract of the whole plant Hippeastrum hybridum L. (HH) and 1 mM AgNO3 aqueous solution. These HH‐AgNPs were characterized via UV–Vis Spectroscopy, which showed a maximum absorbance of 1.61 at a 432 nm sharp peak; FT‐R analysis, which confirmed the functional groups in HH extract and their AgNPs; XRD analysis, which gives 4‐Bragg's reflections at 2θ and confirmed the HH‐AgNPs crystal structure with 13.3 nm average size; SEM analysis, which confirmed the irregular‐shaped morphology with 40 nm mean size; and EDX analysis, which confirmed the elemental composition and reported that Ag was present in 22.75%. After characterization, these AgNPs were tested as anti‐Alzheimer agents against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in ex vivo activity using rat brain homogenate as a source of AChE enzyme. AChE showed 48 ± 0.03 and 42 ± 0.05% activity at 150 μg concentration of HH plant and HH‐AgNPs, respectively, with 145 ± 0.24 and 124.2 ± 0.14 μg IC50 concentration. According to enzyme kinetics results, the plant extract inhibits AChE in competitive mode (Km increased from 166.2% to 1,379.2% and Vmax not affected), while HH‐AgNPs showed the mixed mode of inhibition (Km increased from 0.029 to 0.048, and Vmax decreased from 9 to 5.4). KIapp and Vmaxiapp were also calculated (KIapp increased from 39 to 95.1 μg, and Vmaxiapp remained constant for the plant), while for HH‐AgNPs, both Kmaxipp and Vmaxiapp increased from 122.32 to 325 μg and 8.15 to 9.8 μg, respectively. The Km, Ki, and KI were also calculated and were found to be 0.017 mM (HH‐plant) and 0.2 mM (HH‐AgNPs); 98 μg (HH‐plant); and 129 μg (HH‐AgNPs), 53 μg (HH‐plant), and 179 μg (HH‐AgNPs), respectively. γKm (18 mM) was calculated for HH‐AgNPs, while for HH‐plant, it is not applicable. In conclusion, it could be said that HH‐plant plays a significant role in the generation of small‐size HH‐AgNPs. These AgNPs exhibited significant anti‐AChE potential as compared to HH‐plant extract and proved to be an herbal source for the treatment of AD.

Antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti‐Alzheimer performance of green synthesized silver, gold, and silver/gold bimetallic nanoparticles

Nanotechnology can be used to produce nanoparticles (NPs) through the green route by using plant extract. NPs can be synthesized in many ways, but there is a growing need to build up high‐yield, low‐priced, harmless, and eco‐friendly procedures; thus, the green synthesis of NPs is one recent advancement in nanotechnology and nanoscience. The current study is designed for the development of an easy, feasible, and eco‐friendly, method for the biosynthesis of silver/gold (Ag/Au) monometallic NPs (MNPs) and their Ag/Au bimetallic NPs (BNPs) by using the metabolic extract of the novelHippeastrum hybridum(HH) plant. The HH plant has not previously been used in the synthesis of BNPs. These NPs were then tested for their potential as a scavenger of different free radicals, that is, ferric chloride, 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), 2,2 azobis, 3‐ethyl benzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid (ABTS), ammonium molybdate, anti‐enzyme activity against alpha‐amylase (α‐amylase), and snake venom enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to check their potential as antioxidants by using ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, energy dispersive x‐ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x‐ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy investigations, MNPs and BNPs were both identified. According to UV–vis sharp peaks at 417, 576, and 542 nm were recorded, which corresponded to AgNPs, AuNPs, and BNPs, respectively. According to XRD examination, the crystal structure contains Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs with average sizes of 13.3, 10.72, and 8.34 nm, respectively. Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs possessed morphologies that were asymmetrical, according to SEM, and were calculated to be 40, 30, and 20 nm in size, respectively. The signal of Ag of the HH‐AgNPs was confirmed to be 22.75%, the Au signal of the HH‐AuNPs to be 48.08%, the Ag signal to be 12%, and the elemental Au signal to be 38.26% of the Ag/Au BNPs. The BNPs showed more significant activities as free radical scavengers with 86.58 ± 0.031 (ferric chloride), 50 ± 0.052 (molybdenum), 69.1 ± 0.31 (DPPH), 64.15 ± 0.31 (H2O2), and 70.55 ± 0.08 (ABTS) 50% inhibitory concentrations. BNPs competitively inhibit α‐amylase (Vmaxremained unchanged,Kmincreased from 10.65% to 84.37% and 10.75% to 132.76%, respectively), while in the case of AChE,Kmremained constant andVmaxdecreased from 23.62% to 40.26% due to a non‐competitive type of inhibition. However, further research is suggested to reduce the drawbacks of NPs.

