Effects of salinity on a-Tocopherol,ascorbic acid and carotenoid contents of Homalomena sp. cultures

Abstract

Salinity is one of environmental stress that could lead to plant damage. The Homalomena sp. has a wide function such as traditional medicine and pesticide. Due to the contribution of this species to some of medical importance, this study was carried out to investigate the antioxidative response of Homalomena sp. under stress condition. The objectives of this experiment were to investigate the effect of different concentrations of NaCl on a-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and carotenoid concentration in Homalomena sp. cultures, an aquatic plant (freshwater plant). Homalomena sp. cultures were treated with 0, 25, 50 and 100 mM of NaCl for 28 days in Murashige and Skoog Solid Medium. a-Tocopherol, ascorbic acid and carotenoid concentrations were measured every 0, 1, 2, 7 14 and 28 days of treatment periods. Result showed that, the a-tocopherol concentration in cultures treated with 50mM NaCl significantly (p<0.05) increased after 2 days of treatment and decreased (p<0.05) afterwards. The ascorbic acid and carotenoid concentration however showed a significant (p<0.05) decreased after the exposure to salt treatment.