Suaeda Nudiflora Research Articles

Correlation of elemental hyperaccumulation among the succulent and non-succulent halophytes of Gujarat, India

This paper presents new data on the salt tolerance and avoidance mechanisms among various groups of halophytes in India. The halophytic flora in general has positive effect of high saline environments on growth and physiology. The coastal area of the Kachchh district in Gujarat includes about 350 km of shoreline along the Gulf of Kachchh. This study presents data on the elemental accumulation mechanisms in soil and halophytic flora (succulent and non-succulents). The halophytes were divided into two groups namely succulent with thick and fleshy leaves and stems as well as non-succulents with thin leaves and stem. The succulent halophytes included species such as Salicornia brachiata, Suaeda fruticosa and Suaeda nudiflora. The non-succulent halophytes include Aeluropus lagopoides and Urochondra setulosa. Plant parts namely leaves (Phylloclade for Salicornia), stems and roots were analyzed during the monsoon season. The results of soil and plant mineral ion contents differed widely across the intertidal zones in the same habitat. Likewise, the intra species have varied in all nutrient levels and salt concentration. The accumulation of elemental concentration was high during the monsoon season in the succulent Salicornia brachiata, especially in leaves that showed Na+ reaching high up to 7.6 meq g−1, whereas Cl− was noted to be 4.34 meq g−1. In the non-succulent halophytes, the accumulation of mineral ion concentration was lower when compared to succulent plants.

Potential of Suaeda nudiflora and Suaeda fruticosa to Adapt to High Salinity Conditions

The deposition of salts in soil seems likely to become a significant barrier for plant development and growth. Halophytes that flourish in naturally saline habitats may sustain extreme salt levels by adopting different acclimatory traits. Insight into such acclimatory features can be useful for devising salt-resilient crops and the reclamation of saline soil. Therefore, salinity-induced responses were studied in two halophytes, i.e., Suaeda nudiflora and Suaeda fruticosa, at a high soil salinity level (ECe 65) to explore their possible tolerance mechanisms in their natural habitat. Samples of different tissues were collected from both Suaeda species for the determination of physio-biochemical attributes, i.e., ionic (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl−) content, osmo-protective compounds (proline, soluble sugars, soluble proteins), total phenolic content, and antioxidant components. Heavy metal composition and accumulation in soil and plant samples were also assessed, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis was conducted to explore cellular metabolite pools with respect to high salinity. The results showed that both species considerably adjusted the above-mentioned physio-biochemical attributes to resist high salinity, demonstrated by quantitative differences in their above-ground tissues. The FTIR profiles confirmed the plants’ differential responses in terms of variability in lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and cell wall constituents. The high capacity for Na+ and Cl− accumulation and considerable bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values for metals, mainly Fe and Zn, validate the importance of both Suaeda species as phytodesalination plants and their potential use in the phytoremediation of salt- and metal-polluted soils.

Isolation and Characterization of Beneficial Bacterium from the Rhizosphere of Suaeda nudiflora in Sundarbans, India

A study was carried out to isolate and characterize salt-tolerant beneficial bacteria from the soil collected from the rhizosphere of a halophytic plant (Suaeda nudiflora) from Gosaba, 24 Parganas (South), West Bengal, India located in the Sundarbans delta during January 2018. The physicochemical analysis of the soil showed that the soil was alkaline in nature with high salinity. The organic carbon, total nitrogen and available phosphorus status of the soil were low while the available potassium content was high. Bacterium N8 isolated from the rhizospheric soil possessed multiple growth-promoting activities i.e., the highest phosphate solubilizing efficiency (8.52 mg P g-1 of sugar), nitrogen-fixing capacity (0.7 mg of N g-1 of sugar), phosphatase enzyme activity and tolerance to salinity at 6% NaCl. A morphological study of this bacterium indicated that it was gram-positive, rod-shaped and was present in both single and chain form. The PCR amplification of genomic DNA (using 16S rDNA specific primers) showed a clear visible band at 1.5Kb. Sequencing of the amplicon followed by BLAST analysis depicted that the bacterium N8 exhibited the highest similarity (99%) with the genus Bacillus. The NCBI-Gen Bank accession number of the bacterium was SUB416213 N8 MH489431. The presence of members of the genus Bacillus in the rhizosphere soil of Suaeda nudiflora from Sundarbans is being reported for the first time. This study has led to a significant avenue for the use of the N8 bacterium as a potential salt-tolerant phosphate solubilizing bio-inoculum for improving nutrient availability in the coastal region.

