Tripolium pannonicum (Jacq.) Dobrocz. is a member of the diverse group of halophytes with the potential for the desalination and reclamation of degraded land. The adaptive processes of T. pannonicum to salinity habitats are still not well recognized. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of NaCl (0, 200, 400, and 800 mM) on: (1) two plant growth stages, (2) the activity of antioxidant enzymes and concentration of H2O2 and the proline in roots, stems, and leaves, and (3) the effect of long- and short-term salt stress on physiological responses. Germination, pot experiments, and a biochemical analysis were performed. The effective T. pannonicum's seed germination was achieved in the control. We demonstrated that halophyte's organs do not simply tolerate high-salt conditions. The activities of APX, POD, and catalase observed at 400 mM and 800 mM NaCl were varied between organs and revealed the following pattern: root > leaves > stem. Proline was preferentially accumulated in leaves that were more salt-tolerant than other organs. Salt stress enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes and concentrations of salinity stress indicators in a time-dependent manner. Our study has indicated that salt tolerance is a complex mechanism that depends on the growth phase, organs, and duration of salinity exposure. The results have potential for further proteomic and metabolomic analyses of adaptive salt tolerance processes.
Keywords: Tripolium pannonicum; antioxidant enzymes; halophytes; hydrogen peroxide; proline; salinity.