IMPACT OF INORGANIC SALT SOLUTIONS ON ANTIOXIDATIVE ENZYMES ACTIVITY AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS CONTENT IN TRIGONELLA FOENUM-GRAECUM SEEDLINGS

• Main Authors: Lacramioara Oprica, Loredana Sandu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași 2016-04-01
• Series: Analele Ştiinţifice Ale Universităţii Alexandru Ioan Cuza din Iași,Sectiunea II A : Genetica si Biologie Moleculara
• Online Access: http://www.gbm.bio.uaic.ro/index.php/gbm/article/view/1114
• ISSN: 1582-3571; 2248-3276

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is known to have several pharmacological effects such as hypoglycemia, hypocholesterolemia, gastroprotective, chemopreventive, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antipyretic and appetite stimulation attributes. This plant is known to contain many secondary metabolites like alkaloids, flavonoids, salicylate, and nicotinic acid. Present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of salinity on fenugreek antioxidative defense mechanism. The response of the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities as well as the pigment content in fenugreek seedlings was investigated after 24 days of treatment with inorganic salt solutions. It was used for treatment different concentration of NaCl alone and in combination with CaCl 2 as well as MgCl 2 . The fenugreek treatment was effected to elucidate the adverse effect of NaCl salinity and its possible amelioration by CaCl 2 or MgCl 2 . Generally, all treatments diminished the activity of antioxidant enzymes take in the study with one exception (150mM NaCl+10mM CaCl 2 in case of SOD). Only a few concentrations (50mM NaCl, 100mM NaCl, 50mM NaCl+10mM CaCl 2 , 150mM NaCl+10mM CaCl 2 , 100mM NaCl+20 MgCl 2 ) increased the fenugreek soluble protein content. Both CaCl 2 and MgCl 2 treatments applied alone and in combination determined an increase of photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, Chl b and carotenoids) contents compared with control