Biochemical and Physiological Characteristics of Photosynthesis in Plants of Two Calathea Species

Abstract

Plants of the genus Calathea possess many leaf colors, and they are economically important because they are widely used as ornamentals for interior landscaping. Physiological performances and photosynthetic capacities of C. insignis and C. makoyana were investigated. The photosynthetic efficiencies of C. insignis and C. makoyana were significantly increased when the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) increased from 0 to 600 μmol photons·m−2·s−1 and became saturated with a further increase in the PPFD. The two Calathea species had lower values of both the light saturation point and maximal photosynthetic rate, which indicated that they are shade plants. No significant differences in predawn Fv/Fm values (close to 0.8) were observed between dark-green (DG) and light-green (LG) leaf sectors in all tested leaves. However, the effective quantum yield of photosystem II largely decreased as the PPFD increased. An increase in the apparent photosynthetic electron transport rate was observed in both species to a maximum at 600 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD, following by a decrease to 1500 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD. Compared to LG leaf extracts, DG leaf extracts contained higher levels of chlorophyll (Chl) a, Chl b, Chls a + b, carotenoids (Cars), anthocyanins (Ants), flavonoids (Flas), and polyphenols (PPs) in all plants, except for the Ant, Fla and PP contents of C. insignis plants. Calathea insignis also contained significantly higher levels of total protein than did C. makoyana. The adjusted normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), photochemical reflectance index (PRI), red-green, and flavonol index (FlavI) were significantly correlated to leaf Chls a + b, Cars, Ants, and Flas in C. makoyana, respectively, and can be used as indicators to characterize the physiology of these plants.

Mechanisms Regulating the Dynamics of Photosynthesis Under Abiotic Stresses

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Investigation of tropical plant‐based natural dyes combination and adsorption optimization for natural dye‐sensitized solar cell

“…One of the major dye components in Delonix regia (D) has been reported as anthocyanin in a form of cyanidin 3‐ o ‐glucoside 45 . The Calathea veitchiana (C) extraction is dark green color and shows a major absorption between 400 and 480 nm, and a second major absorption peak was observed at 662 nm, which indicates the chlorophyll component 46 . Our study showed that UV–vis can be served as a preliminary approach to narrow down the combination of different types of natural plant extracts.…”

Suppression of ERECTA Signaling Impacts Agronomic Performance of Soybean (Glycine max (L) Merril) in the Greenhouse

“…In dry conditions, plants keep their stomata closed, limiting carbon uptake for photosynthesis and, consequently, reducing grain yield. Exposure to water deficiency for a prolonged period results in changes in the metabolic pathways, reduction in organ size, oxidative damage, among other effects, which can compromise overall growth and even cause plant death ( Nguyen et al, 2018 ; Leng and Hall, 2019 ). The perception of stress and transmission of signals, in order to activate adaptive response mechanisms, are important steps of stress tolerance in plants.…”