Spectral dependence of flavonol and betacyanin accumulation in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum under enhanced ultraviolet radiation

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. (Aizoaceae) is a drought- and salt-tolerant halophyte that is able to endure harsh environmental conditions. Upon irradiation with high light irradiance (1200-1500 mumol m(-2)s(-1)) it displays a rapid cell-specific accumulation of plant secondary metabolites in the upper leaf epidermis; a phenomenon that is not detectable with salt or drought treatment. The accumulation of these compounds, the betacyanins and acylated flavonol glycosides, increases if the plants are exposed to polychromatic radiation with a progressively decreasing short-wave cut-off in the ultraviolet range. The response is localized in the epidermal bladder cells on the tips of young leaves and epidermal layers of fully expanded leaves. It is demonstrated that the accumulation of flavonols and betacyanins can be described by a weakly sigmoid dose function in combination with an exponential decrease of the response function of the plant with increasing wavelength.