title: Effect of salinity and different nitrogen sources on the activity of antioxidant enzymes and indole alkaloid content in Catharanthus roseus seedlings.
abstract: The activities of antioxidant enzymes viz. glutathione reductase, GR; superoxide dismutase, SOD; peroxidase, POD; catalase, CAT and glutathione-S-transferase, GST and alkaloid accumulation were investigated in leaf pairs (apical, middle, basal) and in roots of Catharanthus roseus seedlings under the conditions of different nitrogen sources (20 mM KNO(3) and 2 mM NH(4)Cl) and salinity, in the absence (non-saline control) and in the presence of 100 mM NaCl in the nutrient solution. Salinity caused a reduction in plant biomass. The biomass production of ammonium-fed plants was lower than that of nitrate-fed plants. The antioxidant enzymes exhibited higher activity in saline-treated plants. Changes in antioxidant enzyme activity caused by different nitrogen sources differed in all leaf pairs, as well as in roots of C. roseus. Ammonium-fed plants showed higher CAT, GR and GST activity in leaf pairs as well as in roots, while POD and SOD activity were higher in nitrate-fed plants. Higher peroxidase activity concomitant with the increased accumulation of alkaloid was found in all leaf pairs, as well as in roots of C. roseus of NO(3)(-) fed plants as compared to NH(4)(+) fed plants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi (UP), India. neelam_misra@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Neelam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: Ajay K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000643:Ammonium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D030008:Catharanthus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D026121:Indole Alkaloids / Q000378:metabolism*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D017680:Potassium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D036226:Seedlings / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D026121:Indole Alkaloids; D009566:Nitrates; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D000643:Ammonium Chloride; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D002374:Catalase; D009195:Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D009584:Nitrogen; C023844:potassium nitrate