Synthesis, optimization, and characterization of silver/gold allied bimetallic from Hippeastrum hybridum (L.) and their ex vivo anti‐acetylcholinesterase activity in rat brain

Nanotechnology, a modern technique, is apprehensive for small‐size nanoparticle (NP) generation via superficial, straightforward, and pharmaceutically modes. The main aim of the current research was to project the development of a green justifiable method to synthesize Ag/Au bimetallic NPs (BNPs) via Hippeastrum hybridum (HH) extract and then to use these BNPs as rat brain anti‐acetylcholinesterase (anti‐AChE) in ex vivo mode. According to the current results, BNPs exhibited a sharp peak of 542 nm when characterized by ultravioet (UV)–visible spectroscopy; Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) analysis exhibited peaks, which confirmed the existence of various phytochemicals in HH plant extract; X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the crystal BNPs 8.34 nm mean size; scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that BNPs had a square shape with 20‐nm nanomeasures calculated sizes; and energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) analysis confirmed Ag and Au composition, which was reported to be 12% and 38.26%, respectively. Moreover, the anti‐AChE potential of BNPs was also tested to cure Alzheimer's disease (AD). An excellent anti‐AChE activity was exhibited by BNPs in which AChE exhibited 31 ± 0.22% activity at 150‐μg concentration of BNPs with 103 ± 0.42 μg IC50. Statistical analysis exhibited that BNPs inhibit AChE noncompetitively, Km remain constant, whereas Vmax decreased from 7.24 to 6.1 (18.23% to 31.11%). Ag/Au BNPs do not affect KIapp, while increasing Vmaxiapp from 11.07 to 16 (17.39% to 67.4%). The Km, Ki, and KI were described to be 0.024 mM, 169 μg, and 91 μg, respectively. So, it is concluded that small‐size, stable, potent Ag/Au BNPs were synthesized from HH extract, and consequently, these BNPs significantly inhibit AChE activity in rat brain homogenate and thus prove to be a significant remedy in the treatment of AD.

Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of green synthesized silver, gold, and silver/gold bimetallic NPs on BHK‐21 cells and human blood lymphocytes using MTT and comet assay

In cancer therapy, nanoparticles (NPs) shall be applied possibly by inoculation in the veins of humans. This action will connect them with white blood cells (WBCs) and red blood cells (RBCs) in the bloodstream before they reach their main targeted cancer cells. However, possible cytotoxicity and genotoxic effects of silver, gold, and silver/gold bimetallic NPs (Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs) on baby hamster kidney‐21 (BHK‐21) cells and human blood lymphocytes were studied here by comet and MTT assays. Here, Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au BNPs were synthesized by using Hippeastrum hybridum (HH) extract. These NPs were studied by UV‐visible spectroscopy, FT‐IR, XRD, and EDX, and SEM analysis. XRD analysis conferring the crystal structure with an average size of 13.3, 10.72, and 8.34 nm of Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs, respectively. SEM showed that Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs had irregular morphologies, with nano measures calculated sizes of 40, 30, and 20 nm, respectively. EDX spectrometers confirmed the presence of elemental Ag signal of the AgNPs with 22.75%, Au signal of the AuNPs with 48.08%, Ag signal with 12%, and Au signal with 38.26% of the Ag/Au BNPs. The comet assay revealed that H2O2 and BNPs prompt high rates of DNA damage compared to plant, Ag, Au NPs, and nontreated lymphocytes, which are represented as the total comet score (TCS). The BHK‐21cells were incubated in the existence of doxorubicin, plant extract, Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs. The cytotoxic effects could be observed in a dose‐dependent mode; doxorubicin and Ag/Au BNPs were more toxic than plant extract, Ag, and Au NPs. It is demonstrated that NPs interact with blood lymphocytes and BHK‐21cells, causing significant DNA damage and reducing cell viability in a concentration‐dependent manner. However, to reduce the potential threats of NPs, further studies are recommended.

