Interactive Effects of Calcium Chloride on Salinity-Induced Proline Metabolism in Pennisetum typoidies

Pennisetum plants were grown with NaCl and CaCl in order to study the effect of CaCl on NaCl 22 induced oxidative stress in terms of osmolyte concentration, proline (PRO)-metabolizing enzymes. The plants were treated with solutions of 100 mM NaCl, 100 mM NaCl with 5 mM CaCl and 5 mM CaCl alone. Groundwater 22 was used for irrigation of control plants. Plants were uprooted randomly on 40 days after sowing (DAS). NaCl-stressed plants showed increased glycine betaine (GB) and PRO contents, decreased proline oxidase (PROX) activity and increased -glutamyl kinase ( -GK) activity when compared to control. Addition of CaCl2 to NaCl-stressed plants lowered the PRO concentration by increasing the level of PROX and decreasing the -GK activities. Calcium ions increased the GB contents. CaCl appears to confer greater osmoprotection by 2 the additive role with NaCl in GB accumulation.