Le colture in vitro come strumento per valutare gli effetti della salinità in Myrtus communis L

Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses that affects crop quality and productivity. Today more than 800 million hectares of land throughout the world are salt affected. Effect of salt stress was examined in in vitro shoot cultures, derived from axillary buds of a Myrtus communis genotype from the CRA - Fruit Trees Research Centre of Rome. Shoots were transferred to an agarised rooting medium (2 mg/L IBA) and after 30 days rooted shoots were transferred to a liquid culture media with 0, 125 or 250 mM NaCl for 15 or 30 days. The following physiological and biochemical parameters were detected on rooted plant: shoot and root length, chlorophyl l a and b, carotenoids and proline content, guaiacol peroxidase activity and lipid peroxidation level by malondialdehyde formation measurement. Shoot and roots length and chlorophyll content significantly decreased depending on the exposure time and salt concentrations. Carotenoids content variations were not detected. A significant increase of guaiacol peroxidase activity was found in relationship to the concentration. Proline content and lipid peroxidation level was not affected by salt treatments. Other studies are in progress to further characterise the response to NaCl in this species.