Interspecific variability of antioxidant activities and phenolic composition in Mesembryanthemum genus.

In the present study, shoot extracts from edible halophytic Mesembryanthemum species were evaluated for their effects against O(2)(-), DPPH, and ABTS radicals. The reducing power, chelating ability, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and of beta-carotene bleaching were also evaluated. Moreover, the total phenolic, flavonoid, and condensed tannin contents were determined. In vitro biotests showed a significant difference in the antioxidant capacities of the species studied. Mesembryanthemum edule was found to exhibit the higher antioxidant activity, except for the iron-chelating test where M. crystallinum showed the best activity with the lowest EC(50) value (2.13 mg ml(-1)). Accordingly, M. edule exhibited high phenolic levels, especially in total phenols (70mg of gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight), while no significant difference was found between M. crystallinum and M. nodiflorum (1.4 and 1.7 mg GAE g(-1)DW, respectively). Due to its strong antioxidant activities and high levels of phenols, M. edule was further studied for its phenolic constituents. HPLC analysis revealed 12 compounds, mainly flavonoids, with phloretin, quercitrin, and avicularin as the most abundant (1, 0.84 and 0.66 mg g(-1) DW, respectively). These results evidenced the great variability in antioxidant capacities of these halophytes and suggested that M. edule might be an important source of functional phenolic compounds.

Expression and stress-dependent induction of potassium channel transcripts in the common ice plant.

We have characterized transcripts for three potassium channel homologs in the AKT/KAT subfamily (Shaker type) from the common ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum), with a focus on their expression during salt stress (up to 500 mM NaCl). Mkt1 and 2, Arabidopsis AKT homologs, and Kmt1, a KAT homolog, are members of small gene families with two to three isoforms each. Mkt1 is root specific; Mkt2 is found in leaves, flowers, and seed capsules; and Kmt1 is expressed in leaves and seed capsules. Mkt1 is present in all cells of the root, and in leaves a highly conserved isoform is detected present in all cells with highest abundance in the vasculature. MKT1 for which antibodies were made is localized to the plasma membrane. Following salt stress, MKT1 (transcripts and protein) is drastically down-regulated, Mkt2 transcripts do not change significantly, and Kmt1 is strongly and transiently (maximum at 6 h) up-regulated in leaves and stems. The detection and stress-dependent behavior of abundant transcripts representing subfamilies of potassium channels provides information about tissue specificity and the complex regulation of genes encoding potassium uptake systems in a halophytic plant.