Marwa Rezgui^1,#,*, Wided Ben Ammar¹, Muhammad Nazim^2,3,#, Walid Soufan⁴, Chiraz Chaffei Haouari¹

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.1, pp. 137-155, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.058851 - 24 January 2025

Abstract Nickel (Ni) toxicity significantly impairs plant growth, photosynthesis, and metabolism by inducing oxidative stress. This study evaluates the potential of exogenous Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AKG) in mitigating Ni-induced stress in Peganum harmala L. Seedlings were exposed to 0, 200, 500, and 750 μM NiCl₂, with or without AKG supplementation. Under 750 μM Ni stress, dry weight (DW) decreased by 33.7%, tissue water content (TWC) by 39.9%, and chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll levels were reduced by 17% and 15%, respectively. Ni exposure also significantly increased secondary metabolite production, with leaf anthocyanin content rising by 131%, and superoxide dismutase (SOD)… More >

Semerdjieva IB¹, EP Yankova-Tsvetkova²

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.86, pp. 318-324, 2017, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2017.86.318

Abstract Scanning electron microscope (SEM) study of the pollen and seed morphology of Peganum harmala L. and Zygophyllum fabago L. (Zygophyllaceae), in native Bulgarian populations, was carried out. Additionally, a light microscope (LM) investigation on pollen grains was made in order to elucidate the peculiarities of the major parameters of pollen surface and size. It was established that pollen grains in Z. fabago are pantoporate. Exine ornamentation is reticulate. The pollen grains of P. harmala are oblate, spheroidal, elongated, oval in shape, colporate, exine striato-rugulate. The seeds of P. harmala are oblong-oval and slightly flattened at the side (incorrect tetrahedral to More >