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF HALOPHYTIC PLANT SUAEDA NUDIFLORA (WILLD.)

The world is blessed with a great variety of natural vegetation, some of which are used as traditional medicine to cure various sicknesses and diseases. Phytochemicals are naturally occuring, biologically active chemical compounds in plants. Phytochemicals like carotenoids, flavanoids and polyphenols, they posses antioxidant activity and protect our cells against oxidative damage and reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer. The majority of the active compounds are phenolic, vitamin C, vitamin E, tannins and carotenes. Coastal medicinal plants also engage in recreation to treat diabetes, particularly where most people have limited resources and do not have access to modern treatment. Halophytes are salt tolerant plant. Halophyte species which grow in a wide variety of saline habitats, from coastal sand dunes, salt marshes and mudflat to inland deserts, salt flats and steppes. Salt tolerance plants have more phytochemical and more antioxidant effect indicated that lot of literature. So in this way in my present study I have done phytochemical screening or preliminary phytochemical screening of halophyte Suaeda nudiflora.

Physiological response of diverse halophytes to high salinity through ionic accumulation and ROS scavenging

Salt stress induced modulations in different ionic ratios and ROS system were studied in ten halophytic species, namely Atriplex lentiformis, Tamarix aphylla, Sporobolus marginatus, Suaeda nudiflora, Urochondra setulosa, Arundo donax, Aeluropus lagopoides, Heliotropium ramossimum, Atriplex nummularia, Leptachloa fusca at salinity level of ECe ∼ 30 dSm−1 (≈300 mM NaCl) to explore their possible role in salt tolerance ability of these halophytes. These halophytes were categorized for their salt tolerance levels based on the ratios of Na+/K+, Na+/Ca2+, Na+/Cl− and Na + Cl/K + Ca. Variable responses were observed among all halophytes where Atriplex lentiformis had lowest leaf Na+/K+ (0.44) which is one of the best indicator of salt tolerance, Heliotropium ramossimum had lowest Na+/Ca2+ and Na+/Cl− (0.97 and 0.18), whereas Sporobolus marginatus had lowest Na + Cl/K + Ca (0.79). Specific enzymes activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POX) were also assessed to get better comprehension of the ROS scavenging system under salinity in these halophytes. Urochondra setulosa showed highest APX and SOD activity followed by Atriplex lentiformis. Most efficient enzyme in degrading hydrogen peroxide i.e. CAT showed highest activity in Suaeda nudiflora followed by Atriplex nummularia and Urochondra setulosa, whereas Atriplex nummularia and Atriplex lentiformis showed higher POX activity. Significant variability in H2O2 and MDA content was also observed. These results possibly suggest higher inbuilt genetic potential of these halophytes to combat high salinity induced oxidative stress via higher antioxidant activities. Novelty statement: Halophytic plant adopt different strategies to cope up with the toxic ions and our studies show that the induction of antioxidant defense system to scavenge ROS, alongwith structural modifications in terms of lipid peroxidation and compartmentalization of toxic ions are the main strategies for tighter control of ion fluxes in the studied halophytes.