The red/blue light ratios from light-emitting diodes affect growth and flower quality of Hippeastrum hybridum 'Red Lion'.

Light quality strongly impacts the growth and flower quality of ornamental plants. The optimum light quality for the growth and flowering of Hippeastrum remains to be validated. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the red/blue light ratio of LEDs on the growth and flowering quality of H. hybrid 'Red Lion'. Two LEDs with red/blue light ratio of 1:9 (R10B90) and 9:1 (R90B10) were designed. LEDs of white light were the control. In the earlier vegetative and reproductive growth phase, R90B10 increased the biomass of the bulbs, leaves, and flowers. Compared with the control and R10B90 group, R90B10 LEDs delayed flowering by 2.30d and 3.26d, respectively. Based on chlorophyll contents, photosynthetic capacity, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and carbohydrate contents, the photosynthesis rate was higher in the R10B90 group. Optimal red and blue light intensity promoted the accumulation of carbohydrates and early flowering and prolonged the flowering period of H. hybrid. Microscopic analysis showed that stomatal density was high, and the number of chloroplasts was large in the R10B90 treatment group, which enhanced photosynthesis. Particularly, R10B90 promoted the expression of seven key genes related to chlorophyll synthesis. R10B90 also promoted early overexpression of the HpCOL gene that promotes early flowering. Thus, higher blue light and 10% red light intensities promote early and extended flowering, while higher red light and 10% blue light promote vegetative plant growth but delay flowering.

Comparative Study of Antimicrobial Activity of Silver, Gold, and Silver/Gold Bimetallic Nanoparticles Synthesized by Green Approach.

Nanotechnology is one of the most recent technologies. It is uncertain whether the production of small-size nanoparticles (NPs) can be achieved through a simple, straightforward, and medicinally active phytochemical route. The present study aimed to develop an easy and justifiable method for the synthesis of Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au bimetallic NPs (BNPs) by using Hippeastrum hybridum (HH) extract, and then to investigate the effects of Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au BNPs as antimicrobial and phytotoxic agents. Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au BNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD, EDX, and SEM analysis. XRD analysis conferring to the face of face-centered cubic crystal structure with an average size of 13.3, 10.72, and 8.34 nm of Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs, respectively. SEM showed that Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs had spherical morphologies, with calculated nano measurements of 40, 30, and 20 nm, respectively. The EDX analysis confirmed the composition of elemental Ag signal of the HH-AgNPs with 22.75%, Au signal of the HH-AuNPs with 48.08%, Ag signal with 12%, and Au signal with 38.26% of the Ag/Au BNPs. The Ag/Au BNPs showed an excellent antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Actinomycetes meriye, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Gram-negative Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Serratia marcescens bacterial strains, as well as against three fungal strains (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Aspergillus flavus) compared to HH extract, HH-AgNPs, and HH-AuNPs. However, further investigations are recommended to be able to minimize potential risks of application.

Complete genome sequence of Amazon lily mosaic virus isolated from amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybridum Hort.).

In April 2011, a virus was isolated by single-lesion isolation on Chenopodium quinoa leaves from an amaryllis plant with chlorotic ringspots in a private garden in Changhua County, Taiwan. An Illumina MiSeq sequencing system was used to determine the genomic nucleotide (nt) sequence of the virus. A de novo-assembled contig with 9377 nt, containing an open reading frame encoding a putative potyviral polyprotein, was annotated as the potyvirus Amazon lily mosaic virus (ALiMV), sharing 95.5% nt sequence identity with a partial genomic sequence of ALiMV available in the GenBank database. Therefore, the amaryllis virus was designated as ALiMV-TW. Through 5´ and 3´ rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), the complete 9618-nt genome sequence of ALiMV-TW was determined. Sequence comparisons indicated that the genome and polyprotein of ALiMV-TW share 52.3-65.1% nt and 30.1-64.2% aa sequence identity, respectively, with those of other potyviruses. This is the first report of a complete genome sequence of ALiMV.

