title: Growth, chlorophyll fluorescence and mineral nutrition in the halophyte Tamarix gallica cultivated in combined stress conditions: Arsenic and NaCl.
abstract: Trace metal elements can cause various environmental and health issues due to their accumulation and integration in the food chain. In the present study, we determined the major toxic effects of arsenic on physiological behaviour of plants. For this propose, several combinations of high salinity and arsenic (As) concentrations were applied to the halophytic shrub, Tamarix gallica, by growing for three months with an irrigation solution supplemented with different concentrations of As (0, 200, 500 and 800M) with and without 200mM NaCl. The effect of the combined stress conditions on growth, physiological patterns and biochemical parameters were also assessed. The results demonstrated that T. gallica is a tolerant plant regarding arsenic. The photosynthesis apparatus Fo, Fm and Fv fluorescence, as well as Fv/Fm were not affected by As nor by As combined with salt. Likewise, pigment and nutrient (K(+), Ca(2+) and Mg(2+)) contents were not affected either. However, the study results revealed that As adversely and significantly influenced the growth with increasing the concentration of As. Despite shoots growth reduction, the present research demonstrates that T. gallica is able to cope with high external concentrations of As (under 500μM) alone or in combination with NaCl.
authors.affiliation: UR MaNE, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Tunisia. Electronic address: dhouhasghaier@hotmail.fr.
authors.forename: Dhouha Belhaj
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Sghaier
authors.affiliation: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: UR MaNE, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Insaf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bankaji
authors.affiliation: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Caçador
authors.affiliation: UR MaNE, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Tunisia. Electronic address: noomene.sleimi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Noomene
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sleimi
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D001151:Arsenic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism*; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism; D055051:Salt-Tolerant Plants / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects*; D032363:Tamaricaceae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D012987:Soil; D014867:Water; D002734:Chlorophyll; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Combined stress; Fluorescence; Halophyte; Nutrients; Photosynthetic pigments; Tolerance