The production of new varieties and higher quality products from Echinacea spp. requires a greater understanding of the regulation of plant growth and the production of specific phytometabolites. The current studies were designed to generate elite varieties of Echinacea purpurea based on regeneration efficiency and chemical profile. Clonal propagation of seedling-derived regenerants and screening for antioxidant potential and concentrations of caftaric acid, chlorogenic acid, cichoric acid, cynarin, and echinacoside identified 58 unique germplasm lines. Chemical profiles varied significantly among germplasm lines but were consistent within clones of each line. In temporary immersion bioreactors, exogenous application of the auxin indolebutyric acid significantly increased the cichoric acid and caftaric acid concentration in the root tissues. Together, these demonstrate the potential for selective breeding of elite, highly regenerative, chemically superior, clonally propagated varieties from the naturally occurring genetic variability in the seed populations of E. purpurea.

Visible light (VL) active silver decorated iron titanate/titanium dioxide (Ag‐FeTiO3/TiO2) nanohybrids derived from natural ilmenite sand effectively cleanse the exophytic plant pathogens in explants grown by in vitro techniques. VL active nanohybrid is synthesized by acid‐hydrolysis of natural ilmenite, followed by precipitation of the lixivium and decoration with Ag onto FeTiO3/TiO2 nanoparticles, and finally calcination under a nitrogen environment to obtain Ag‐FeTiO3/TiO2. A morphological study conducted using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirms the formation of Ag‐FeTiO3/TiO2. Powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis shows that the nanohybrid primarily consists of anatase, iron titanate (FeTiO3), Ag2O, and Ag. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study suggests the presence of Ag0/Ag2O/Fe2O3 composites on the FeTiO3/TiO2 particle surface. The optical band gap significantly changes from 3.14 eV (ilmenite) to 2.80 eV after the decoration of FeTiO3/TiO2 with Ag. This nanohybrid is utilized as a surface‐sterilizing agent for in vitro establishment of the Dracaena sanderiana Sander ex Mast plant. Findings illustrate Ag‐FeTiO3/TiO2 nanohybrid‐based photo‐sterilization leads to the survival of 90% of the microbes’ free cultures while the material can be re‐used due to its photocatalytic behavior. Thus, the newly synthesized nanohybrid can replace harmful sterilization agents used in tissue culture techniques.

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Bacterial blight in Anthurium andraeanum Lind. which is caused by Xanthomonas sp. is regarded as the most threatening disease in the anthurium industry worldwide. Therefore, the current study was carried out to determine whether the application of copper nano particles (CuNPs) and sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs) is a possible solution to control the bacterial blight in anthurium. The bacterium Xanthomonas sp. was isolated using standard methods and a single bacterial colony was grown in nutrient agar (NA). The colonies produced in cultures were identified as Xanthomonas sp. as they were Gram-negative, motile rods with yellow colour due to production of xanthin. The symptoms appeared in the pathogenicity test which was carried out by injecting purified Xanthomonas sp. into disease free anthurium plants confirmed the identification of the bacterial strain. Concentrations of 5, 15 and 25mg/100ml CuNPs and 50, 75 and 1000 mg in 100ml SNPs were mixed separately with isolated Xanthomonas sp. to investigate the behavior of two types of nano particles in destroying the bacterium.All three concentrations (5, 15 and 25 mg/100ml) of copper nanoparticles used in suspensions of the bacterium Xanthomonas sp. did not support any bacterial growth. In contrast, all three concentrations of SNPs in Xanthomonas sp. showed bacterial growth though it was less in 1000 mg /in 100ml compared to the control treatment. Hence it can be concluded that 5 mg/100 ml CuNPs is capable of destroying in vitro growth of Xanthomonas sp. bacterium which causes bacterial blight in Anthurium andraeanum.