Alleviation of salt-induced adverse impact via mycorrhizal fungi in Ephedra aphylla Forssk

Figures & data

Table 1. Effect of NaCl in the presence and absence of AMF on growth and biomass yield of E. aphylla seedlings.

	Growth and Biomass yield
	Without AM fungi				With AM fungi
	Shoot		Root		Shoot		Root
NaCl concentration	Length (cm)	Dry wt (g)	Length (cm)	Dry wt (g)	Length (cm)	Dry wt (g)	Length (cm)	Dry wt (g)
0 mM	14.35 ± 1.31a^$	0.23 ± 0.03a^$	8.73 ± 0.84a^$	0.21 ± 0.02a^$	17.98 ± 1.48a^£	0.34 ± 0.04a^£	13.01 ± 1.27a^£	0.37 ± 0.05a^£
75 mM	10.66 ± 1.19b^$	0.16 ± 0.01b^$	5.64 ± 0.58b^$	0.14 ± 0.01b^$	13.55 ± 1.29b^£	0.24 ± 0.02b^£	10.33 ± 1.17b^£	0.29 ± 0.03b^£
150 mM	7.15 ± 0.69c^$	0.09 ± 0.009c^$	3.12 ± 0.27c^$	0.03 ± 0.004c^$	10.87 ± 1.20c^£	0.18 ± 0.008c^£	6.04 ± 0.51c^£	0.16 ± 0.01c^£

Note: Data presented are the means ± SE (n = 5). Different letters next to the numbers indicate significant difference (P < 0.05) among the treatments. Symbols $ and £ denote significant change between with and without AMF within the same treatment.

Table 2. Effect of NaCl in the presence and absence of AMF on photosynthetic pigments of E. aphylla seedlings.

	Pigments content (mg g^−1 fr. wt.)
	Without AM fungi					With AM fungi
NaCl concentration	Chl a	Chl b	Chl a/b ratio	Carotenoids	Total pigments	Chl a	Chl b	Chl a/b ratio	Carotenoids	Total pigments
0 mM	0.49 ± 0.05a^$	0.34 ± 0.02a^$	1.44 ± 0.21a^$	0.08 ± 0.009a^$	0.91 ± 0.09a^$	1.01 ± 0.11a^£	0.63 ± 0.07a^£	1.60 ± 0.31a^£	0.21 ± 0.03a^£	1.85 ± 0.35a^£
75 mM	0.23 ± 0.03b^$	0.15 ± 0.01b^$	1.53 ± 0.27b^$	0.05 ± 0.007b^$	0.43 ± 0.04b^$	0.73 ± 0.08b^£	0.35 ± 0.04b^£	2.08 ± 0.42b^£	0.10 ± 0.01b^£	1.18 ± 0.10b^£
150 mM	0.16 ± 0.01c^$	0.07 ± 0.009c^$	2.28 ± 0.42c^$	0.02 ± 0.003c^$	0.25 ± 0.03c^$	0.47 ± 0.05c^£	0.20 ± 0.02c^£	2.35 ± 0.45c^£	0.08 ± 0.009c^£	0.75 ± 0.08c^£

Note: Data presented are the means ± SE (n = 5). Different letters next to the numbers indicate significant difference (P < 0.05) among the treatments. Symbols $ and £ denote significant change between with and without AMF within the same treatment.

Table 3. Effect of NaCl in the presence and absence of AMF on proline content (µmol g⁻¹ fr. wt.); Total phenols (mg g⁻¹ fr. wt.), and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents (μmol g⁻¹ fr.wt.) of E. aphylla seedlings.

	Without AM fungi			With AM fungi
NaCl concentration	Proline content (µmol g^−1 fr. wt.)	Total phenols (mg g^−1 fr. wt.)	MDA content (μmol g^−1 fr.wt.)	Proline content (µmol g^−1 fr. wt.)	Total phenols (mg g^−1 fr. wt.)	MDA content (μmol g^−1 fr. wt.)
0 mM	0.43 ± 0.04a^$	1.02 ± 0.11a^$	21.12 ± 0.71a^$	0.51 ± 0.06a^£	1.72 ± 0.30a^£	18.01 ± 2.66a^£
75 mM	0.81 ± 0.08b^$	1.48 ± 0.24b^$	67.42 ± 3.55b^$	1.12 ± 0.10b^£	2.73 ± 0.59b^£	33.87 ± 2.97b^£
150 mM	0.97 ± 0.10c^$	1.75 ± 0.32c^$	82.13 ± 4.81c^$	1.59 ± 0.27c^£	3.84 ± 0.77c^£	47.81 ± 3.59c^£

Note: Data presented are the means ± SE (n = 5). Different letters next to the numbers indicate significant difference (P < 0.05) among the treatments. Symbols $ and £ denote significant change between with and without AMF within the same treatment.

Figure 1. Effect of NaCl in the presence and absence of AMF on CAT (EU mg⁻¹ protein) (A), APX (EU mg⁻¹ protein) (B), POD (EU mg⁻¹ protein) (C), GR (EU mg⁻¹ protein) (D), and SOD (EU mg⁻¹ protein) (E), in E. aphylla seedlings. Data presented are the means ± SE (n = 5). Different letters indicate significant difference (P < 0.05) among the treatments. Symbols $ and £ denote significant change between with and without AMF within the same treatment.

Table 4. Effect of NaCl in the presence and absence of AMF on ion accumulation of E. aphylla seedlings.

	Elements accumulation(mg g^−1 dry wt)
	Without AMF				With AMF
NaCl concentration	Na^+	K^+	Na/K	P	Na^+	K^+	Na/K	P
0 mM	7.56 ± 0.71a^$	22.14 ± 1.73a^$	0.34 ± 0.02a^$	1.78 ± 0.33a^$	5.22 ± 0.59a^£	37.32 ± 2.21a^£	0.11 ± 0.008a^£	1.98 ± 0.42a^£
75 mM	10.89 ± 1.09b^$	17.36 ± 1.52b^$	0.62 ± 0.07b^$	1.34 ± 0.19b^$	6.56 ± 0.62b^£	32.15 ± 2.03b^£	0.21 ± 0.02b^£	1.51 ± 0.30b^£
150 mM	14.47 ± 1.29c^$	10.03 ± 1.01c^$	1.44 ± 0.28c^$	0.73 ± 0.08c^$	9.33 ± 0.99c^£	25.31 ± 1.89c^£	0.48 ± 0.05c^£	1.15 ± 0.13c^£

Note: Data presented are the means ± SE (n = 5). Different letters next to the numbers indicate significant difference (P < 0.05) among the treatments. Symbols $ and £ denote significant change between with and without AMF within the same treatment.