Main conclusion Rice sheath blight research should prioritise optimising biological control approaches, identification of resistance gene mechanisms and application in genetic improvement and smart farming for early disease detection.

The process of somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration involve changes in gene expression and have been associated with changes in DNA methylation. Here, we report the expression and DNA methylation patterns of - (), (), () and () in meristematic block of newly emerged shoots from rhizome, embryogenic and non-embryogenic calli, prolonged cell suspension culture, ex vitro leaf, and in vitro leaf of regenerated plants of . Among all seven samples, based on qRT-PCR, the highest level of expression of and was in embryogenic callus, while was most highly expressed in meristematic block tissue followed by embryogenic callus. Relatively lower expression was observed in cell suspension culture and watery callus for and and in in vitro leaf for . For gene specific methylation determined by bisulfite sequencing data, embryogenic callus samples had the lowest levels of DNA methylation at CG, CHG and CHH contexts of, and. We observed negative correlation between DNA methylation at the CG and CHG contexts and the expression levels of ,, and. Based on our results, we suggest that relatively higher expression and lower level of DNA methylation of , and are associated with somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in.

We prepared a crude gel material from Aloe vera succulent leaf tissues. The ethanolic extract of lyophilized A. vera gel was used for the GC-MS analysis. Hexadecanoic acid (22.22%) was identified as major compound. Sitosterol and stigmasterol were found to be 2.89% and 2.1% in the extract. HPLC analysis was carried out to confirm the presence of stigmasterol. The concentration of sterol extract needed to scavenge DPPH free radical by 50% was calculated as 5.2 mg mL(-1). In the FRAP assay, the sterol extract showed significant hydroxyl radical scavenging in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 value 1.17 µg mL(-1)). Concentration of the sample required to reduce lipid peroxidation was found to be 4.18 µg mL(-1), and the extract also possessed acetylcholinesterase activity (IC50 - 5.26 µg mL(-1)). Catalase activity was 0.196 μM H2 O2 decomposed min(-1) µg(-1) protein, whereas the peroxidase activity was 17.01 μM of pyragallol oxidized min(-1) µg(-1) protein. The extract recorded higher activity against growth of S. greseus and C. albicans in the experiments carried out to determine antibacterial and antifungal activity, respectively.

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