Comparative study of fodder halophytes in saline and alkaline soils

A research was conducted in 2014-15 to know the usefulness of halophytes on saline and sodic stress with 3 halophytes and 6 treatments i.e Control (pH-7.0 and ECe-0.56), Sodic (pH-9.5 and 10.0) and Saline (ECe- 15, 25 and 35 dSm-1) which was done in Factorial randomized block design in small micro-plots in research area at Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana. We found that pHs of soils were less and ECe of soils were more affected by growing halophytes in this experiment. Dicanthium had more number of tillers and Suaeda had more number of branches under sodic stress. In case of Urochondra Setulosa, number of tillers had increased up to pH-9.5 thereafter it decreased. Likewise, all other plant nutrients concentration in the soil was found to be reduced which showed that halophytes utilized these nutrients for their growth under the stress conditions. the results showed that Dicanthuim annulatum can be grown as a fodder crop under low to high sodic stress conditions whereas Suaeda nudiflora and Urochondra setulosa can be grown easily under saline soils/ irrigated condtions and in areas with sea water.

Identification of salt-responsive genes from C4 halophyte Suaeda nudiflora through suppression subtractive hybridization and expression analysis under individual and combined treatment of salt and elevated carbon dioxide conditions

Salinization of soil is a prime abiotic stress that limits agriculture productivity worldwide. To Study the mechanisms that halophytes take up to survive under high salt condition is important in engineering salinity stress tolerance in sensitive species. Suaeda nudiflora is a halophyte plant that grows in the saline environment and extreme high tidal belt. The species have high capability to produce high protein biomass in salty soils due to C4 photosynthesis. The physiological and biochemical changes in S. nudiflora under salinity stress were studied by measuring chlorophyll content, electrolytic leakage, level of lipid peroxidation and total soluble sugars. Increased lipid peroxidation and electrolytic leakage was observed in salt stressed S. nudiflora compared to control plants. A suppression subtractive hybridization strategy was employed to identify differentially expressed genes under salt treatment in S. nudiflora. A total of 333 positive clones were identified and screened. Of these, 250 expressed sequence tags were identified. cDNA subtraction library resulted in 33 contigs and 138 singletons. The functional annotation and metabolic pathways identification were performed using the Blast2GO program. In addition, we analyzed the expression patterns of 18 genes associated with salt stress-responsive pathways by semi-quantitative PCR under salt and elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) conditions. Several of the analyzed genes showed an increase in expression levels under different time points of salt treatment and at different concentrations of salt. When the same genes were studied for its expression under elevated CO2 concentrations, most of the known salt responsive genes showed higher expression under the combined treatment of elevated CO2 concentrations (500ppm) and NaCl treatment (200mM) compare to ambient condition. This implies that salt responsive genes are enhanced at elevated CO2 concentrations.

Halophyte residue decomposition and microbial community structure in coastal soil

AbstractSaltmarshes are known for higher primary productivity and play a crucial role in carbon‐sequestration, nutrient‐cycling, and ecological services; however, scarce information are available on halophyte residue mineralization and microbial community structure during decomposition. Soil microcosms with residues (1% w/w) of three dominant halophytes (Aeluropus lagopoides, Arthrocnemum indicum, and Suaeda nudiflora) and one control were incubated under laboratory conditions and sampled at 1, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 90 days to link the microbial community structure and residues decomposition in degraded coastal soil. Samples were subjected to identification of active microbial groups and residue mineralization using fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and CO2 evolution methods, respectively. Biochemical composition of residues was also analyzed. Cumulative CO2 evolution was elevated in residue‐amended soils compared with control, and it was highest in Arthrocnemum followed by Suaeda, Aeluropus, and control soil. The Aeluropus residue decomposed slower than others due to its high C/N ratio and low protein content. The contents of total FAME and biomarker FAMEs of microbial groups (bacterial, fungal, and actinomycetes) responded positively to the residue amendments compared with control, which indicate the improvement in soil microbial biomass. Soils amended with Suaeda had the highest amount of total (76.8 nmol/g) and fungal FAMEs (6.7 nmol/g), and bacterial (28.6 nmol/g) and actinomycete (3.0 nmol/g) FAMEs were elevated in Arthrocnemum amended soil. At the same time, soils amended with Suaeda (6.2%), Arthrocnemum (28.4%), and control (15.4%) had the greatest abundance of fungal, Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive FAME biomarkers, respectively. The present study suggests that residue of halophyte species affected the abundance of fungal and bacterial biomarkers, and the microbial community structure.

