Abstract
Salinity is a major abiotic stress negatively affecting plant growth and consequently crop production. The effects of short-term salt stress were evaluated on seedlings of three globally important Brassica crops—Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis), white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata), and kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)—with particular focus on phenolic acids. The physiological and biochemical stress parameters in the seedlings and the levels of three main groups of metabolites (total glucosinolates, carotenoids, and phenolics) and individual phenolic acids were determined. The salt treatments caused a dose-dependent reduction in root growth and biomass and an increase in stress parameters (Na+/K+ ratio, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH)) in all seedlings but most prominently in Chinese cabbage. Based on PCA, specific metabolites grouped close to the more tolerant species, white cabbage and kale. The highest levels of phenolic acids, particularly hydroxycinnamic acids, were determined in the more tolerant kale and white cabbage. A reduction in caffeic, salicylic, and 4-coumaric acid was found in Chinese cabbage and kale, and an increase in ferulic acid levels was found in kale upon salinity treatments. Phenolic acids are species-specific among Brassicaceae, and some may participate in stress tolerance. Salt-tolerant varieties have higher levels of some phenolic acids and suffer less from metabolic stress disorders under salinity stress.
Highlights
Soil salinity is an increasing problem in many areas worldwide, in the semi-arid and arid Mediterranean [1,2]
Maintaining a low tissue ratio has beenin we showed that salinity stress increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) production (SO and H2 O2 ) in seedling roots suggested as an important selection criterion for salt tolerance in
We evaluated the effect of short-term (24 h) salt stress on selected metabolites, with a special focus on phenolic acids, in Chinese cabbage, white cabbage, and kale seedlings
Summary
Soil salinity is an increasing problem in many areas worldwide, in the semi-arid and arid Mediterranean [1,2]. Over 7% of the world’s total land and approximately 20% of irrigated land is affected by high salinity. As the extent of global soil salinization and drought events are expected to increase as a result of the global climate change [3], systematic research on salinity and drought stress tolerance mechanisms in plants and breeding tolerant crops is paramount for future food security. Salinity induces alterations in the growth and development of plants due to its cumulative effect on several physiological as well as biochemical processes such as water balance, mineral ion homeostasis, osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant metabolism, photosynthetic capacity of plants, etc. All these changes lead to huge economic losses in crop production.
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