Effect of salt stress on accumulation of proline and soluble sugars in cladodes and roots of two Opuntia species existing in Algerian steppe

Abstract

The accumulation of soluble salts in the soil diminishes significantly the value of the productivity of cultivated or not cultivated species. The introduction of plants tolerant to salinity is one of the techniques used for the valuation of marginal soils. Faced with this problem, the Opuntia has a great capacity to adapt to various weather conditions. The objective of the present study was the influence of sodium chloride (NaCl) at different levels (control, 200, 400, 600meq.l -1 ) on synthesis of proline and soluble sugars in two species of Opuntia. The results show the variability of the proline accumulation and soluble sugars according to the organ, species and dose of salts. The accumulations of these compounds are much more in cladodes compared to the roots. In O. engelmanii var. longuiformis the content of proline will increase from 0.46 µg/100g FW in the control plants to 0.89 and 0.93 µg/100g FW in the stressed plants at 400 and 600 meq.l -1 of NaCl respectively in young cladode.At O. streptacantha Lem. the highest soluble sugars content in the aged cladode (98 µg/100g FW) was recorded with the stress at 600 meq.l -1 . This suggests that, both Opuntia species are able to accumulate these biochemical compounds, order to ensure the osmotic adjustment under stress conditions at varying proportions.

Mechanism and inhibitory effects of cactus (Opuntia dillenii) extract on melanocytes and its potential application for whitening cosmetics

“…The Opuntia ( Opuntia spp. ) is a cactus plant that commonly grows in almost all climates, such as wild, temperate, and tropical climates 7 . The bioactive compounds and biological activities of Opuntia spp.…”