Changes in the content of proteins and lipids and in the state of the antioxidant system in mutant forms of <i>Amaranthus cruentus</i> L.

Background. One of the important indicators of the nutritional value of amaranth is the high content of protein and lipids in seeds. Hence, obtaining and identifying such forms of amaranth through breeding, so that they also possessed resistance to abiotic stressors, is an important task.Materials and methods. Leaves and seeds of Amaranthus cruentus L. and mutants of the second inbred generation obtained by treatment with sodium azide were analyzed. The Bradford assay was used to measure the content of total soluble protein, lipid analysis was performed by thin-layer chromatography, the state of the antioxidant system was assessed according to catalase and peroxidase activities and the rate of superoxide anion formation. Mathematical data were processed using the Statistica 10.0 software.Results. The highest concentration of total protein in seeds was 13.78 mg/g in one of the mutants obtained after treatment with 3 mM sodium azide. Fifteen fatty acids were found in amaranth seeds, and in four mutants a significant increase in the percentage of omega-6 unsaturated linoleic acid was recorded. An increase in salt tolerance compared to the control was observed in mutants No. 2 and No. 3. Mutant No. 2 under salinization demonstrated higher peroxidase activity and mutant No. 3 higher catalase activity; both mutants showed a reduced rate of superoxide anion formation compared to the control.Conclusion. Amaranth mutants identified for higher stress resistance, protein content and linoleic acid content can be recommended for further breeding to produce new cultivars of amaranth with economically valuable traits

INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS (EDAPHIC, CLIMATIC, BIOTIC FACTORS) ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SALICORNIA PERENNANS

The influence of growth conditions (soil, climatic, biotic factors) on physiological and biochemical characteristics of plants of Salicornia perennans, native to Middle Volga and the Lower Volga basin. Plants were succulent appearance. It was found that the increase in water content of plant leaves (17 %), due to the gradual strengthening of climate aridity and strong enough impact on the processes of synthesis and disintegration of biopolymers, such as proteins and lipids. It demonstrated the potential use of species of the genus Salicornia (on example of S. perennans) as oilseed and/or energy saturated culture

THE ROLE OF THE STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC APPARATUS IN THE STABILITY OF HALOPHITES

The specific features of the structural and functional organisation of the photosynthetic apparatus (PA) were studied in wild halophytes representing three strategies of salt tolerance: euhalophytes, crynohalophytes and glycohalophytes. The greatest activity of PA was noted in plants of S. perennans. The leaves of crino- and glycogalophytes were characterized by a significantly larger number of cells and a smaller volume. The size of the chloroplast and the content of photosynthetic pigments positively correlated with the content of membranes glycerolipids. In fatty acids (FA), the relative content of unsaturated FA was more than 60 %. The tendency of a decrease in the relative content of linolenic acid (C 18: 3), together with a decrease in the halophilicity of plants, has been revealed.Работа выполнена при поддержке гранта РФФИ № 12-04-01110-а

MEMBRANE LIPIDS COMPOSITION ОF CALCIPHILY PLANTS ОF MIDDLE VOLGA

The membrane lipids composition of Adonis volgensis Steven ex DC., Gypsophila juzepczukii, Scabiosa isetensis L., Thymus dubjanskyi Klokov et Shost. growing in the Samara and Ulyanovsk regions was investigated. The results of lipid analysis showed that the greatest amount of glycolipids was observed in G. juzepczukii, phospholipids and sterols in of A. volgensis. The low values of lipid peroxidation (LPO) characterized plants G. juzepczukii. In the examined species, a negative correlation was revealed (r = -0,90 at p 0,05) between the quantitative change of LPO and the content of water-soluble proteins. The obtained data show specific specificity in the composition of membrane-forming lipids, the intensity of LPO processes and the accumulation of water-soluble proteins