Effect of salt stress on proximate composition of duckweed (Lemna minor L.)

Abstract

The shortage of conventional feedstuff is one of the rising issues faced by the developing countries of the world. To bridge the gap between supply and demand of the major feedstuff it is desirable to practice the use of nonconventional feed resources. Duckweeds are the aquatic macrophytes growing in stagnant water bodies that offer a choice to be used as an alternate feed. Before the use of any alternate feed, it is vital to know the nutritional composition of the feed under diverse environmental conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of salinity, abiotic stress, on the proximate composition of duckweed (Lemna minor L.). The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 3 repeats. Data was collected on protein, lipid, carbohydrate, and mineral contents. In the laboratory trial plants were grown under the saline condition of different concentrations ranging from 2 g NaCl L À1 to 12 g NaCl L À1 for a growing period of 20 days. The biomasses obtained were tested for proximate composition. ANOVA of the result exhibited a significant effect of salinity on the proximate composition of the plant. Protein residues of the plant started declining above the concentration of 4 g NaCl L À1 until the lowest value was obtained at 12 g NaCl L À1 . Lipid composition showed more sensitivity to the stress with a sharp decline above 2 g NaCl L À1 having a minimum value at 12 g NaCl L À1 . Carbohydrate contents increased with increasing salinity up to 6 g NaCl L À1 above which a decrease was observed. The highest accumulation of the macronutrients i.e., Ca, Mg, took place in the lower range of concentration of the salt. The percentage compositions of micronutrients such as Fe, Mn, and Zn percentage were reduced at a higher range of salinity while the optimum level was recorded in plants treated with 2 g NaCl L À1 , followed by control. The total accumulation of both macro and micronutrients was higher in the plant material treated with a lower level of salt concentration, concluding a significant effect of salinity on proximate composition. As for the Indus water salinity level, the plant has the capacity of tolerance and can be grown without affecting its proximate composition.

Duckweeds as Promising Food Feedstocks Globally

“…The content in Lemna varies from 23 to 59%, and Spirodela contains 8% carbohydrates (Figure 3C). The highest report from Lemna minor (59%) was calculated based upon the difference of a total content with mineral content, protein, and lipids [64]. A similar report was made by Zhao et al (2014) with 51.2%, although the carbohydrate content seems to include the cell wall content [65].…”

Protein and Lipid Composition of Duckweeds (Landoltia punctata and Wolffia arrhiza) Grown in a Controlled Cultivation System

“…Proteins and lipids content in duckweeds could easily change adjusting with the environmental conditions in which they lived. A study conducted by Yu et al 18 showed that the proteins content reached 0.34 g gG 1 of dry weight, it can be concluded that cultivation conditions became one of the trade-offs for gaining high proteins and lipids content.…”

Ebb-and-Flow Subirrigation Improves Seedling Growth and Root Morphology of Tomato by Influencing Root-Softening Enzymes and Transcript Profiling of Related Genes

“…It is closely related to the plant life cycle and can reflect the dynamic relationship between root growth and water supply [80,81]. Studies on maize [82] and duckweed [83] show that the root activity of plants decreases or increases first and then decreases under drought stress. In this experiment, the root activity of tomato seedlings grown under an ebb-and-flow irrigation system was significantly higher than those irrigated with top sprinkle irrigation, maintaining vigorous metabolic activity and indicating that the water supply of EFI treatment was more uniform, and the effects of drought and other uneven water changes caused by TSI treatment were reduced.…”