Sains Malaysiana 48(3)(2019): 533–541

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2019-4803-05

Assessment of Biochemical Changes in Spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) Subjected to Varying Water Regimes

(Penilaian Perubahan Biokimia dalam Bayam (Spinacea oleracea L.) Tertakluk kepada Rejim Air Berbeza)

MUNIFA JABEEN¹, NUDRAT AISHA AKRAM^1*, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF^2,3 & ANIQA AZIZ¹

¹Department of Botany, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan

²Pakistan Science Foundation, Islamabad, Pakistan

³Department of Botany and Microbiology, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia

Received: 4 January 2018/Accepted: 30 December 2018

ABSTRACT

It is known that leafy vegetables including spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) contain relatively high amount of water, therefore, their water requirement during the life cycle is comparatively more than the other vegetables. In addition, there is an association between osmoprotection and antioxidants with reference to drought stress tolerance. Keeping in mind these facts, the present study was conducted to assess the changes in plant growth, osmoprotectants, chlorophyll pigments and activities/levels of antioxidative system in spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) grown under varying water deficit regimes with 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% field capacity (FC). Imposition of varying water regimes significantly decreased shoot and root fresh and dry weights, shoot plus root lengths, and chlorophyll b contents of spinach plants. Increase in proline, glycinebetaine (GB), total phenolics, ascorbic acid and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents as well as the activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase were observed in the spinach plants particularly at 40% FC. The most effective level of water stress for elevating the proline, GB and antioxidant levels/activities was observed at 40% FC followed by 60% FC. Hence, the results of this study suggested that upregulation of antioxidants and osmoprotectants is positively associated with the drought tolerance of spinach which depends on the severity of water stress level. These results can be used to narrow the gap between selection of plant species and requirement of irrigated water for the crops grown on dry land areas.

Keywords: Antioxidants; osmoprotection; reactive oxygen species; spinach; water stress

ABSTRAK

Adalah diketahui bahawa sayur-sayuran berdaun termasuk bayam (Spinacea oleracea L.) mengandungi jumlah air yang agak tinggi, oleh itu, mereka memerlukan lebih air sepanjang kitaran hidup berbanding sayur-sayuran lain. Di samping itu, terdapat hubungan antara osmoperlindungan dan antioksidan berkaitan toleransi tekanan kemarau. Dengan mengambil kira fakta tersebut, kajian ini dijalankan untuk menilai perubahan dalam pertumbuhan tanaman, osmoperlindungan, pigmen klorofil serta aktiviti/tahap sistem antioksidatif pada bayam (Spinacea oleracea L.) yang ditanam di bawah rejim defisit air berbeza dengan 40%, 60%, 80% dan 100% kapasiti lapangan (FC). Pengenaan rejim air yang berbeza dengan ketara mengurangkan berat segar dan kering pucuk dan akar, panjang pucuk dan akar serta kandungan klorofil b pada pokok bayam. Pertambahan kandungan prolin, glisinbetain (GB), jumlah fenolik, asid askorbik dan malondialdehid (MDA) serta aktiviti enzim antioksida termasuk superoksida dismutase, peroksidase dan katalase telah diperhatikan pada tanaman bayam terutamanya pada 40% FC. Tahap tekanan air paling berkesan untuk meningkatkan tahap/aktiviti proline, GB dan antioksidan diperhatikan pada 40% FC diikuti 60% FC. Oleh itu, keputusan kajian ini mencadangkan pengawalaturan atas antioksidan dan osmoperlindungan dikaitkan secara positif dengan toleransi kemarau oleh bayam yang bergantung pada keterukan aras tekanan air. Keputusan ini boleh digunakan untuk mengurangkan jurang antara pemilihan spesies tumbuhan dan keperluan pengairan untuk tanaman yang ditanam di kawasan tanah kering.

Kata kunci: Antioksidan; bayam; osmoperlindungan; spesies oksigen reaktif; tekanan air

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*Corresponding author; email: nudrataauaf@yahoo.com