Impact of Some Halophytic Extracts on the Antioxidant System of Salt-Stressed Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

A pots experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of Botany Department, Faculty of Science, TantaUniversity, Gharbiya governorate during the winter season 2015-2016 to study the response of salt-stressed safflower to extracts of two types of naturally growing costal halophytes, Z. album and H. strobilaceum. Safflower seeds were presoaked either in distilled water or 1% halophytic extract for 24 hrs then sown in plastic pots containing 2:1 w/w clay sandy soil according to the Randomized Complete Block Design until reaching the preflowering stage. After the initiation of cotyledonary leaves, seedlings were divided into two main groups: the first was treated with 1% halophytic extracts as presoaking (pre-treatment) or foliar spray application (post-treatment), while the second was specific for control treatments. Each of which was then divided into two subgroups; unstressed and stressed. Results showed that salt stress imposed negative consequences on growth and metabolic properties of safflower, whereas the extracts have helped the plant to adjust and enhance its performance under salt stress through induction of osmoprotectants, redox homeostasis and membrane integrity.