Photosynthetica, 2004 (vol. 42), issue 4

Photosynthetica 2004, 42(4):543-550 | DOI: 10.1007/S11099-005-0011-4

Salt-induced changes in photosynthetic activity and growth in a potential medicinal plant Bishop's weed (Ammi majus L.)

M. Ashraf1,*, N. Mukhtar1, S. Rehman2, E. S. Rha3
1 Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
2 Faculty of Biological Resources Science, College of Agriculture, Chonbuk National University, Chonju, Republic of Korea
3 Life Resources Science, Plant Genetics & Breeding, Sunchon National University, Sunchon, Republic of Korea

Sixty seven-days-old plants of Ammi majus L. were subjected for 46 d to sand culture at varying concentrations of NaCl, i.e. 0 (control), 40, 80, 120, and 160 mM. Increasing salt concentrations caused a significant reduction in fresh and dry masses of both shoots and roots as well as seed yield. However, the adverse effect of salt was more pronounced on seed yield than biomass production at the vegetative stage. Calculated 50 % reduction in shoot dry mass occurred at 156 mM (ca.15.6 mS cm-1), whereas that in seed yield was at 104 mM (ca.10.4 mS cm-1). As in most glycophytes, Na+ and Cl- in both shoots and roots increased, whereas K+ and Ca2+ decreased consistently with the successive increase in salt level of the growth medium. Plants of A. majusmaintained markedly higher K+/Na+ ratios in the shoots than those in the roots, and the ratio remained more than 1 even at the highest external salt level (160 mM). Net photosynthetic (PN) and transpiration (E) rates remained unaffected at increasing NaCl, and thus these attributes had a negative association with salt tolerance of A. majus. Proline content in the shoots increased markedly at the higher concentrations of salt. Essential oil content in the seed decreased consistently with increase in external salt level. Overall, A. majusis a moderately salt tolerant crop whose response to salinity is associated with maintenance of high shoot K+/Na+ ratio and accumulation of proline in shoots, but PN had a negative association with the salt tolerance of this crop.

Keywords: net photosynthetic rate; salt tolerance; stomatal conductance; transpiration; water use efficiency

