<i>In vitro</i> evaluation of antifungal activity of Agave (<i>Agave scabra</i>, Salm Dyck) extracts against post-harvest mushrooms

The agricultural sector, and particularly the horticultural production, has a singular importance in agriculture, considering that it ranks second on agricultural products, nationally and worldwide. Fungal diseases are one of the major causes of vegetable loss during storage, reducing their nutritional value, quality and sale price. Vegetables are usually exposed to diverse treatments with chemical products before storage; as a result, fungal populations develop an increased resistance over time becoming more difficult to control. Because of this, research efforts toward finding more suitable chemicals to control fungal diseases are needed. Natural extracts may be an alternative solve this problem. In the present investigation the fungicidal activity of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Agave scabra was evaluated on the growth of Botrytis cinerea, Mucor sp., Aspergillus niger, Fusarium sp. and Penicillium sp., whose strains were isolated from potato and tomato. To assess their effects, the agar-dilution and agar-well techniques were performed. The ethanol extract was more effective against Botrytis cinerea and Mucor sp. when the agar-well method was used. However, when using the agar-dilution method the ethanol extract of Agave scabra inhibited the growth of Botrytis cinerea, Mucor sp. and Penicillium sp.     

<i>In Vitro</i> Propagation of <i>Agave guiengola</i> Gentry Using Semisolid Medium and Temporary Immersion Bioreactors

Agave guiengolaGentry is an endemic plant from a very small locality in Oaxaca, Mexico. Its conservation status is fragile and can rapidly worsen. Because of its scarcity, this agave has been used solely for ornamental purposes, but it could have other uses if more plants were available. In vitro propagation by enhanced axillary sprouting from stem segments was attained using Murashige and Skoog Basal Medium (MS) as well as basal medium supplemented with cytokinins 6-Benzylaminopurine (BA) or 6-(γ,γ-Dimethylallylamino)purine (2iP). The best treatment for shoot induction in semisolid medium consisted in MS supplemented with 2 mg l^–1 BA, obtaining a mean of 3.7 shoots per explant. Other interesting responses were observed, such as nodular callus induction using combinations of BA and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D); root induction without Plant Growth Regulators (PGR); and generation of shoot clusters. These clusters constituted an excellent explant for micropropagation in temporary immersion bioreactors, obtaining a propagation rate of 43 shoots per explant with 1 min immersion and 6 h immersion frequencies. All new plants rooted and survived the transfer to soil. This study developed an in vitro propagation scheme to produce individuals that can be used either for reforestation, economical purposes, or to carry out studies in this species to assess its full potential, avoiding exploitation from wild plants.     

<i>In vitro</i> Antibacterial Activity of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Ethanolic Extract against Tomato Phytopathogenic Bacteria

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the world’s most important vegetable crops. Still, phytopathogenic bacteria affect the yield and quality of tomato cultivation, like Agrobacterium tumefeciens (At), Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm), Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst), Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs), and Xanthomonas axonopodis (Xa). Synthetic chemical products are used mostly on disease plant control, but overuse generates resistance to bacterial control. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of the ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves against At, Cmm, Pst, Rs, and Xa, as well as information about this plant species’ chemical composition. Antibacterial activity against pathogens observed by microplate technique, phytochemical screening, and FTIR analysis revealed different bio-active compounds on ethanolic extracts with antibacterial activity. The growth inhibition rate ranged between 0.08% and 99.94%. The inhibitory concentration, IC50, required to inhibit 50% of At, Cmm, Pst, Rs, and Xa bacterial growth, was 276.67, 350.48, 277.85, 351.49, and 283.22 mg/L, respectively. Inhibition of phytopathogen bacteria’s growth increased as the concentrations of the extract also increased. Moringa oleifera extract can be recommended as a potent bio-bactericide.     

