Antioxidant Response to Salinity in Salt-Tolerant and Salt-Susceptible Cultivars of Date Palm

Latifa Al Kharusi, Rashid Al Yahyai and Mahmoud W. Yaish
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Latifa Al Kharusi: Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 36, 123 Muscat, Oman
Rashid Al Yahyai: Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 34, 123 Muscat, Oman
Mahmoud W. Yaish: Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 36, 123 Muscat, Oman

Agriculture, 2019, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: The salinity tolerance mechanism in date palm through antioxidation has not been completely deciphered to date. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of various antioxidants in salinity tolerance. Two date palm cultivars, contrasting in salinity tolerance, were used as model plants in a comparative study designed to detect changes in growth, Na + and K + uptake, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and antioxidant accumulations, when plants were exposed to salt stress. The results showed that salinity treatment had a more substantial negative effect on the growth and photosynthetic pigmentation of the susceptible ‘Zabad’ cultivar than on the tolerant ‘Umsila’ cultivar, probably due to the ability of ‘Umsila’ to accumulate less Na + and more K + , to maintain a normal concentration of ROS and to produce more non-enzymatic antioxidants, including glutathione, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and proline. Under salinity, ‘Umsila’ could also activate more superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) than ‘Zabad’. These results suggest that the tolerance of ‘Umsila’ is partially due to the balanced Na + and K + uptake and to the relatively high concentration of ROS-scavenging metabolites. Together, these results indicate that the antioxidant mechanism is crucial for salinity tolerance in date palms. However, other mechanisms may also be involved in this trait.

Keywords: date palm; salinity; antioxidants; tolerance; antioxidation; ROS (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: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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