Authors : Faycal Boughalleb, Mounir Denden and Mohamed Neffati
Abstract: Zygophyllum album L., plants were exposed to NaCl salinity (0, 100, 200, 400 and 800 mM NaCl) for 60 days. Moderate salinity (100-200 mM NaCl) had a stimulating effect on Relative Growth Rate (RGR), net CO2 assimilation (PN) and stomatal conductance (gs). At higher salinities levels (400-800 mM NaCl), these physiological parameters decreased significantly. Z. album PSII photochemistry was unaffected by salinity, only a slightly decrease in the efficiency of PSII (F’v/F’m) was occurred at 800 mM. The reduction in photosynthesis is most probably due to stomatal closure rather than damages in the photosynthetic apparatus. Increasing salinity from 400-800 mM NaCl caused a significant accumulation of H2O2 generation and lipid peroxidation and a concomitant decrease in membranes stability index. The antioxidative defence capacity of Zygophyllum album L., plants might be achieved by the increasing activities of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Peroxidase (POD) and Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX) and the accumulation of phenols which showed to participate efficiently in restriction of oxidative damages caused by the H2O2 generation while Catalase (CAT) was unaffected under salt stress.
Faycal Boughalleb, Mounir Denden and Mohamed Neffati, 2012. Photosynthetic and Antioxidant Responses of the Xero-Halophyte Zygophyllum album (L.) to Salt Stress. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 7: 278-284.