Selection and Analysis of Polymorphisms in Somaclonal Variants of <i>Agave americana</i> Resistant to <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> via an Ethyl Methanesulphonate Treatment

Agave americana L. callus were exposed to different concentrations of ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 mM and to different times of exposure (2 and 4 h). The viability and capacity of shoot formation were shown to be affected when the callus were exposed to high concentrations (30–60 mM). Only the callus exposed to 15 mM EMS presented shoot formation; the exposure time of two hours produced the largest quantity of shoots regenerated per callus (21 shoots/callus). In order to generate somaclonal variants resistant to Fusarium oxysporum, a selection pressure was applied through of a culture filtrate (CF) of 100 ppm of the fungus. This was made in callus obtained in the treatment with 15 mM EMS during 2 h of exposure. The CF caused oxidation and necrosis in 71.25% of the callus; however, they were capable of generating shoots (3.5 shoots/callus). Molecular markers type RAPD, ISSR and DAMD were used to evaluate the genetic variation arising from the mutations caused by EMS on control plants and 16-month-old somaclonal variants. The polymorphic information content (PIC) for each one of the initiating groups was: 0.28 (DAMD), 0.09 (ISSR) and 0.14 (RAPD). DAMD revealed a greater percentage of polymorphism than RAPD and ISSR. Polymorphic bands were detected in the somaclonal variants. This indicated that the EMS caused genetic variation in the regenerated plants conferring resistance to them against Fusarium oxysporum.     

<i>In Vitro</i>-Propagation of <i>Agave tequilana</i> Weber cv. azul in a Temporary Immersion System

In Mexico, there is a need to produce large quantities of plantlets for the establishment and replanting of blue (cv. azul) agave production areas. Most of these plots are within the origin denomination area (DOT, Spanish acronym) of the distilled product of this plant, known as tequila. The objective of this study was to develop an in vitro-propagation protocol for Agave tequilana Weber cv. azul using segmented stems in both: solid and liquid media. A disinfection and in vitro technique were developed to obtain shoots, through plantlets collected in commercial plots, which attained 100% surface-disinfection and budding rate. At the multiplication stage, the effects of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BA) (0.0, 4.4 and 13.2 μM) and kinetin (0.0, 9.4, 18.8 and 37.6 μM) were evaluated on lateral-shoot production of segmented sagittal stems. These were cultivated on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium, with the addition of 3.0% sucrose and 8 g L⁻¹ agar. It was observed that BA and kinetin increased the number of shoots per explant, obtaining up to 18 and 26, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that just the sagittal segmentation of explants increased axillary budding. On the other hand, segmented-stem bases were grown in MS liquid medium with 3.0% sucrose, inside a RITA® system, programmed by a 5 min immersion step with a frequency of every 4 h. The effect of Indole−3-Acetic acid (IAA) (0.57, 2.9, 5.7 μM) was evaluated, while maintaining a concentration of BA (13.2 μM). It was observed that the greatest concentration of IAA led to the formation of more than 20 buds per explant. These results offer a new methodology to increase the efficiency of A. tequilana Weber cv. azul-in vitro multiplication by sagittal segmentation of stems and the addition of BA and/or IAA.     

<i>In vitro</i> Germination and Micropropagation of <i>Aconitum vilmorinianum</i>: An Important Medicinal Plant in China

Aconitum vilmorinianum, a well-known traditional Chinese herb, is recently being threatened by overexploitation and environment disturbance. This study was conducted to provide propagation methods through in vitro germination and explant cultivation. Germination was stimulated up to 66.00% on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 2.0 mg L⁻¹ 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 0.1 mg L⁻¹ 1-napthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and 30 g L⁻¹ sucrose. Three bacteria (Pantoea agglomerans, Erwinia persicina, and Pseudomonas tolaasii) would be responsible for consistent contamination during germination. The latter two were effectively eradicated after disinfected. The influence of explant types and hormone combinations on direct and indirect organogenesis was evaluated in the present work. The frequency of shoot induction from axillary bud explants was 100% on the MS fortified with 2.0 mg L⁻¹ BAP and 0.3 mg L⁻¹ NAA. Shoots multiplication was optimized on MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg L⁻¹ thidiazuron (TDZ) and 0.1 mg L⁻¹ NAA. High callus induction percentage (96.67%) was obtained from stem segments on MS medium with 2.0 mg L⁻¹ 2,4-D, then successfully regenerated into shoots on MS medium in the presence of 0.1 mg L⁻¹ TDZ and 0.2 mg L⁻¹ NAA. The present work could be useful for the utilization and conservation of this valuable species.     

