Salinity and drought stresses improve antioxidant potential of Allium roseum L., an edible medicinal plant

Abstract

Allium roseum L., a spontaneous comestible species in North Africa, presented a nutraceutical potential in terms of essential nutrients and phytonutrients responsible for health benefits. In the present study, growth parameters, soluble sugars, principal secondary metabolites contents (total polyphenols, vitamin C) and their antioxidant properties were determined in A. roseum subjected to salt or drought stresses during 30 days. Plants were subjected to drought stress by suspending watering, while other plants were submitted to salt stress through irrigation with a nutrient solution containing 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM NaCl. The obtained results reveal that salt and drought stress did not significantly affect the growth parameters (p ≥ 0.05), while these stressful conditions increased the bulbs dry matter. Moreover, the applied salt and drought stresses increased the soluble sugars, total polyphenols and vitamin C contents of the plant. Cultivating A. roseum under drought or salt stresses could be a good alternative to valorize antioxidant molecules from this species in industrial applications.