Soil acidity is an impediment to agricultural production on a significant portion of arable land worldwide. Low productivity of these soils is mainly due to nutrient limitation and the presence of high levels of aluminium (Al), which causes deleterious effects on plant physiology and growth. In response to acidic soil stress, plants have evolved various mechanisms to tolerate high concentrations of Al in the soil solution. These strategies for Al detoxification include mechanisms that reduce the activity of Al3+ and its toxicity, either externally through exudation of Al-chelating compounds such as organic acids into the rhizosphere or internally through the accumulation of Al-organic acid complexes sequestered within plant cells. Additionally, root colonization by symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi increases plant resistance to acidity and phytotoxic levels of Al in the soil environment. In this review, the role of the AM symbiosis in increasing the Al resistance of plants in natural and agricultural ecosystems under phytotoxic conditions of Al is discussed. Mechanisms of Al resistance induced by AM fungi in host plants and variation in resistance among AM fungi that contribute to detoxifying Al in the rhizosphere environment are considered with respect to altering Al bioavailability.

The phytonutrient concentrations of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) florets, stems, and leaves were compared to evaluate the value of stem and leaf by-products as a source of valuable nutrients. Primary metabolites, including amino acids, organic acids, and sugars, as well as glucosinolates, carotenoids, chlorophylls, vitamins E and K, essential mineral elements, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and expression of glucosinolate biosynthesis and hydrolysis genes were quantified from the different broccoli tissues. Broccoli florets had higher concentrations of amino acids, glucoraphanin, and neoglucobrassicin compared to other tissues, whereas leaves were higher in carotenoids, chlorophylls, vitamins E and K, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. Leaves were also good sources of calcium and manganese compared to other tissues. Stems had the lowest nitrile formation from glucosinolate. Each tissue exhibited specific core gene expression profiles supporting glucosinolate metabolism, with different gene homologs expressed in florets, stems, and leaves, which suggests that tissue-specific pathways function to support primary and secondary metabolic pathways in broccoli. This comprehensive nutrient and bioactive compound profile represents a useful resource for the evaluation of broccoli by-product utilization in the human diet, and as feedstocks for bioactive compounds for industry.

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BACKGROUND: Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi establish symbioses with most agricultural plants and improves growthunder soil stress conditions. The present study aimed to evaluate the functional contribution of 2 AM fungal inocula (a native consortium isolated from saline soils of the Atacama Desert, 'HMC', and a reference inoculum Claroideoglomus claroideum, 'Cc') on the growth and antioxidant compounds of two cultivars of lettuce (Lactuca sativa cvs. 'Grand Rapids' and 'Lollo Bionda') at increasing salt stress conditions (0, 40, and 80 mmol L -1 NaCl). At 60 days of plant growth, the symbiotic development, biomass production, lipid peroxidation, proline content, antioxidant enzymes, phenolic compound profiles and antioxidant activity were evaluated. RESULTS: The 2 AM inocula differentially colonized the roots of Grand Rapids and Lollo Bionda lettuce plants. The AM symbioses increased proline synthesis and superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities and diminished phenolic compound synthesis and oxidative damage in lettuce, which was related positively to a higher growth of inoculated plants under salt exposure. The higher concentration of phenolic compounds induced by salinity in non-inoculated plants was associated with high oxidative stress and low fresh biomass production.CONCLUSION: Modulation of salinity stress in lettuce by AM root colonization is a result of changes of antioxidant enzymatic systems that reduce oxidative damage and sustain growth. The application of AM fungi to improve crop production by means of directed inoculation with efficient AM fungal strains may enhance lettuce production on soils plagued with salinity worldwide.

Species and hybrids in the genus Populus have become the focus of investigation for use in biofuels production and their capacity to sequester carbon (C) in the environment. The identification of species resistant to marginal edaphic sites may be important in both of these endeavors. Plant growth, total dissolved organic carbon (TOC) and low molecular weight organic acid (OA) production, antioxidative enzyme activities and mineral content were assessed in Populus tremuloides L. and Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray seedlings under exposure to aluminum (Al). Both species were sensitive to Al, with significant reductions in shoot and root biomass at and above 50 microM Al. Exposure to Al induced 40-fold increases in TOC deposition in P. tremuloides and 100-fold increases in P. trichocarpa. In P. tremuloides, Al treatment induced root exudation of malic and citric acids, while Al increased exudation of citrate and oxalate in P. trichocarpa. Organic acids accounted for 20-64% of total C released upon Al exposure, with the proportion of OAs increasing in P. tremuloides and decreasing in P. trichocarpa. Dose-dependent responses of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase were observed in both root and leaf tissues, indicating that Al exposure induced oxidative stress in poplar. Treatment at and above 100 microM Al reduced the concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in roots and leaves, whereas Al at or above 50 microM reduced root and leaf phosphorous (P) concentrations. The majority of Al taken up was retained in the root system. Even with the induction of OA exudation and accumulation, P. tremuloides and P. trichocarpa remained sensitive to Al, as evidenced by elevated antioxidative enzyme activities, which may reflect inhibition of Ca or P uptake and destabilization of cell homeostasis in these poplar species. Although plants exhibited reductions in growth and evidence of oxidative and nutritional stress, total C rhizodeposition rates for both species increased with increasing Al exposure concentration. Estimated C deposition rates of 16 mg C plant(-1) day(-1) were four-times larger than previously reported values for forest tree species, indicating that edaphic stress plays an important role in C flux to the rhizosphere.