Efficient Evergreen Plant Regeneration of <i>Cinnamomum japonicum</i> Sieb. through <i>in vitro</i> Organogenesis

Cinnamomum japonicum Sieb. is an excellent roadside tree and medicinal tree species with considerable ornamental and economic value. In this study, we successfully developed a large-scale micropropagation protocol for C. japonicum for the first time. Sterilized shoots were excised and used as explants for shoot induction on several basal media, supplemented with different concentrations of plant growth regulators (PGRs), such as Thidiazuron (TDZ), N⁶ -Benzyladenine (6-benzylaminopurine) (BA), α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and Gibberellic acid (GA₃). After comparison, the most efficient medium for shoot regeneration was 1/2 Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.5 mg L^–1 BA, 0.05 mg L^–1 NAA and 0.2 mg L^–1 GA₃, which resulted in an average number of induced shoots per explant and shoot length of 5.2 and 1.62 cm at 28 d, respectively. Then, elongated adventitious shoots were transferred to induce roots. 86.7% of shoots was able to root on 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L^–1 NAA and 0.1 mg L^–1 BA. The earliest rooting time observed was after 21 d and the average root length was up to 3.3 cm after 28 d. Our study shows that C. japonicum can be successfully regenerated through de novo organogenesis, which lays a foundation for future transformation research on this tree.     

<i>In vitro</i> Evaluation of Seed Germination in Twelve Alfalfa Cultivars under Salt Stress

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), when exposed to abiotic stress such as salinity, suffers significant losses in yield and productivity. The present study evaluated the salinity tolerance of 12 alfalfa cultivars in vitro using five concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl), ranging from 0 to 250 mmol L⁻¹ . The results obtained in the current study revealed that the Saudi cultivars, Kasimi and Hassawi, and the German cultivar (Berlin) had the highest salinity tolerance in terms of germination percentage (GP), corrected germination rate index (CGRI), days to reach 50% germination (GT50), and ability to form cotyledonary and true leaves. Under mmol L⁻¹ NaCl, the Saudi cultivar Kasimi cultivar showed GP, CGRI, and GT50 of 55.20%, 123.15, and 3.77 days, respectively. Similarly, the German cultivar (Berlin) showed GP, CGRI, and GT50 of 50.06%, 86.61, and 5.17 days, respectively. These findings might reveal a pivotal aspect in salt tolerance in alfalfa. Our results will help to select salt-tolerant alfalfa cultivars that could thrive in arid and semi-arid areas with salinity problems.     

<i>Azospirillum brasilense</i> and <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> as Alternative for Decrease the Effect of Salinity Stress in Tomato (<i>Lycopersicon esculentum</i>) Growth

The salinity stress is one of the most relevant abiotic stresses that affects the agricultural production. The present study was performed to study the improvement of the salt tolerance of tomato plants which is known for their susceptibility to salt stress. The present study aimed to assess to what extent strain Azospirillum brasilense (N040) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae improve the salt tolerance to tomato plants treated with different salt concentration. The inoculant strain A. brasilense (N040) was previously adapted to survive up to 7% NaCl in the basal media. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of this inoculation on growth parameter such as: plant height, root length, fresh and dry weight, fruits fresh weight, chlorophyll content, proline and total soluble sugar in tomato plants under salt stress condition. The results revealed that co-inoculation of Azospirillum brasilense (N040) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae significantly increased the level of proline (8.63 mg/g FW) and total soluble sugar (120 mg/g FW) of leaves under salinity condition comparing to non-inoculated plants (2.3 mg/g FW and 70 mg/g FW, respectively). Plants co-inoculated with adapted strain of A. brasilense and S. cerevisiae showed the highest significant (p < 0.01) increase in fruit yield (1166.6 g/plant), plant high (115 cm) and roots length (52.6) compared whit un-inoculated control plants (42 g/pant, 43.3 cm and 29.6 cm, respectively). In contrast, Na⁺ ion content was significantly decreased in the leaves of salt stressed plants treated with the A. brasilense (N040) and S. cerevisiae. Finally, the results showed that dual benefits provided by both A. brasilense (N040) and S. cerevisiae can provide a major way to improve tomato yields in saline soils.     

