The ‘Edge Effect’ Phenomenon in Plants: Morphological, Biochemical and Mineral Characteristics of Border Tissues

Abstract

The ‘edge’ effect is considered one of the fundamental ecological phenomena essential for maintaining ecosystem integrity. The properties of plant outer tissues (root, tuber, bulb and fruit peel, tree and shrub bark, leaf and stem trichomes) mimic to a great extent the ‘edge’ effect properties of different ecosystems, which suggests the possibility of the ‘edge’ effect being applicable to individual plant organisms. The most important characteristics of plant border tissues are intensive oxidant stress, high variability and biodiversity of protection mechanisms and high adsorption capacity. Wide variations in morphological, biochemical and mineral components of border tissues play an important role in the characteristics of plant adaptability values, storage duration of roots, fruit, tubers and bulbs, and the diversity of outer tissue practical application. The significance of outer tissue antioxidant status and the accumulation of polyphenols, essential oil, lipids and minerals, and the artificial improvement of such accumulation is described in connection with plant tolerance to unfavorable environmental conditions. Methods of plant ‘edge’ effect utilization in agricultural crop breeding, production of specific preparations with powerful antioxidant value and green nanoparticle synthesis of different elements have been developed. Extending the ‘edge’ effect phenomenon from ecosystems to individual organisms is of fundamental importance in agriculture, pharmacology, food industry and wastewater treatment processes.

Effect of Seed Spaceflight Storage on Tomato Fruit Quality and Peel/Pulp Mineral and Antioxidant Distribution

“…The total The present results indicate the significance of tomato peel/pulp carotenoid distribution due to long-term seed space stress. The existence of the 'edge effect' phenomenon in plants entails that the high antioxidant status of the outer tissues reflects a powerful mechanism of plant protection against different forms of oxidative stresses [50]. Genetic changes in tomato seeds due to long-term space stress led to enhanced carotenoid content to the fruit's outer peel and decreased carotenoid accumulation in the pulp.…”

“…Previously, we indicated the significance of bordering tissues and their chemical and mineral composition in plant protection against oxidative stresses. Indeed, the elemental peel/pulp ratio is a good indicator of plant adaptability to stress factors [50]. In this respect, the predominance of Ca and Se accumulation in the peel of the control and space-treated tomato fruits may reflect the importance of these elements for plant development (Figure 6).…”