Complete genome organization and characterization of Hippeastrum latent virus.

The complete genome sequences of two carlaviruses were determined by high-throughput sequencing of RNA extracted from ringspot and mosaic, disease symptoms on leaves of spider lily plants (Crinum asiaticum, family Amaryllidaceae) growing as landscape plants in Hawaii. One, named Nerine latent virus (NeLV)-Hawaii with a genome of 8281 nucleotide exhibited the highest nucleotide identity and amino acid similarity of 95.5% and 96.0%, respectively, to the genome sequence of an isolate of NeLV from Narcissus sp. in Australia (JQ395044). The second, named Hippeastrum latent virus (HiLV)-Hawaii with a genome of 8497 nucleotides exhibited the highest nucleotide identity and amino acid similarity, 84.3% and 88.7%, respectively, to the sequence of a previously uncharacterized HiLV isolate from a potted flowering plant, Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybridum Hort) in Taiwan (DQ098905). The amino acid sequence similarities of replicase (Rep) and coat protein (CP) between HiLV-Hawaii and NeLV-Hawaii were 44.8% and 38.4%, respectively. Results of viral protein Rep and CP amino acid sequence comparisons from various carlaviruses provide evidence that HiLV and NeLV, previously classified as synonymous viruses are in fact unique viruses. This is thefirst report for the complete sequence, organization, and phylogenetic characterization of HiLV and the first detection of HiLV both in C. asiaticum and in the USA.

Somatic embryogenesis from flower tepals of Hippeastrum aiming regeneration of virus-free plants

Hippeastrum hybridum is an important bulbous flower plant in world floriculture, which are propagated conventionally by the technique known as double or twin scales to obtain plants with clonal origin. However, this technique promotes the propagation of systemic diseases, particularly mosaic-inducing viruses. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the somatic embryogenesis (SE) from tepals as an alternative to provide a technique for SE induction and to obtaining virus-free plantlets of Hippeastrum from infected plants. The concentrations of 2,4-Dichlorofenoxiacetic Acid (2,4-D) and thidiazuron (TDZ) was evaluated in SE induction pathway. The monitoring of viruses during the assays with tepals was performed by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction. SE induction was obtained, for the first time, in tepal segments from flower buds of Hippeastrum. The 2,4-D was the main factor for embryogenic callus induction, and TDZ increased the SE induction rate. However, conversion of somatic embryos into plantlets were only developed in free-2,4-D media, replaced by 1.0 mg L−1 6-Benziladenine. Out of five virus species monitored during the experiment, Cucumber mosaic virus was detected in tepals and Hippeastrum mosaic virus in leaves of donor plants. The SE-derived plantlets that germinated in vitro were acclimatized and tested negative for all viruses assayed.

Light-Emitting Diodes (Leds) with Different Red/Blue Light Ratios Positively Regulating Growth and Promoted or Delayed Flowering of Hippeastrum Hybridum ‘Red Lion Under Forcing-Cultured Condition

Light-Emitting Diodes (Leds) with Different Red/Blue Light Ratios Positively Regulating Growth and Promoted or Delayed Flowering of Hippeastrum Hybridum ‘Red Lion Under Forcing-Cultured Condition

Expression level of B- and C-class MADS-box genes is associated with the petaloidy of stamens in cultivated amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybridum)

ABSTRACT One of the most important attributes of Hippeastrum hybridum (amaryllis) flower is its double-flower trait, which is partly derived from the petaloidy of its stamens. Three types of floral organs in whorl 3 of double flowers from H. hybridum cv. Jewel, namely normal stamens, partly petaloid stamens, and completely petaloid stamens, were sampled for RNA-seq analysis to identify candidate genes related to the petaloidy of stamens. 12,584 differentially expressed genes between normal stamens and petaloid stamens were obtained, in which several MADS-box genes and a series of genes related to morphogenesis, pigment, and cell wall development were identified. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of nine MADS-box genes clustered to the ABCE-class was performed in three cultivars ‘Jewel’, ‘Merry Christmas’, and ‘Red Nymph’. Consistent with the transcriptome data, higher expression of the B-class genes HhAP3.2 and HhPI1, but lower expression of the C-class gene HhAG1 was observed in petaloid stamens than those in normal stamens, and this trend was enhanced with an increase in the degree of petaloidy. These results suggest that the expression level of B- and C-class MADS-box genes is associated with the petaloidy of stamens in H. hybridum, which provide candidate genes for double-flower breeding in H. hybridum.

