EXOGENOUS ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C) INDUCED ANABOLIC CHANGES FOR SALT TOLERANCE IN CHICK PEA (CICER ARIETINUM L.) PLANTS

Abstract

The effect of exogenous supply of ascorbic acid on growth and metabolic changes in chick pea under salinity treatment was carried out in pot experiment. The exogenous supply of ascorbic acid (4 mM) improved the fresh and dry matter gain in roots, shoots and leaves of chick pea (Cicer arietinum L.) Plants attenuated by the salt stress (40 mM NaCl) environment in the soil solution. Significant synergistic effect between NaCl (40 mM) and ascorbic acid treatment increased the contents of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll stability index (CSI %) in leaves of chick pea plants. The total number of protein bands/lane did not change under the low (20 mM) NaCl concentration but was dramatically reduced by the high (40 mM) NaCl treatment. The sum of optical densities (O. D.) of protein bands was inhibited by both levels of NaCl, but was induced by 10.68% by the added ascorbic acid at 20 mM NaCl and by 21.39% at 40 mM NaCl. Six different polypeptides of molecular weights 146.28, 117.98, 51.55, 49.6, 44.49 and 38.34 were completely disappeared under NaCl stress (40 mM). These bands reappeared in response to the added ascorbic acid treatment. Moreover, the optical density of every individual protein band was induced by ascorbic acid under the low NaCl concentration. The results indicate synergistic interaction between salinity stress and ascorbic acid for the sake of salt resistance in chick pea plants. Keywords: Plant growth, photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll stability index, SDS-PAGE protein.