Comparison of the distribution of mineral nutrients and active substances in dehydration- and salinity-stressed Aloe vera L.

ABSTRACT

Changes in growth and distribution of inorganic mineral elements and organic active substances in seedlings of A. vera were examined under treatments of −0.44 and −0.88 MPa polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) and corresponding isosmotic sodium chloride (NaCl). All stress treatments inhibited plant growth, with NaCl severely inhibiting the growth of the seedlings than PEG. However, leaf biomass did not change significantly. The nitrogen concentration under PEG was maintained higher than that under NaCl. Salinity caused more severe ionic imbalance than dehydration. However, when the concentration of NaCl was increased, ion homeostasis was maintained. Stressors induced an increase in aloin concentration in leaves, especially in young leaves. Polysaccharide concentrations in leaves did not change under dehydration. However, the polysaccharide concentration decreased in the middle and base leaves under NaCl. A. vera exhibited high adaptability to suitable osmotic stress, which increases its main active ingredients in leaves.

KEYWORDS:

• Aloe vera
• polyethylene glycol 6000
• NaCl
• resistance
• nutritive element
• aloin
• polysaccharide

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the members of our laboratory for the assistance in this work.

Funding

This work was financially supported by “Jiangsu independent innovation program of agricultural science and technology (CX(12)1005-04),” “Major scientific research projects of Zhejiang province (2012C12017-3)” and “Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation (LQ13C030002).”