Seed Antioxidants Interplay with Drought Stress Tolerance Indices in Chilli (Capsicum annuum L) Seedlings

Abstract

Altering climatic conditions and water stress drastically affects the chilli crop yield. In this scenario we adapted a strategic approach for screening of elite chilli genotypes, by exploring role of seed antioxidants in stress tolerance during vegetative phase. A total of 20 chilli genotypes' seed antioxidant potential and its effect on water stress tolerance were studied at three water regimes, namely, control (100% Field Capacity), moderate (80% Field Capacity), and severe (60% Field Capacity) stress conditions. Drought tolerance traits relative water content, chlorophyll content, and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes were measured. A strong correlation was observed between seed antioxidants and water stress tolerant traits in seedlings. Genotypes KCa-5, KCa-6, and KCa-10 showed low quantity of H2O2 and Malondialdehyde in seeds and maintained high membrane integrity and chlorophyll content in seedlings. High content of proline in KCa-5, KCa-7, and KCa-10 seeds retained high relative water content at seedling stage under severe water stress. Present work reveals genotypic differences of hot pepper to different water regimes. Based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of seed antioxidant variables and drought tolerance indices twenty genotypes segregated into three clusters, namely, drought tolerant and susceptible and moderately tolerant.

Abiotic Stress Response of Near-Isogenic Spring Durum Wheat Lines under Different Sowing Densities

“…Due to the multiplicity of factors influencing experiments carried out under field conditions, there is limited scope for determining the degree of stress tolerance using a single parameter. Also, because of the substantial interaction between the plant and the environment, genotypic differences may also occur within the same plant [ 73 ]. In the future, the use of systems biology approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics could result in new techniques for the identification of key regulators, genes, proteins and metabolites, which will help breeders to develop new, stress-tolerant genotypes [ 74 ].…”

Research Progress and Perspective on Drought Stress in Legumes: A Review

“…When the level exceeds the defense mechanism, ROS cause oxidative stress to proteins, lipids and nucleic acids leading to altered intrinsic properties of biomolecules and cell death [103]. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic components regulate the defensive mechanism of ROS in the cells, and maintaining a higher concentration of antioxidants or antioxidant enzymes has proven to be an adoptive response under DS [104,105]. Enzymatic antioxidants comprise catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxide (APX), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), glutathione reductase (GR) and monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) and non-enzymatic antioxidants include glutathione, ascorbate, tocopherols, carotenoids, phenolics and ascorbic acid [42,106].…”

Growth and Betacyanin Content of Beetroots (Beta vulgaris L.) Under Water Deficit in A Tropical Condition

“…In Amaranthus hypochondriacus, a significant increase in betacyanin content was reported in leaves, stems and roots of two betacyanic genotypes (Casique-Arroyo, Martínez-Gallardo, de la Vara, & Délano-Frier, 2014). Lakshmi Sahitya, Krishna, Sri Deepthi, Shiva Prasad, & Peda Kasim (2018) reported a strong correlation, based on principal component analysis, between seed antioxidants (e.g. phenolics) and water stress tolerant indices (DPPH, total phenolics, proline, relative water content of leaves, chlorophyll contents, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities) in seedlings of 20 Chilli (Capsicum annuum L) genotypes.…”