First report of natural infection by two potyviruses on amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybridum) plants from India.

Amaryllis plants showing the chlorotic stripes and yellowing of the leaves were collected. Electron microscopy of the infected plants revealed flexuous filamentous particles and disease incidencewas recorded up to 64%. The presence of virus was confirmed using potyvirus genus and species-specific primers using Reverse transcription PCR. Blastn analysis showed that the samples were infected with leek yellow stripe virus (LYSV) and onion yellow dwarf virus (OYDV)the of genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an association between LYSV (MZ203474 to MZ203478) and OYDV (MZ203479-MZ203482) with amaryllis. The result also showed that infected Amaryllis plants may act as a reservoir of LYSV and OYDV for economically important Allium crops.

GENETIC ANALYSIS OF 38 DOUBLE-FLOWERED AMARYLLIS (Hippeastrum hybridum) CULTIVARS BASED ON SRAP MARKERS

The genetic diversity and population structure of 38 commercial accessions of double-flowered amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybridum) from the Netherlands and South Africa were evaluated using sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers. Thirty SRAP primer pairs produced 294 loci, of which 263 (89.16%) were polymorphic. A relatively high level of genetic diversity was observed, with estimates of Nei’s diversity index (H) and the Shannon information index (I) of 0.2719 and 0.4158, respectively. Additional genetic distance- and STRUCTURE-based analyses clustered all accessions into two or four subgroups based mostly on origin or color. The genetic differentiation between/among countries and inferred groups was significant, with Fst values ranging from 0.083-0.194%. Accessions from the Netherlands showed higher genetic variation than those from South Africa. Several accessions, such as Aphrodite, are recommended for future programs employing selective hybridization with the goal of expanding the color range. The results of the present study provide appropriate information applicable to designing effective breeding programs for double-flowered amaryllis.

Evaluation of the possibility of obtaining viable seeds from the cross-breeding Hippeastrum × chmielii Chm. with selected cultivars of Hippeastrum hybridum Hort.

Abstract Hippeastrum sp. is a popular cut flower and a popular potted plant, currently occupying the 11th position among cut flowers sold on the Dutch flower auctions. Hippeastrum × chmielii was bred by Henryk Chmiel at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS), Poland. The aim of this study was designed to test the ability of two clones of H. × chmielii to reproduce generatively by pollinating by three cultivars of Hippeastrum hybridum – ‘Gervase’, ‘Rio Negro’ and ‘Royal Velvet’. Pollen viability was tested by germination on the medium and by acetocarmine staining. The receptiveness of the stigmas and ovules of H. × chmielii and thus their ability to possibly accept compatible pollen were checked by staining with red alizarin. The viability of pollen grains of tested cultivars was estimated at 66.4–83.0% and their high ability to develop pollen tube was found. It was determined that the embryos of both H. × chmielii clones were fully receptive. A total of 72 crossings were performed in 6 combinations. Seeds collected about 1 month after pollination were germinated immediately after harvest either on moist tissue paper on Petri dishes or in jars with distilled water. After 28 days the percentage of germinated seeds ranged between 48.3% and 77.9%, for different crosses. In the case of seeds obtained from crossing H. × chmielii clone 18 × H. hybridum ‘Gervase’ a higher average percentage of germinated seeds was obtained in jars while no differences were noted between the germination methods in other cases.

Effects of Bio-Stimulants on Pre and Post-Harvest of Hippeastrum hybridum Cv. Baby Star

Effects of Bio-Stimulants on Pre and Post-Harvest of Hippeastrum hybridum Cv. Baby Star

First Report of Natural Infection by Capsicum Chlorosis Virus on Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybridum) Plants from India

First Report of Natural Infection by Capsicum Chlorosis Virus on Amaryllis (<i>Hippeastrum hybridum</i>) Plants from India