Effects of <i>Piriformospora indica</i> on the Respiration of <i>Taxus chinensis</i> var. <i>mairei</i> under Water Stress

Seedlings of Taxus chinensis var. mairei were used as experimental materials to study the adaptation of Piriformospora indica to this plant under water stress. The materials were divided into two groups, namely, with or without inoculation with P. indica. Each group was subjected to four different levels of water stress. Vitality and physiological and biochemical indexes of the roots of T. chinensis var. mairei were regularly measured. Under water stress, T. chinensis var. mairei had significantly decreased root vitality; root vitality was higher in inoculated roots than in uninoculated roots. Under intense water stress, the inoculated roots had a higher soluble sugar content than the uninoculated roots. Under water stress, T. chinensis var. mairei experienced decreased activity of aerobic respiratory metabolic enzymes. The activity of anaerobic respiratory metabolic enzymes and alcohol dehydrogenase initially increased and then decreased, whereas that of lactate dehydrogenase increased. The inoculated roots had a higher activity of respiratory metabolic enzymes than the uninoculated roots. As water stress was further intensified, the roots had significantly decreased activity of aerobic respiratory metabolic enzymes and significantly increased activity of anaerobic respiratory metabolic enzymes. The activity of respiratory metabolic enzymes decreased faster in the uninoculated roots than in the inoculated roots. This study demonstrated that Piriformospora indica plays a positive role in enhancing the antihypoxic ability of T. chinensis var. mairei, thereby alleviating plant damage due to water stress.     

Factors influencing in the response of <i>Schizolobium parahybum</i> (Vell) Blake to <i>Ceratocystis paradoxa</i> and <i>C. moniliformis</i>

In the Ecuadorian coast one of the most destructive diseases of the pachaco is vascular wilt or stem rot caused by Ceratocystis complex, so the aim of this study was to determine the factors that affect the efficiency of the reaction of bark pachaco to this disease. This research was conducted under laboratory conditions, using trees pachaco S38, S41, S98, AE-1, AE-2 and AE-3, and pathogenic species Ceratocystis paradoxa and C. moniliformis. The method utilized was tissue stem bark,with bark sections with 4.5 cm², and a suspension of 3x10⁴ units infection and remained in a humid chamber for 96 hours at 25 ± 5 °C. Were determined grades of resistance/ susceptibility using a scale from 0 to 4, depending on the amount of mycelia and peritecio in each plant sample. Three factors were used: four colonies obtained by several transfers from each fungal specie, four ages of colonies of each fungal specie and four volumes of inoculum applied (units of infection), using for each experiment separately Completely Randomized Design with 4 replications factorial arrangement. For comparison between treatment means was used Tukey test at 5% probability of error. For future trials using this technique, you could use 30-day colonies for C. paradoxa and 40 days for C. moniliformis, and an application volume of 100 μL/cm², it would improve the level of response for the formation of perithecium and mycelia in samples cortex.     

Genome Wide Characterization of <i>CBL-CIPK</i> Family Genes and Their Responsive Expression in <i>Rosa chinensis</i>

Calcium (Ca²⁺) plays a pivotal role in various signal transduction pathways. Calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) are a unique group of Ca²⁺ sensors that decode Ca²⁺ signals by activating the plant specific protein kinase known as the CBL-interacting protein kinase (CIPK). In plants, the CBL-CIPK signaling network regulates multiple signals in response to different extracellular cues including abiotic stress. However, the genome wide annotation and expression patterns of CBLs and CIPKs in woody cutting flower plants are still unclear. In this study, a total number of 7 CBLs (RcCBLs) and 17 CIPKs (RcCIPKs) genes, divided into four and five subfamilies, respectively, were identified from the rose genome. All RcCBLs possess a classic elongation factor-hand (EF-hand) domain, while all RcCIPKs possess both the classic kinase and NAF domains. Most RcCBLs were predicted to be plasma membrane localized, whereas most RcCIPKs were predicted to be cytoplasmic localized. Synteny analysis showed that one RcCBL gene pair and five RcCIPK gene pairs have gone through whole genome duplication events. Promoter cis-element prediction assays indicated that RcCBLs and RcCIPKs could function in different abiotic stress responses in rose plants. Further quantitative real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that RcCBLs and RcCIPKs were expressed in different organs with overlapped but distinct patterns in response to various abiotic stresses. The findings in this work will provide fundamental information and gene resources for further functional research on RcCBLs and RcCIPKs.     

