Differential Occurrence of Cuticular Wax and Its Role in Leaf Physiological Mechanisms of Three Edible Aroids of Northeast India

Facundo Pieniazek, Madhumita Dasgupta, Valeria Messina, Mayengbam Premi Devi, Yumnam Indrani Devi, Sansuta Mohanty, Satyapriya Singh, Bibhuti Bhusan Sahoo, Potshangbam Nongdam, Gobinda Chandra Acharya and Manas Ranjan Sahoo
Additional contact information
Facundo Pieniazek: ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Imphal 795004, India
Madhumita Dasgupta: ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Imphal 795004, India
Valeria Messina: The National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Argentina
Mayengbam Premi Devi: ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Imphal 795004, India
Yumnam Indrani Devi: ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Imphal 795004, India
Sansuta Mohanty: Central Horticultural Experiment Station, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bhubaneswar 751019, India
Satyapriya Singh: Central Horticultural Experiment Station, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bhubaneswar 751019, India
Bibhuti Bhusan Sahoo: Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station (RRTTS, Bhawanipatna), Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar 751003, India
Potshangbam Nongdam: Department of Biotechnology, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal 795003, India
Gobinda Chandra Acharya: Central Horticultural Experiment Station, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bhubaneswar 751019, India
Manas Ranjan Sahoo: ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Imphal 795004, India

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: The localization of cuticular wax (CW) on the leaf epidermis and its interaction with the physiological mechanisms of three edible aroids, Alocasia , Colocasia , and Xanthosoma , were assessed. CW in the leaf tissues was visualized using scanning electron microscopy, which was higher in Colocasia (10.61 mg·dm −2 ) and Xanthosoma (11.36 mg·dm −2 ) than in Alocasia (1.36 mg·dm −2 ). Colocasia CW exhibited superhydrophobic properties with a higher static contact angle (CA) (>150°) than Xanthosoma (99.0°) and Alocasia (128.7°). The higher CW in Colocasia and Xanthosoma resulted in better leaf chlorophyll stability, moisture retention ability, and cellular membrane integrity compared to Alocasia . CW acted as a protecting barrier against deleterious solar radiation in terms of sun protection factor (SPF). The glossy appearance of wax crystals in the Alocasia leaf cuticles resulted in higher SPF. Overall, Colocasia CW highly influenced the qualitative and protective mechanisms of the leaf. Our study sheds light on the pivotal role of CW in the physiological properties of aroid leaves, which would be useful for the selection of wax-rich plants for augmenting future breeding strategies. The information would also be useful for further exploration of the industrial potential of superhydrophobic wax crystals obtained from edible aroids.

Keywords: aroid leaves; cuticular wax; chlorophyll stability; hydrophobicity; physiological mechanisms; sun protection factor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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