Composition and localization of mucilage under short term NaCl stress in Salicornia brachiata Roxb. and Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort.

Abstract

The present study reports the localization and characterization of mucilage contents in two extreme halophytes, Salicornia brachiata Roxb. and Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort. under short term NaCl stress. Halophytes that have the capacity to accumulate and exclude salt can be effectively utilized in salt affected area and a source of essential natural products. Plants under study were grown in hydroponic culture medium with or without NaCl as mucilage is thought to play a role in salinity tolerance. The study evaluated structural localization of mucilage to reveal their cellular characteristic in the presence or absence of salt and analyzed mucilage using gas chromatography. The major monosaccharides observed in S. brachiata were fucose, arabinose, mannose, galactose and glucose whereas in S. maritima, fucose, mannose, galactose and glucose were the major components. It was observed that S. brachiata and S. maritima showed highest crude mucilage of 14.8±0.98 and 12.5±1.4 %, respectively. The studied halophytes can be used as the potential source of mucilage by using saline soil.