Document Type : Research paper

Authors

Department of Horticultural Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Shiraz, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

A major portion of the Iranian fig (Ficus carica) industry is located in high-salinity regions, and salinity is an important limiting factor in the production of this fruit. The present study was conducted to investigate the changes of leaf antioxidant-enzyme activity, proline and total protein content in two fig cultivars with two leaf shapes: ‘Anjir Sabz’ with lobate and palmate leaves, and ‘Shah Anjir’ with lobate and palmate leaves, under salt stress condition. The seedlings were exposed to different NaCl concentrations so that six different electrical conductivity levels of 0.6, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 dSm-1 were achieved in pots. This experiment was performed as factorial based 6×2(2) in a completely randomized design with four replications and two seedlings in each replicate. The results showed that as the soil salinity increased, the proline and protein contents of both cultivars were increased. However, palmate leaves of both cultivars accumulated more proline and protein than those of their lobate leaves. The activities of antioxidant enzymes increased in seedlings of both cultivars; however, superoxide desmutase and catalase showed more activity in palmate leaves than lobate leaves. There were no significant differences between the two leaf shapes in relation to peroxidase. The results seem to suggest that seedlings with palmate leaves are more salt tolerant than seedlings with lobate leaves.

Keywords

1.Apel, K. and H. Hirt. 2004. Reactive Oxygen Species: Metabolism, Oxidative Stress, and Signal Transduction, Annu. Rev. Plant Biol. 55:373-399.
2.Ashraf, M. and M.R. Foolad. 2007. Roles of Glycine Betaine and Proline in Improving Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance. Env. Exp. Bot. 59:206-216.
3.Ashraf, M. and P.J.C. Harris. 2004. Potential Biochemical Indicators of Salinity Tolerance in Plants. Plant Sci. 166:3-16.
4.Bates, L.S., R.P. Waldern and I.D. Teave. 1973. Rapid Determination of Free Proline for Water Stress Studies. Plant Soil. 39:205-107.
5.Bradford, M. M. 1976. A Rapid and Sensitive Method for the Quantitation of Microgram Quantities of Protein Utilizing the Principles of 
Protein Dye Binding. Anal. Biochem. 72:248-254.
6.Cavagnaro, J., M. Ponce., J. Guzman and M. Cirrincione. 2006. Argentinean Cultivars of Vitis vinifera Grow Better than European Ones when Cultured in Vitro under Salinity. Bio cell. 30:1-7.
7.Chance, B. and A.C. Maehly. 1955. Assay of Catalases and Peroxidases, P. 764-755. In: Colowick & Kaplan (eds.), Methods in Enzymology. Academic Press, New York.
8.Cicek, N. and H. Cacirlar. 2008. Changes in Some Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Six Soybean Cultivars in Response to Long-Term Salinity at Different Temperatures. Gen. Appl. Plant Physiol. 34:267-280.
9.Demiral, T. and I. Turkan. 2005. Comparative lipid peroxidation, antioxidant defense systems and proline content in roots of two rice cultivars differing in salt tolerance. Environ. Exp. Bot. 53:247-257.
10.Duenas, M., J.J. Pérez-Alonsoa, C. Santos-Buelgaa and T. Escribano-Bailona, 2008. Anthocyanin Composition in Fig (Ficus carica L.) J. Food Compos. Ana. 21:107-115.
11.FAO. 2010. FAO STAT Agricultural Statistics Database. Retrived from http://www.fao.org
12.Giannopolitis, C.N. and S.K. Ries. 1977. Superoxide dismutases: I. Occurrence in higher plants. Plant Physiol. 59(2):309-314.
13.Gill, S.S. and N. Tuteja. 2010. Reactive Oxygen Species and Antioxidant Machinery in Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants. Plant Physiol. Biochnol. 48:909-930.
14.Karimi, S., M. Rahemi., M. Maftoun., S. Eshghi and V. Tavallali. 2009. Effects of Long-Term Salinity on Growth and Performance of Two Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Rootstocks. Aust. J. Basic Appl. Sci. 3(3): 1630-1639.
15.Meloni, D.A., M.A. Oliva, C.A. Martinez and J. Cambraia. 2003. Photosynthesis and Activity of Superoxide Dismutase, Peroxidase and Glutathione Reductase in Cotton under Salt Stress. Environ. Exp. Bot. 49:69-76.
16.Mittler, R. 2002. Oxidative Stress, Antioxidants and Stress Tolerance. Trends Plant Sci. 7:405-410.
17.Mohammadkhani, N. and R. Heidari. 2008. Effects of Drought Stress on Soluble Proteins in Two Maize Varieties. Turk. J. Biol., 32: 23-30.
18.Richards, L.A., 1949. Methods of Measuring Soil Moisture Tension. Soil Sci. 68: 95-112.
19.Saeed, W. T. 2005. Pomegranate Cultivars as Affected by Paclobutrazol, Salt Stress and Change in Fingerprints. Bull. Faculty Agr. 56:581-616.
20.Sorkheh, K ., B. Shiran, V. Rouhi, M. Khodambashi and A. Sofo. 2012. Salt Stress Induction of some key Antioxidant Enzymes and Metabolites in Eight Iranian Wild Almond Species. Acta Physiol. Plant. 34:203-213.
21.Sudhakar, C., A. Lakshmi and S. Giridarakumar. 2001. Changes in the Antioxidant Enzyme Efficacy in Two High Yielding Genotypes of Mulberry (Morus alba L.) under Nacl Salinity. Plant Sci. 161:613-619.
22.Uchida, A., A.T. Jagendorf., T. Hibino and T. Takabe. 2002. Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide and Nitric Oxide on Both Salt and Heat Stress Tolerance in Rice. Plant Sci. 163:515-523.
23.Vaidyanathan, H., P. Sivakumar., R. Chakrabary and G. Thomas. 2003. Scavenging of Reactive Oxygen Species in Nacl–Stressed Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Differential Response in Salt–Tolerant and Sensitive Varieties. Plant Sci. 165:1411-1418.
24.Weibing, J., M. Kai and Y. Wang. 1993. A Preliminary Study on Physiological Indexes of Salinity Tolerance in Fig. Jiangsu J. Agr. Sci. (Abstract).