Genetic Improvement of <i>Betula platyphylla</i> Suk. in China: A Review

Birch (Betula platyphylla Suk.), distributed in Eurasia, North America, and Australia, is a kind of cold-resistant, fast-growing, and vital pulpwood tree species. It is also one of the most important ecological restoration tree species with high values of economic benefits in Northeast China. To improve the genetic gain and expand the economic benefit of B. platyphylla, many genetic improvements have been carried out. In China, B. platyphylla is widely distributed and varied, and there are many varieties with excellent genetic characteristics. In this paper, the genetic improvement of B. platyphylla was reviewed, and the previous research results were discussed from two aspects: conventional breeding and molecular breeding. Some problems and corresponding solutions in the genetic improvement were put forward to provide ideas for B. platyphylla breeding in the future.     

Improvement of Selected Morphological,Physiological, and Biochemical Parameters of Banana (<i>Musa acuminata</i> L.) Using Potassium Silicate under Drought Stress Condition Grown <i>in vitro</i>

Drought stress has become more common in recent years as a result of climate change impacts on the production of banana crops and other fruit trees. The growth and productivity of Musa spp are severely impacted by the gradual degradation of water resources and the erratic distribution pattern of annual precipitation amount. The aim of the work includes increased drought tolerance in light of water scarcity in the world as a result of the bananas’ being gluttonous for water needs. This investigation was carried out from 2019 to 2020 to study the effect of potassium silicate on morphological growth and biochemical parameters of Musa acuminata L under drought stress by PEG. As a result, drought stress reduced the morphological characteristics such as shoots number, shoot length, roots number, and survival percentage and biochemical characteristics such as chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, stomatal status, and RWC. While proline content increased in the leaf of M. acuminata L. Media complemented with K₂SiO₃ (2 to 6 mM) either individually or in combination with PEG led to an improvement in all morphological and biochemical characteristics. The activities of CAT, POD, and PPO enzymes increased signifi- cantly compared to control. Furthermore, the lowest PPO, CAT, and POD activity were achieved. Additionally, K₂SiO₃ treatments under drought stress successfully enhanced the leaf stomatal behavior. Our results suggest that K₂SiO₃ can help to maintain plant integrity in the tested cultivar under drought stress.     

Variation for Resistance to <i>Alternaria tenuissima</i> and Potential Structural Mechanism among Different Cultivars of <i>Chrysanthemum morifolium</i>

Black spot disease, caused by the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria tenuissima (Fr.) Wiltsh (A. tenuissima), is considered a highly destructive disease of Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.). A set of 17 accessions of commercial chrysanthemum cultivars were evaluated for resistance to A. tenuissima by seedling artificial inoculation. It was found that the reaction of the accessions to artificial inoculation ranged from resistant to highly susceptible. Five varieties of chrysanthemum (‘Zhongshan Taogui’, ‘Jinba’, ‘Zhongshan Jinguan’, ‘Jinling Wanhuang’ and ‘Jinling Yangguang’) were resistant; two varieties of chrysanthemum (‘Zhongshan Xinggui’ and ‘Zhongshan Jinkui’) were moderately resistant; and others were susceptible to various degrees, four varieties of chrysanthemum (‘Zhongshan Zihe’, ‘Zhongshan Jiuhong’, ‘Zaoyihong’ and ‘Jinling Jiaohuang’) were highly susceptible, especially. Some leaf morphological features of two resistant and two highly susceptible cultivars were further researched. Trichome density, length, height, gland size and stomata density were found to be associated with plant passive resistance. Resistant varieties that were identified in present study will be promising germplasm for exploitation of breeding programmes aimed at developing A. tenuissima-resistant cultivars and increasing genetic diversity.     

