Geranium

Abstract: Southern wilt of geraniums (Pelargonium hortorum), caused by the soilborne bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 (R3bv2), has inflicted significant economic losses when geranium cuttings latently infected with this quarantine pest were imported into the United States. Little is known about the interaction between R. solanacearum and this ornamental host. Using UW551, a virulent R3bv2 geranium isolate from a Kenyan geranium, we characterized development of Southern wilt disease and R3bv2 latent infection on geranium plants. Following soil inoculation, between 12 and 26% of plants became latently infected, carrying average bacterial populations of 4.8 x 10(8) CFU/g of crown tissue in the absence of visible symptoms. Such latently infected plants shed an average of 1.3 x 105 CFU/ml in soil run-off water, suggesting a non-destructive means of testing pools of asymptomatic plants. Similarly, symptomatic plants shed 2 x 10(6) CFU/ml of run-off water. A few hundred R. solanacearum cells introduced directly into geranium stems resulted in death of almost all inoculated plants. However, no disease transmission was detected after contact between wounded leaves. Increasing temperatures to 28 degrees C for 2 weeks did not convert all latently infected plants to active disease, although disease development was temperature dependent. Holding plants at 4 degrees C for 48 h, a routine practice during geranium cutting shipment, did not increase frequency of latent infections. R. solanacearum cells were distributed unevenly in the stems and leaves of both symptomatic and latently infected plants, meaning that random leaf sampling is an unreliable testing method. UW551 also caused potato brown rot and bacterial wilt of tomato, surpassing race 1 strain K60 in virulence on tomato at the relatively cool temperature of 24 degrees C.

Abstract: The isolation of high-quality RNA from various tissues (leaves, pedicels, glandular trichomes) of garden geranium (Pelargonium xhortorum) using various published methods is difficult due to numerous oxidizing compounds. A new RNA extraction method was developed through the combination and modification of two separate procedures (Rochester et al., 1986; Manning 1991). In addition to geranium tissues, this method is successful when used with other recalcitrant tissues such as mature needles of white pine (Pinus strobus) and mature leaves of poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). RNA quality was judged by spectrophotometric readings, denaturing agarose gels, and successful reverse transcription.

Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), is a pandemic disease that has been declared as modern history’s gravest health emergency worldwide. Until now, no precise treatment modality has been developed. The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, a host cell receptor, has been found to play a crucial role in virus cell entry; therefore, ACE2 blockers can be a potential target for anti-viral intervention. In this study, we evaluated the ACE2 inhibitory effects of 10 essential oils. Among them, geranium and lemon oils displayed significant ACE2 inhibitory effects in epithelial cells. In addition, immunoblotting and qPCR analysis also confirmed that geranium and lemon oils possess potent ACE2 inhibitory effects. Furthermore, the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis displayed 22 compounds in geranium oil and 9 compounds in lemon oil. Citronellol, geraniol, and neryl acetate were the major compounds of geranium oil and limonene that represented major compound of lemon oil. Next, we found that treatment with citronellol and limonene significantly downregulated ACE2 expression in epithelial cells. The results suggest that geranium and lemon essential oils and their derivative compounds are valuable natural anti-viral agents that may contribute to the prevention of the invasion of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 into the human body.