Growth and Physiological Response of Viola tricolor L. to NaCl and NaHCO3 Stress

Abstract

Soil salinization is an important environmental problem worldwide and has a significant impact on the growth of plants. In recent years, the mechanisms of plant salt tolerance have received extensive attention from researchers. In this paper, an experiment was implemented to assess the potential effect of different NaCl and NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate—an alkaline salt) concentrations (25 mmol·L−1, 50 mmol·L−1, 100 mmol·L−1, 150 mmol·L−1 and 200 mmol·L−1) on the growth, antioxidant enzymes, osmoprotectants, photosynthetic pigments and MDA of Viola tricolor L. to reveal the physiological response and explore the maximum concentrations of NaCl and NaHCO3 stress that V. tricolor can tolerate. The results showed that NaCl and NaHCO3 treatments had significant effects on osmoprotectants, antioxidant enzymes, photosynthetic pigments, MDA content and the plant height growth of V. tricolor. On day 14 of the NaCl and NaHCO3 stress, the height growth of V. tricolor was significantly greater than CK when the concentration of NaCl and NaHCO3 was less than 100 mmol·L−1. Soluble protein (SP) was significantly greater than CK when the NaCl concentration was less than 150 mmol·L−1 and the NaHCO3 concentration was less than 200 mmol·L−1; soluble sugar (SS) was significantly greater than CK under all NaCl and NaHCO3 treatments; proline (Pro) was significantly greater than CK when the NaCl concentration was 150 mmol·L−1 and the NaHCO3 concentration were 150 and 200 mmol·L−1 , respectively. Peroxidase (POD) was significantly greater than CK when the NaCl concentration was less than 200 mmol·L−1 and the NaHCO3 concentration was less than 150 mmol·L−1; superoxide dismutase (SOD) was significantly greater than CK when the NaCl concentration was 50 mmol·L−1 and the NaHCO3 concentrations were 50, 100 and 150 mmol·L−1 , respectively; catalase (CAT) was significantly greater than CK when the NaCl and NaHCO3 concentrations were 25, 50 and 100 mmol·L−1 , respectively. Chlorophyll (Chl) was significantly lower than CK when the NaCl and NaHCO3 concentrations were greater than 100 mmol·L−1. Malondialdehyde (MDA) gradually increased with the increase in the NaCl and NaHCO3 concentrations. Membership function analysis showed that the concentrations of NaCl and NaHCO3 that V. tricolor was able to tolerate were 150 mmol·L−1 and 200 mmol·L−1, respectively. Beyond these thresholds, osmoprotectants and antioxidant enzymes were seriously affected, Chl degradation intensified, the photosynthetic system was seriously damaged, and the growth of V. tricolor was severely affected. According to a comprehensive ranking of results, the degree of NaCl stress on V. tricolor was lower than that from NaHCO3 when the treatment concentration was lower than 50 mmol·L−1, but higher than that from NaHCO3 when it exceeded 50 mmol·L−1.

Salt Tolerance in Machilus faberi: Elucidating Growth and Physiological Adaptations to Saline Environments

“…Thus, the osmotic pressure of cells was improved, and the ability to absorb and retain water was maintained. This is consistent with the findings of AI-Farsi [47] and Xiaoe Liu [48].…”

Reshifting Na+ from Shoots into Long Roots Is Associated with Salt Tolerance in Two Contrasting Inbred Maize (Zea mays L.) Lines

“…Meanwhile, the same parts of leaves in QXN233 and QXN0121 were collected, and their chlorophyll contents were measured using the ethanol extraction method [ 7 ], and the MDA contents of the leaves and roots in them were measured using the thiobarbituric acid assay method [ 60 ].…”

“…Then, the proline contents of them were measured via a ninhydrin-based colorimetric assay [ 7 ]. The soluble sugar contents were measured using the anthrone–sulfuric acid method [ 28 ], the soluble protein contents were determined using the dying method with Coomassie brilliant blue [ 28 ], and SOD activities were measured via nitroblue tetrazolium photoreduction [ 60 ]. The presented results are the average and standard error of SE for three biological replicates.…”