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Biochemical Mechanism Unlocking Their Potential Role in Salt Tolerance Mechanism of Zizyphus Germplasm

by Riaz Ahmad^1,*, Hafiza Muniba Din Muhammad², Safina Naz², Meryam Manzoor², Muhammad Ahsan Altaf³

1 Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan, 29050, Pakistan
2 Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60060, Pakistan
3 College of Horticulture, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China

* Corresponding Authors: Riaz Ahmad. Email: ,

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Physiological and Molecular Interventions in Improving Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2023, 92(5), 1539-1553. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2023.026672

Received 20 September 2022; Accepted 01 December 2022; Issue published 09 March 2023

Abstract

Salinity is one of the major constraints reducing plant growth and yield. Irrigation with poor quality and brackish water to orchards is a major cause of stunted growth and low yield. The salt tolerance mechanism is one of the complicated genomic characters that is very problematic to develop in fruit trees and becomes much more severe at any growth and developmental stage. Osmotic stress and hormonal imbalances are major constraints causing low biomass production. Fruit tree tolerance/sensitivity is chiefly based on the activation of a defense system comprised of super-oxidase dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalases (CAT), non-enzymatic compounds including ascorbic acid, phenolics, flavonoids, stress indicators [i.e., hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and osmolytes containing proline, glycine-betaine (GB), ascorbates (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione reductase (GR)]. Tolerant genotypes must have higher antioxidant assays to cope with the adverse effects of salinity stress because their defense system had the potential to scavenge toxic ROS and protect from membrane leakage. Some work is conducted on agronomic and horticultural crops; however, underutilized fruit crops are still neglected and need serious consideration from plant researchers. Minor fruit crops especially Zizyphus had excellent nutritional aspects. The current study provides detailed insights into the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of Zizyphus species to cope with the adverse effects of salinity by improving their plant defense system. The development of salt-tolerant germplasm is a requisite and can be developed by utilization of physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms. Application of different molecular approaches (i.e., genome mapping, genome editing, genetic transformation, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolites) are effective for higher yield by improving tolerance mechanisms.

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