Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most cultivated forage plant as a model in legumes. The growth and development of alfalfa root limited by salt stress. Growth regulator is an essential role of melatonin in plants, especially in root involved in stress tolerance. In this study, alfalfa root under in vitro culture was treated with salinity (150 and 200 mM NaCl) as well as different concentrations of melatonin (0.1, 10 and 15 µM). Treated plants by using melatonin increased compatible solutes such as glycine betaine, soluble carbohydrate and K+ under salt stress in alfalfa root. In contrast, melatonin decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion (O2−), malondialdehyde (MDA), electrolyte leakage (EL) and Na+ content in root treated with salinity. Interestingly, melatonin increased endogenous melatonin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), fresh and dry weight of the alfalfa root. According to our findings, all of the melatonin concentrations had a positive effect as a growth regulator but looking at the overall data 0.1 µM melatonin was the best candidate for increasing salt tolerance and reducing oxidative stress in alfalfa root.
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Change history
09 May 2023
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-023-01425-3
Abbreviations
- GB:
-
Glycin betaine
- ROS:
-
Reactive oxygen species
- H2O2 :
-
Hydrogen peroxide
- DAB:
-
3,3′-diaminobenzidine
- O2−:
-
Superoxide anion
- NBT:
-
Nitroblue tetrazolium
- MDA:
-
Malondialdehyde
- EL:
-
Electrolyte leakage
- EC:
-
Electrical conductivity
- IAA:
-
Indole-3-acetic acid
- MS:
-
Murashige Skoog
- TBARS:
-
Thiobarbituric acid
- TCA:
-
Trichloroacetic acid
- TBA:
-
Thiobarbituric acid
- DCFDA:
-
2’,7’-dichlorofluorescin diacetate
- DCF:
-
2’,7’-dichlorofluorescein
- HPLC:
-
High-performance liquid chromatography
- PCA:
-
Principal component analysis
- ABA:
-
Abscisic acid
- GA:
-
Gibberellic acids
- CK:
-
Cytokinins
- TDC:
-
Tryptophan decarboxylase
- SNAT:
-
Serotonin N-acetyltransferase
- ASMT:
-
N-acetylserotonin methyltransferase
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Acknowledgements
Author would like to thank the Plant Antioxidant Center of Excellence (OACE), the University of Isfahan for their support. We also acknowledge Prof. Acram Taji for extensive english editing of the manuscript.
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Shabnam Jalili carried out the experimental lab analysis and wrote the first draft of the manuscript, Ali Akbar Ehsanpour edited, organized and submitted the manuscript and Seyed Morteza Javadirad helped us for designing of some parts of the experiments.
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Jalili, S., Ehsanpour, A. & Morteza Javadirad, S. Melatonin improves salt tolerance of in vitro root culture of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Biologia 78, 961–970 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-022-01275-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-022-01275-5