Received: April 23, 2004; Accepted: August 16, 2004; Published: December 1, 2004Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Ashraf, M., Mukhtar, N., Rehman, S., & Rha, E.S. (2004). Salt-induced changes in photosynthetic activity and growth in a potential medicinal plant Bishop's weed (Ammi majus L.). Photosynthetica, 42(4), 543-550. doi: 10.1007/S11099-005-0011-4.
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Abraham, W.R., Lowestein, C., Stahl-Biskup, E., Hanssen, H.P., Sinnwell, V.: Ammimajanes-novel volatile diterpenes from Ammi majus L. (Apiaceae).-J. essent. Oil Res. 8: 507-511, 1996. Go to original source...
    2. Ashraf, M.: Breeding for salinity tolerance in plants.-Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 13: 17-42, 1994. Go to original source...
    3. Ashraf, M.: Salt tolerance of cotton: some new advances.-Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 21: 1-30, 2002. Go to original source...
    4. Ashraf, M., O'Leary, J.W.: Responses of some newly evolved salt-tolerant genotypes of spring wheat to salt stress. 2) Water relations and gas exchange.-Acta bot. neerl. 45: 29-39, 1996. Go to original source...
    5. Ashraf, M., Shahbaz, M.: Assessment of genotypic variation in salt tolerance of early CIMMYT hexaploid wheat germplasm using photosynthetic capacity and water relations as selection criteria.-Photosynthetica 41: 273-280, 2003. Go to original source...
    6. Bates, L.S., Waldren, R.P., Tears, I.D.: Rapid determination of free proline for water stress studies.-Plant Soil 39: 205-207, 1973. Go to original source...
    7. Carden, D.E., Walker, D.J., Flowers, T.J., Miller, A.J.: Single-cell measurements of the contributions of cytosolic Na+ and K+ to salt tolerance.-Plant Physiol. 131: 676-683, 2003. Go to original source...
    8. Curtis, P.S., Läuchli, A.: The role of leaf area development and photosynthetic capacity in determining growth of kenaf under moderate salt stress.-Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 13: 553-565, 1986.
    9. Davenport, R.J., Reid, R.J., Smith, F.A.: Sodium-calcium interactions in two wheat species differing in salinity tolerance.-Physiol Plant. 99: 323-327, 1997. Go to original source...
    10. Downton, W.J.S., Loveys, B.R., Grant, W.J.R.: Salinity effects on the stomatal behaviour of grapevine.-New Phytol. 116: 499-503, 1990. Go to original source...
    11. Ekiert, H., Gomolka, E.: Coumarin compounds in Ammi majus L. callus cultures.-Pharmazie 55: 684-687, 2000.
    12. El-Gamal, M.H.A., Shalaby, N.M.M., Duddeck, H., Hiegemann, M.: Coumarins and coumarin glucosides from the fruits of Ammi majus L.-Phytochemistry 34: 819-823, 1993. Go to original source...
    13. Esechie, H.A., Rodriguez, V., Al-Asmi, H.S.: Effect of sodium chloride salinity on cation equilibration in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).-Crop Res. 23: 253-258, 2002.
    14. Gadallah, M.A.A.: Effects of proline and glycinebetaine on Vicia faba responses to salt stress.-Biol. Plant. 42: 249-257, 1999. Go to original source...
    15. Gibberd, M.R., Turner, N.C., Storey, R.: Influence of saline irrigation on growth, ion accumulation and partitioning, and leaf gas exchange of carrot (Daucus carota L.).-Ann. Bot. 90: 715-724, 2002. Go to original source...
    16. Goldstein, G., Drake, D.R., Alpha, C., Melcher, P., Heraux, J., Azocar, A.: Growth and photosynthetic responses of Scaevola sericea, a Hawaiian coastal shrub, to substrate salinity and salt spray.-Int. J. Plant Sci. 157: 171-179, 1996. Go to original source...
    17. Gorham, J., Bridges, J., Dubcovsky, J., Dvorak, J., Hollington, P.A., Luo, M.-C., Khan, J.A.: Genetic analysis and physiology of a trait for enhanced K+/Na+ discrimination in wheat.-New Phytol. 137: 109-116, 1997. Go to original source...
    18. Graifenberg, A., Botrini, L., Giustinani, L., Paola, M.L.: Salinity effects on growth, yield and elemental concentration of fennel.-Hort. Sci. 31: 1131-1134, 1996. Go to original source...
    19. Greenway, H., Munns, R.: Mechanism of salt tolerance in non-halophytes.-Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 31: 149-190, 1980. Go to original source...
    20. Hajar, A.S., Zidan, M.A., AlZahrani, H.S.: Effect of salinity stress on the germination, growth and some physiological activities of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.).-Arab Gulf J. Sci. Res. 14: 445-454, 1996.
    21. Hanson, A.D., Burnet, M.: Evolution and metabolic engineering of osmoprotectant accumulation in higher plants.-In: Cherry, J.H. (ed.): Biochemical and Cellular Mechanisms of Stress Tolerance in Plants. Pp. 291-301. Springer-Verlag, Berlin 1994. Go to original source...
    22. Hawkins, H.J., Lewis, O.A.M.: Combination effect of NaCl salinity, nitrogen form and calcium concentration on the growth and ionic content and gaseous properties of Triticum aestivum L. cv. Gamtoos.-New Phytol. 124: 161-170, 1993. Go to original source...
    23. Kiistala, R., Makinen-Kiljunen, S., Heikkinen, K., Rinne, J., Haahtela, T.: Occupational allergic rhinitis and contact urticaria caused by Bishop's weed (Ammi majus L.)-Allergy 54: 635-639, 1999. Go to original source...
