Calystegia soldanella: dune versus laboratory plants to highlight key adaptive physiological traits

Coastal plants live in heterogeneous and potentially stressful environments in which multiple stress factors may coexist. Some of these constraints can induce oxidative stress with consequent damage to cell components and structures. To contrast oxidative damage plants have evolved antioxidant systems, including both enzymatic and non-enzymatic molecules. The aim of this study was to highlight main physiological traits evolved by plants to survive in coastal environment through a comparison of nutritional and physiological parameters between dune (DC) and laboratory-grown (LC) plants of Calystegia soldanella (L.), a typical dune plant. In comparison with laboratory plants, dune plants living on a soil with relatively low nutrient content, were characterised by lower total nitrogen, K+ and phosphate content and by lower K+/Na+, PO4 (2-)/Cl- and N/Cl- ratios. Pigment content was significantly higher in LC than in DC plants. Despite their higher hydrogen peroxide content and lipid peroxidation, dune plants had a membrane damage, assessed by the electrolytic conductivity method, not significantly different from that of LC plants. Phenol and ascorbate pools, glutathione reductase and catalase activities were significantly higher in dune than in laboratory plants. Although the stress level was high, coastal plants were well protected against oxidative damage and proline, phenols, ascorbate, glutathione reductase and catalase seemed to play a pivotal role in plant adaptation to the constraints of coastal environment.