Studies on phytochemical, antioxidant, antimicrobial analysis and separation of bioactive leads of leaf extract from the selected mangroves

In the present study, phytochemical and antimicrobial analysis of selected mangrove species: Suaeda nudiflora, Lumnitzera racemosa, Ipomoea tuba and Avicennia alba was performed. The phenol found in all selected mangroves and tannins found in the species: Suaeda nudiflora, Ipomoea tuba and Avicennia alba and terpenoids present in Lumnitzera racemosa, Ipomoea tuba and Avicenia alba. The steroids and emodins were not found in all selected mangrove species. The antioxidant analysis proved that maximum inhibitory potential of leaf extract was obtained in Lumnitzera racemosa and minimum scavenging activity was found in Suaeda nudiflora. The leaf extract with different solvents was screened for antibacterial activity against pathogenic strains: Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsella pneumonia and Bacillus subtilis. The methanol extracts from Squeeda nudiflora and Ipomoea tuba was shown highest zone of inhibition compared to other solvent extracts. The order of antimicrobial activity expressed as inhibitory zones of methanol > acetone > hexane observed for pathogenic strains. Further, thin layer chromatography (TLC) studies revealed presence of bioactive compounds in the extracts of the mangrove species.

Seasonal Patterns of Microbial Community Structure and Enzyme Activities in Coastal Saline Soils of Perennial Halophytes

AbstractPerennial halophytes are known to be one of the most influential parameters in coastal ecosystem affecting ecosystem processes. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in soil microbial community structure and enzyme activities in different halophyte‐covered soils (Arthrocnemum indicum, Aeluropus lagopoides, Heleochloa setulosa and Suaeda nudiflora) with control soil (un‐vegetated) that were collected in three seasons (rainy, winter and summer) from intertidal coastal soils of Gujarat, India. Soil microbial community structure was assessed using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiling. Halophytes influenced significantly soil micro‐environment by exerting effects on the soil chemical characteristics, enzyme activities and microbial community structure. The activities of β‐glucosidase, urease and alkaline phosphatase were significantly higher in halophyte‐covered soils than in control soil. Among four halophyte‐covered soils, the highest amounts of total, bacterial, actinomycetes and fungal PLFAs were observed in Arthrocnemum soil. The concentrations of total, bacterial, actinomycetes and fungal PLFAs were also significantly higher in summer and winter seasons than in rainy season, whereas enzyme activities also vary with seasons. The non‐metric multidimensional scaling analysis PLFA profiling revealed that the structure of microbial community significantly differed in all seasons as well as between control and halophyte‐covered soils. These shifts in microbial community were due to the higher abundance of Gram‐positive, total bacterial and actinomycetes PLFAs in summer and winter seasons than in rainy season, whereas abundance of fungal biomarker was significantly higher in rainy season than in other seasons. Among halophytes, significantly higher abundance of Gram‐positive, Gram‐negative and total bacteria was observed in Arthrocnemum, Heleochloa and Suaeda whereas the lowest in control soil. Halophytes exhibited improved soil microbial activities, which is important for healthy ecosystem. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Eco-physiological responses of Aeluropus lagopoides (grass halophyte) and Suaeda nudiflora (non-grass halophyte) under individual and interactive sodic and salt stress