Conventional Breeding and Molecular Markers for Blast Disease Resistance in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.)

Monogenic lines, which carried 23 genes for blast resistance were tested and used donors to transfer resistance genes by crossing method. The results under blast nursery revealed that 9 genes from 23 genes were susceptible to highly susceptible under the three locations (Sakha, Gemmeza, and Zarzoura in Egypt); Pia, Pik, Pik-p, Piz-t, Pita, Pi b, Pi, Pi 19 and Pi 20. While, the genes Pii, Pik-s, Pik-h, Pi z, Piz-5, Pi sh, Pi 3, Pi 1, Pi 5, Pi 7, Pi 9, Pi 12, Pikm and Pita-2 were highly resistant at the same locations. Clustering analysis confirmed the results, which divided into two groups; the first one included all the susceptible genes, while the second one included the resistance genes. In the greenhouse test, the reaction pattern of five races produced 100% resistance under artificial inoculation with eight genes showing complete resistance to all isolates. The completely resistant genes: Pii, Pik-s, Piz, Piz-5 (=bi2) (t), Pita (=Pi4) (t), Pita, Pi b and Pi1 as well as clustering analysis confirmed the results. In the F₁ crosses, the results showed all the 25 crosses were resistant for leaf blast disease under field conditions. While, the results in F₂ population showed seven crosses with segregation ratio of 15 (R):1 (S), two cross gave segregated ratio of 3 R:1 S and one gave 13:3. For the identi- fication of blast resistance genes in the parental lines, the marker K3959, linked to Pik-s gene and the variety IRBLKS-F5 carry this gene, which was from the monogenic line. The results showed that four genotypes; Sakha 105, Sakha 103, Sakha 106 and IRBLKS-F5 were carrying Pik-s gene, while was absent in the Sakha 101, Sakha 104, IRBL5-M, IRBL9-W, IRBLTACP1 and IRBL9-W(R) genotypes. As for Pi 5 gene, the results showed that it was present in Sakha 103 and Sakha 104 varieties and absent in the rest of the genotypes. In addition, Pita-Pita- 2 gene was found in the three Egyptian genotypes (Sakha 105, Sakha 101 and Sakha 104) plus IRBLTACP1 monogenetic. In F2 generation, six populations were used to study the inheritance of blast resistance and specific primers to confirm the ratio and identify the resistance genes. However, the ratios in molecular markers were the same of the ratio under field evaluation in the most population studies. These findings would facilitate in breeding programs for gene pyramiding and gene accumulation to produce durable resistance for blast using those genotypes.     

<i>In Vitro</i> and <i>in Silico</i> Insights on the Biological Activities,Phenolic Compounds Composition of <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> L. Hairy Root Cultures

Three Hypericum perforatum hairy root lines (HR B, HR F and HR H) along with non-transformed roots were analyzed for phenolic compounds composition and in vitro enzyme inhibitory properties. In silico molecular modeling was performed to predict the interactions of the most representative phenolic compounds in HR clones with enzymes related to depression, neurodegeneration and diabetes. Chromatographic analyses revealed that HR clones represent an efficient source of quinic acid and hydroxybenzoic acids, epicatechin and procyanidin derivatives, quercetin and kaempferol glycosides, as well numerous xanthones. In vitro antidepressant activity of HR extracts through monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibition was attributed to the production of oxygenated and prenylated xanthones. The neuroprotective potential of HR extracts was related to the accumulation of quercetin 6-C-glucoside, epicatechin, procyanidins and γ-mangostin isomers as potential inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Vanillic acid and prenylated xanthones in HR clones as promising inhibitors of tyrosinase additionally contributed to the neuroprotective activity. Five preeminent xanthones in HR (γ-mangostin, mangiferin, garcinone C, garcinone E and 1,3,7-trihydroxy-6-metoxy-8-prenyl xanthone) along with the flavonol quercetin 6-C-glucoside effectively inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase indicating the antidiabetic properties of HR extracts. Transgenic roots of H. perforatum can be exploited for the preparation of novel phytoproducts with multi-biological activities.