The present study evaluates the potential of Sar gassum muticum (Sar) and Jan ia rubens (Jan) seaweeds for enhancing growth and mitigating soil-salinity in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Under control conditions, Sar and Jan extracts improved chickpea growth which was attributed to their potential for increasing photosynthetic pigments, K+ and amino acids, particularly proline, in comparison with water-sprayed control. Upon stress imposition, chickpea growth was reduced in NaCl concentration-dependent manner, and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed Na+ accumulation and oxidative damage as major determinants of sensitivity at high salinity. Furthermore, amino acid quantification indicated activation/deactivation of overall metabolism in roots/shoots, as an adaptive strategy, for maintaining plant growth under salt stress. Sar and Jan extract supplementations provided stress amelioration, and PCA confirmed that improved growth parameters at high salinity were associated with enhanced activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase. Besides, four key amino acids, including serine, threonine, proline and aspartic acids, were identified from roots which maximally contribute to Sar- and Jan-mediated stress amelioration. Sar showed higher effectiveness than Jan under both control and salt stress conditions. Our findings highlight “bio-stimulant” properties of two seaweeds and provide mechanistic insight into their salt-ameliorating action which is relevant for both basic and applied research.

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Seaweeds are marketed as "nutraceuticals" owing to their highly bioactive ingredients as well as food supplements in order to relinquish physiological conditions and resist diseases. In the current study, the biochemical compositions (total protein, carbohydrate, lipid, fatty acids, amino acid, minerals and dietary fibers) of the seaweeds Caulerpa racemosa, Digenea simplex, Sargassum polycystum and Cystoseria myrica were evaluated. Digenea simplex alga has the highest content of protein, while C. racemosa is rich in lipid. Highly concentrations of carbohydrates and dietary fibers were detected in S. polycystum and C. myrica. However, C. myrica contains large amount of amino acids. This research focused on the role of chemical composition of seaweeds in consumption as food and valuable medicinal products.

Biological effects of extracts obtained from the seaweeds Hormophysa cuneiformis (J.F.Gmelin) P.C.Silva and Actinotrichia fragilis (Forsskål) Bùrgesen were investigated using wheat for the improvement of growth and amelioration of the negative effects of soil salinity. Exposure of plants to salt stress resulted in an overall decrease in growth, chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids and soluble sugars, as well as nutrient uptake (i.e., K, Ca and Mg) and K+/Na+ ratio. At the same time, increases were found in proline, total free amino acids, phenolic compounds, malondialdehyde (MDA), Na+ ions, as well as the activities of peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Priming wheat seeds with H. cuneiformis and A. fragilis extracts mitigated the negative impacts of salinity by enhancing growth and all the above attributes except MDA and Na+. Treatments with H. cuneiformis or A. fragilis extracts resulted in an increased intensity of the polypeptide bands with 200, 159, 120, 40, and 22 KDa which were already apparent in the control. A. fragilis showed higher effectiveness than H. cuneiformis extracts under both control and stressed regimes. Our results highlight “biofertilizer” properties of two seaweeds and furnish mechanistic insight into their salinity-improvement action, which is pertinent for both applied and basic research.