Effect of sodium chloride on total phenolic, flavonoid and ascorbic acid content in striga asiatica culture

Abstract

Plants have various mechanisms such as antioxidant production to survive under NaCl stress. In this study, amount of antioxidant related compounds; phenolic, flavonoid and ascorbic acid produced by Striga asiatica culture culture under salinity stress was investigated. The plantlets were cultured in MS medium containing NaCl at concentrations of 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM for 28 days. Results showed that total flavonoid were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by NaCl stress. However, NaCl did significantly (p<0.05) reduce fresh and dry weight, total phenolic content and ascorbic acid content in S. asiatica. These results also indicated that long term NaCl stress did change antioxidant substance content in S. asiatica culture. Thus, the difference change of total phenolic, total flavonoid and ascorbic acid content in S. asiatica cultures response to NaCl stress enabled to distinguish the metabolic events caused by ionic or osmotic components of salinity.