    24. Lipp, F.J.: The efficacy, history, and politics of medicinal plants.-Alternative Therapies Health Med. 2: 36-41, 1996.
    25. Loreto, F., Centritto, M., Chartzoulakis, K.: Photosynthetic limitations in olive cultivars with different sensitivity to salt stress.-Plant Cell Environ. 26: 595-601, 2003. Go to original source...
    26. Maas, E.V., Hoffman, G.J.: Crop salt tolerance. Current assessment.-J. Irrig. Drain. Div. ASCE 103: 115-134, 1977.
    27. Maggaio, A., Miyazaki, S., Veronese, P., Fujita, T., Ibeas, J.I., Damasz, B., Narasimhan, M.L., Hasegawa, P.M., Joly, R.J., Bressan, R.A.: Does proline accumulation play an active role in stress induced growth reduction?-Plant J. 31: 699-712, 2002. Go to original source...
    28. Mansour, M.M.F.: Protection of plasma membrane of onion epidermal cells by glycinebetaine and proline against NaCl stress.-Plant Physiol. Biochem. 36: 767-772, 1998. Go to original source...
    29. Marschner, H.: Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. 2nd Ed.-Academic Press, London 1995.
    30. Munns, R.: Comparative physiology of salt and water stress.-Plant Cell Environ. 25: 239-250, 2002. Go to original source...
    31. Munns, R., Hare, R.A., James, R.A., Rebetzke, G.J.: Genetic variation for salt tolerance of durum wheat.-Aust. J. agr. Res. 51: 69-74, 2000. Go to original source...
    32. Pascale, S.D., Barbieri, G.: Effect of soil salinity from long-term irrigation with saline-sodic water on yield and quality of winter vegetable crops.-Scient. Hort. 64: 145-147, 1995. Go to original source...
    33. Purohit, M., Pande, D., Datta, A., Srivastava, P.S.: In vitro flowering and high xanthotoxin in Ammi majus L.-J. Plant Biochem. Biotechnol. 4: 77-76, 1995. Go to original source...
    34. Rawson, H.M., Richards, R.A., Munns, R.: An examination of selection criteria for salt tolerance in wheat, barley and triticale genotypes.-Aust. J. agr. Res. 39: 759-772, 1988. Go to original source...
    35. Rogers, M.E., Noble, C.L.: Variation in growth and ion accumulation between two selected populations of Trifolium repens L. differing in salt tolerance.-Plant Soil 146: 131-136, 1992. Go to original source...
    36. Rudolph, A.S., Crowe, J.H., Crowe, L.M.: Effect of three stabilizing agents-proline, betaine and trehalose, on membrane phospholipids.-Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 245: 134-143, 1986. Go to original source...
    37. Serraj, R., Drevon, J.J.: Effects of salinity and nitrogen source on growth and nitrogen fixation in alfalfa.-J. Plant Nutr. 21: 1805-1818, 1998.
    38. Sharma, S.K., Manchanda, H.R.: Relative performance of yellow sarson (Brassica rapa var. glauca) and toria (B. rapa var. napus) grown at different salinity levels with different chloride and sulphate ratios.-Indian J. agr. Sci. 67: 1-5, 1997.
    39. Singab, A.N.: Acetylated flavonol triglycoside from Ammi majus L.-Phytochemistry 49: 2177-2180, 1998. Go to original source...
    40. Snedecor, G.W., Cochran, W.G.: Statistical Methods. 7th Ed.-Iowa State Univ. Press, Ames 1980.
    41. Storey, R., Ahmad, N., Wyn Jones, R.G.: Taxonomic and ecological aspects of the distribution of glycinebetaine and related compounds in plants.-Oecologia 27: 319-322, 1977. Go to original source...
    42. Tester, M., Romola, D.: Na+ tolerance and Na+ transport in higher plants.-Ann. Bot. 91: 503-527, 2003. Go to original source...
    43. Tezara, W., Mitchell, V., Driscoll, S.P., Lawlor, D.W.: Effects of water deficit and its interaction with CO2 supply on the biochemistry and physiology of photosynthesis in sunflower.-J. exp. Bot. 53: 1781-1791, 2002. Go to original source...
    44. Wenxue, W., Bilsborrow, P.E., Hooley, P., Fincham, D.A., Lombi, E., Forster, B.P.: Salinity induced differences in growth, ion distribution and partitioning in barley between the cultivar Maythorpe and its derived mutant Golden Promise.-Plant Soil 250: 183-191, 2003.
    45. Wolf, B.: A comprehensive system of leaf analysis and its use for diagnosing crop nutrient status.-Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 13: 1035-1059, 1982. Go to original source...
    46. Wyn Jones, R.G.: Salt tolerance.-In: Johnson, C.B. (ed.): Physiological Processes Limiting Plant Productivity. Pp. 271-292. Butterworths, London-Boston-Sydney-Wellington-Durban-Toronto 1981. Go to original source...
    47. Wyn Jones, R.G., Storey, R.: Salt stress and comparative physiology in the Gramineae: IV. Comparison of salt stress in Spartina×townsendii and three barley cultivars.-Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 5: 839-850, 1978.
    48. Yeo, A.R., Lee, K.-S., Izard, P., Boursier, P.J., Flowers, T.J.: Short-and long-term effects of salinity on leaf growth in rice (Oryza sativa L.).-J. exp. Bot. 42: 881-889, 1991. Go to original source...
    49. Zidan, M.A., Elewa, M.A.: Effect of salinity on germination, seeding growth and some metabolic changes in four plant species (Umbelliferae).-Indian J. Plant Physiol. 38: 57-61, 1993.

    Return to the content