Aeluropus lagopoides (grass halophyte) and Suaeda nudiflora (non-grass halophyte) collected from extreme saline sodic Kachchh plains, Bhuj (Gujrat), were established in micro-plot research facility of CSSRI, Karnal, to evaluate their eco-physiological responses under different salt stresses. The experiment was designed in split plot design (two factorial randomized complete block design) having 2 halophytes and 9 different treatments of salinity/sodicity, i.e., control (pH2 7.1; ECe: 0.56), sodic (pH2 9.5 and 10.0), saline (ECe: 15, 25, 35 dS m−1), and saline sodic (pH2 9.0 with ECe: 10, 15, 20 dS m−1). Eco-physiological responses were measured in terms of gas exchange attributes, chlorophyll fluorescence, ionic relations (Na+, K+, and Cl− content) and biochemicals (total soluble sugars, total soluble protein, proline content, epicuticular wax load, and peroxidase activity). Both these halophytes showed maximum gas exchange properties under unstressed control conditions. The highest photosynthetic rate (34.5 and 33.5μmol CO2 m−2s−1) was recorded in control treatment, which was decreased with the intensified stress and reduced to minimum under stress condition of pH2 9.0+ECe 20 dS m−1 (18.1 and 16.9μmol CO2 m−2s−1) in A.lagopoides and S.nudiflora, respectively. Reductions were also noticed in the rates of stomatal conductance and transpiration rate under different saline/sodic levels. As the stress conditions prevailed, these grass and non-grass halophytes accumulated higher amount of Na+ and Cl− in their leaves. Aeluropus accumulated 10.23% Na+ at ECe 35 dS m−1, which was approximately 6 times higher than control (1.65%) and 2 times than pH2 9.0+ECe 20 dS m−1 (5.8%) stress level, whereas S. nudiflora accumulated 2.75% Na+ in control, which increased to 17.33% at ECe 35 dS m−1 and 22.25% at pH2 9.0+ECe 20 dS m−1 treatment. Chloride content showed similar trend of increase. Increased accumulation of K+, i.e., 103.3% and 39.5%, was observed at ECe 35dS m−1 in A. lagopoides and S. nudiflora, respectively, with respect to control treatment. TSS content was decreased under sodic environment, while increasing pattern was observed under salinity and combined stress. Maximum protein accumulation of 23.24mg/gF.W. was observed at ECe 35 dS m−1 in A. lagopoides while in S. nudiflora (19.18mg/gF.W.) at pH2 9.0+ECe 20 dS m−1. Approximately 10 times higher proline accumulation was observed in both halophytes with increasing stress conditions, which showed higher osmotic adaptations. This study confers the eco-physiological potential of salt tolerance in both the halophytes and these could be used as good material for forages under salt-affected environments.

Determination and Discrimination in Characteristics of Coastal Habitats in some Parts of ‘Bhal’ Region

Gujarat has a coast line of approximately 1700 Km, varying in different habitat conditions. The state has two gulfs viz., gulf of Khambhat and gulf of Kachchh. Edaphic conditions of different habitats in ‘Bhal’ region of Gujarat state which falls in two districts viz. Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar district of Gujarat state. The coastal vegetation depends on the edaphic conditions of the region. The coastal flora of the ‘Bhal’ region belonging to Bhavnagar district has species like Suaeda nudiflora, Prosopis chilensis, Dichanthium annulatum, etc. The ‘Bhal’ region has marshy, wetland and semi-arid habitat. The present study investigates different physico-chemical parameters like Electrical Conductivity, pH and Sodium Adsorption Ratio, as well as mineral ion Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnessium and Chloride concentration in the soil of ‘Bhal’ region.

Determination and Discrimination in Characteristics of Coastal Habitats in some Parts of ‘Bhal’ Region

Gujarat has a coast line of approximately 1700 Km, varying in different habitat conditions. The state has two gulfs viz., gulf of Khambhat and gulf of Kachchh. Edaphic conditions of different habitats in ‘Bhal’ region of Gujarat state which falls in two districts viz. Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar district of Gujarat state. The coastal vegetation depends on the edaphic conditions of the region. The coastal flora of the ‘Bhal’ region belonging to Bhavnagar district has species like Suaeda nudiflora, Prosopis chilensis, Dichanthium annulatum, etc. The ‘Bhal’ region has marshy, wetland and semi-arid habitat. The present study investigates different physico-chemical parameters like Electrical Conductivity, pH and Sodium Adsorption Ratio, as well as mineral ion Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnessium and Chloride concentration in the soil of ‘Bhal’ region.

