Salinity Stress Influences the Main Biochemical Parameters of Nepeta racemosa Lam

In this work, the effects of salt stress on Nepeta racemosa Lam. were studied to analyze the possibility of using it as a potential culture for salinity-affected soils. A total of nine concentrations of salts-NaCl (18, 39, and 60 mg/100 g soil), Na₂SO₄ (50, 85, and 120 mg/100 g soil), and a mixture (9 g NaCl + 25 g Na₂SO₄, 19 g NaCl + 43 g Na₂SO₄, and 30 g NaCl + 60 g Na₂SO₄/100 g soil)-simulated real salinity conditions. Environmental electron microscopy offered information about the size and distribution of glandular trichomes, which are very important structures that contain bioactive compounds. The chlorophyll pigments, polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity were determined based on spectrophotometric protocols. The results have shown a different impact of salinity depending on the salt type, with an increase in bioactive compound concentrations in some cases. The highest polyphenol concentrations were obtained for Na₂SO₄ variants (47.05 and 46.48 mg GA/g dw for the highest salt concentration in the first and second year, respectively), while the highest flavonoid content was found for the salt mixtures (42.77 and 39.89 mg QE/g dw for the highest concentrations of salt in the first and, respectively, the second year), approximately 100% higher than control. From the Pearson analysis, strong correlations were found between chlorophyll pigments (up to 0.93), antioxidant activity and yield for the first harvest (up to 0.38), and antioxidant activity and flavonoid content for the second harvest (up to 0.95). The results indicate the possibility of growing the studied plants in salt-stress soils, obtaining higher concentrations of bioactive compounds.