Salinity induced changes in photosynthetic pigment and antioxidant responses in Sesuvium portulacastrum

The production of leaf and root antioxidant changes when exposed to saline conditions were investigated in the perennial halophyte Sesuvium portulacastrum L. Plants were grown with a nonsterilized soil and sterilized soil with 50 and 100% of sterilized seawater on 25, 55 and 85 Days After Planting (DAP). The plants were harvested on 30th, 60th and 90th DAP and used for analyzing the photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant enzyme activities viz., Superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC1.15.1.1) Ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) and non enzymatic antioxidant contents like ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, reduced glutathione were determined. Plants exposed to salinity, either alone (SSW) sterilized seawater/unsterilized soil (USS) along with higher pigments, antioxidative enzymes and Na+ ions response. This tendency was generally more marked in SSW/USS plants when compared to SSW/SS plants. The concentration of SSW/SS was negatively correlated with the antioxidative capacity of the plant, either enzymatic or non enzymatic and K+ ions. These data suggest that the enhancement of the antioxidative response is of crucial significance for S. portulacastrum plants growing under saline conditions.