Strategies for Drought Tolerance in Xerophytes

Hanan, Abdul; Mohamed, Alsafa Hassan

doi:10.1007/978-981-15-2156-0_9

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 91 publications

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“…While this facilitates the identification and isolation of the mucilage, the question of its role in planta becomes more complicated, as the large size of the mucilage hinders its mobility in the tissue. Among its proposed functions are drought [ 6 ] and frost [ 7 ] resistance and/or as a carbohydrate reserve [ 2 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neutral and Pectic Heteropolysaccharides Isolated from Opuntia joconostle Mucilage: Composition, Molecular Dimensions and Prebiotic Potential

Cruz-Rubio

Riva

Cybulska

et al. 2023

IJMS

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Opuntia joconostle is a semi-wild cactus cultivated for its fruit. However, the cladodes are often discarded, wasting the potentially useful mucilage in them. The mucilage is composed primarily of heteropolysaccharides, characterized by their molar mass distribution, monosaccharide composition, structural features (by vibrational spectroscopy, FT IR, and atomic force microscopy, AFM), and fermentability by known saccharolytic commensal members of the gut microbiota. After fractionation with ion exchange chromatography, four polysaccharides were found: one neutral (composed mainly of galactose, arabinose, and xylose) and three acidic, with a galacturonic acid content from 10 to 35%mol. Their average molar masses ranged from 1.8 × 105 to 2.8 × 105 g·mol−1. Distinct structural features such as galactan, arabinan, xylan, and galacturonan motifs were present in the FT IR spectra. The intra- and intermolecular interactions of the polysaccharides, and their effect on the aggregation behavior, were shown by AFM. The composition and structural features of these polysaccharides were reflected in their prebiotic potential. Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria were not able to utilize them, whereas members of Bacteroidetes showed utilization capacity. The obtained data suggest a high economic potential for this Opuntia species, with potential uses such as animal feed in arid areas, precise prebiotic, and symbiotic formulations, or as the carbon skeleton source in a green refinery. Our methodology can be used to evaluate the saccharides as the phenotype of interest, helping to guide the breeding strategy.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neutral and Pectic Heteropolysaccharides Isolated from Opuntia joconostle Mucilage: Composition, Molecular Dimensions and Prebiotic Potential

Cruz-Rubio

Riva

Cybulska

et al. 2023

IJMS

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“…Restricting water leads to reduced growth rates and interruptions in photosynthesis. These impairments are associated with physiological responses in the entire plant (Turner, 2019;Hashem & Mohamed, 2020). However, plants in drylands have innate survival strategies to cope with water scarcity (Hashem & Mohamed, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These impairments are associated with physiological responses in the entire plant (Turner, 2019;Hashem & Mohamed, 2020). However, plants in drylands have innate survival strategies to cope with water scarcity (Hashem & Mohamed, 2020). These include rigid stomatal control (Silva et al, 2009), increased water-use efficiency (WUE) (Santos et al, 2021), robust root systems (Silva et al, 2009), and osmoregulatory capacity (Silva et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphophysiological changes in Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong.) Steud. (Fabaceae) caused by water deficit

Freitas,

Santos Júnior,

Silva

2023

Sci. Electronic Arch

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Drought-induced alterations often result in plant acclimation responses, though the extent to which these traits adjust, and their true significance remain species-specific and subject to debate. In order to discern which traits exhibit plasticity and essentiality for the species' survival, we studied the morpho-physiological responses of Bauhinia cheilantha seedlings subjected to varying water regimes. We examined modifications in growth patterns, resource allocation and partitioning, morphological traits, organic solute synthesis, relative water content in leaves and roots, and the plasticity index for each trait under different water supply levels. Several traits linked to plant growth were reduced under stress, but those changes were not considered to be plastic. The concentration of organic solutes increased under stress and exhibited a reversible behavior by reducing their levels after re-irrigation. These alterations underscored the significance of such compounds for survival during water deficit periods and the high degree of adaptability. B. cheilantha exhibits morpho-physiological plasticity, as demonstrated by alternating high levels of plasticity in physiological and morphological features, which are associated with moderate drought stress. The study discusses how these changes affect the growth and survival of the species.

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