Bromide Tolerance in Plants: A Case Study on Halophytes of Indian Coast

Many industrial effluents contain occasionally various toxic elements. Many a time, bromide forms a constituent of the effluents especially originating from coastal regions. Plant materials have been effectively employed as tools to remediate this situation. Some halophytes are the best choice for reducing the toxic levels from affected salanised soils. This paper deals with the bromide uptake and its accumulation effect on the growth of Salicornia brachiata, Suaeda nudiflora, and Salvadora persica, the common halophyts of Indian coast. The species were grown with NaBr solution along with other essential nutrients. The growth in S. brachiata, S. nudiflora, and S. persica was more or less same except for some apparent morphological differences in NaBr grown plants as compared to that in NaCl-fed plants. The bromide present in various parts of these plants was determined by simple and eco-friendly techniques for the first time. A reliable spectrophotometric method was developed and employed to estimate the bromide composition in all plant extracts. The bromide levels were about 0.086–0.2 g in the root, 0.175–0.443 g in stem and 0.287–0.432 g in leaves per g of dry plant material and at higher levels it affected the photosynthetic activity. Cultivation of these plants for reclamation of bromide affected soils has been advocated as an alternative.

Inter-population variation of chromosome and RAPD markers of Suaeda nudiflora (Willd.) Moq. a mangrove species in India

Inter-population genetic diversity in Suaeda nudiflora, a mangrove, was investigated through RAPD and chromosome analysis among five Indian populations. Somatic chromosome numbers 2n=36 reported for the first time in population (Pop) I and Pop-II whereas in Pop-III, 2n=36 and 40 chromosomes. Pop-IV showed 2n=54 numbers from high saline environment while Pop-V showed 2n=40 chromosomes. 102 RAPD bands were polymorphic out of a total 182 amplicons with an average of 3.64 bands per population per primer suggests genetic divergence in inter-population level. The dendogram based on the RAPD analysis showed two broad groups suggesting ecotypic adaptability in different saline habitat. The maximum overall relatedness of the pop-II with rest of four populations was 57% indicated by mean similarity while pop-IV revealed minimum mean similarity of 49% suggesting new cytotypes formation. The probable mechanism of overcoming high salinity stress by maintaining polyploidy (2n=54) is discussed. Key words: Genetic divergence, genetic polymorphism, RAPD markers, somatic chromosome,Suaeda nudiflora.

Effect of Sodium Chloride Salinity on Growth and Ion Accumulation in Some Halophytes

Effects of salinity on biomass production, water content, and ion accumulation pattern in Atriplex amnicola P. G. Wilson, Atriplex calotheca L., Atriplex hortensis L., Chenopodium album L., Salsola kali L., and Suaeda nudiflora Moq. (all Chenopodiaceae) have been studied. The plants survived and exhibited no toxicity symptoms up to 6000 mg L−1 NaCl treatment. Ion composition was variable in plants grown under different salinity treatments. Salinity, except in Suaeda nudiflora where the least biomass was produced in control, affected all other species negatively, and they produced the least biomass at high salinity treatment. Shoot water content of Suaeda nudiflora and Chenopodium album increased significantly in response to salinity. Among all the species examined here, maximum sodium (Na+) accumulation was recorded for Suaeda nudiflora, and it increased with the increasing salinity. This study concluded that among all the species tested, Suaeda nudiflora was most suitable plant for bioremediation of salt‐contaminated soils.

Karyotype Variation and Cytophotometric Estimation of In Situ DNA Content in Some Minor and Associate Mangroves of India.

Detailed karyotype analysis and cytophotometric estimation of in situ 4C nuclear DNA amount as well as interphase nuclear volume (INV) were carried out in Aegialitis rotundifolia, Suaeda nudiflora and Thespesia populnea found in the mangrove forests of Orissa, India. Somatic chromosome number 2n=26, 34 and 54 were noted in T. populnea, A. rotundifolia, S. nudiflora respectively. Karyotype analysis revealed numerical variations and minute structural alterations of somatic chromosomes in different species. Critical analysis of nuclear DNA also showed significant variations in the 4C DNA content. S. nudiflora, a mangrove associate, showed variations at the ploidy level in root meristematic cells suggesting existence of cytotypes in the natural population. Significant correlation was found between chromosome length, volume and 4C DNA content.