Effect of Salt Stress on Physiological and Biochemical Characteristics in Solanum nigrum L.

Solanum nigrum L. is one of the important medicinal plant and contains solasodine, a steroidal glycoalkaloid, which considered as potential alternative to diosgenin for commercial synthesis of various steroidal drugs. In the present study, stem cuttings of uniform size were selected and treated with tap water (1700 ppm salts) and various concentration of NaCl such as 20mM, 40mM, 60mM, 80mM, and 100mM respectively, as experimental plants. Based on the findings it is concluded that Solanum nigrum can be cultivated under salt affected areas which could increase its production of secondary metabolites at the plant level especially at 80mM NaCl treated plants. Our results show that salt tolerance in Solanum nigrum L. depend greatly on the osmotic adjustment (proline, soluble sugars). Proteins were dramatically decreased at 100mM during the period of study as a physiological response to salinity. From the results of this investigation, it is clear that the greater amounts of amino acids, proline, soluble sugar, phenol and alkaloids accumulation is enhanced in the plants treated with 80mM NaCl. Since bore well water in our area being a hard water, where salt concentration ranges from 1700ppm to 8660ppm the plant like Solanum nigrum can with stand 1700ppm salts increase the production of secondary metabolities. It may be considered as stress tolerant, can be cultivated at commercial level to meet the ever increasing demand of medicine, as well as the pharmaceutical industries