Journal of Plant Growth Regulation

, Volume 31, Issue 4, pp 537–548 | Cite as

Salt Stress-induced Responses in Growth and Metabolism in Callus Cultures and Differentiating In Vitro Shoots of Indian Ginseng (Withania somnifera Dunal)

  • Farzana Sabir
  • Rajender S. Sangwan
  • Ritesh Kumar
  • Neelam S. Sangwan
Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

In vitro-grown shoots and calli of Withania somnifera, an important medicinal plant, were exposed to various types of salts under in vitro culture conditions. Membrane permeability, lipid peroxidation, and the antioxidant system increased in shoots as well as in unorganized callus tissues under all the three concentrations of KCl, NaCl, KNO3, NaNO3, and CaCl2. The growth responses of shoots and callus cultures under various salt treatments revealed that the tissue could grow better under NaCl and KNO3 compared to other salts and the in vitro shoots appeared healthy at 50 mM concentration of NaCl and KNO3. The activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, lipoxygenase, polyphenol oxidase, and glutathione reductase increased under salt treatments, especially at higher concentrations. The greatest activity increase was recorded for peroxidases, whereas CAT was the least responsive. Only two isoforms, Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) and Fe-SOD, could be visualized in callus tissue while Cu/Zn-SOD was absent. Diaphorase 4 was totally missing in callus tissue and was detected only in shoots. Phenolics accumulated at all the concentrations of the salts tested as an induced protective response. The higher concentration of CaCl2 produced maximum increases in antioxidants and enzymatic activities compared to other salts. Thus, for W. somnifera the presence of excess calcium in the growing medium is most deleterious compared to other salts. Results also suggest that the nonenzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant systems of both the tissues played a primary role in combating the imposed salt stress.

Keywords

Antioxidant enzymes Ashwagandha Calcium chloride Indian ginseng In vitro callus and shoot cultures Sodium chloride and sodium nitrate Potassium nitrate 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The financial grant from the NIMITLI Program of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India, New Delhi, is gratefully acknowledged. FS and RK are thankful to CSIR, New Delhi and UGC, New Delhi for the senior research fellowship.

Supplementary material

344_2012_9264_MOESM1_ESM.doc (58 kb)
Supplementary material 1 (DOC 58 kb)

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Farzana Sabir
    • 1
  • Rajender S. Sangwan
    • 1
  • Ritesh Kumar
    • 1
  • Neelam S. Sangwan
    • 1
  1. 1.Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP-CSIR)LucknowIndia

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