Promoting Effect of Soluble Polysaccharides Extracted from Ulva spp. on Zea mays L. Growth

Abstract

Seaweeds can play a vital role in plant growth promotion. Two concentrations (5 and 10 mg/mL) of soluble polysaccharides extracted from the green macroalgae Ulva fasciata and Ulva lactuca were tested on Zea mays L. The carbohydrate and protein contents, and antioxidant activities (phenols, ascorbic, peroxidase, and catalase) were measured, as well as the protein banding patterns. The soluble polysaccharides at 5 mg/mL had the greatest effect on the base of all of the parameters. The highest effects of soluble polysaccharides on the Zea mays were 38.453, 96.76, 4, 835, 1.658, 7.462, and 38615.19, mg/mL for carbohydrates, proteins, phenol, µg ascorbic/mL, mg peroxidase/g dry tissue, and units/g tissue of catalase, respectively. The total number of protein bands (as determined by SDS PAGE) was not changed, but the density of the bands was correlated to the treatments. The highest band density and promoting effect were correlated to 5 mg/mL soluble polysaccharide treatments extracted from Ulva fasciata in Zea mays, which can be used as a biofertilizer.

Keywords: SDS PAGE; Ulva fasciata; Ulva lactuca; Zea mays; antioxidants; polysaccharides; protein.

Figure 1

HPLC chromatograms of Ulva lactuca (a) (rhamnose, xylose, arabinose and glucose) and Ulva fasciata (b) (rhamnose, arabinose and glucose). X-axis: Retention times (min); Y-axis: Observed peak area (nRIU = the intensity of the refraction index signals).

Figure 2

Effect of seed priming with different concentrations of soluble polysaccharides on the percentage of seed germination recorded daily during the germination period of Zea mays. The bars represent the standard error (different letters denote the significant value among the treatments on the same day (p value= 0.0000). U.f., Ulva fasciata; U.l., Ulva lactuca.

Figure 3

(a) Zea mays growing seedlings (U.f 50%: U.f. polysacch.5mg/mL, U.f 100%: U.f. polysacch. 10 mg/mL), (b) Zea mays growing seedlings (U.l 50%: U.l. polysacch. 5 mg/mL, U.l 100%: U.l. polysacch. 10 mg/mL).

Figure 4

Effect of seed priming with different concentrations of soluble polysaccharides on the radical length of the seed germination of Zea mays. The bars represent the standard error. Different letters denote the significant values among the treatments (significant≤ 0.05). U.f., Ulva fasciata; U.l., Ulva lactuca.

Figure 5

Effect of seed priming with different concentrations of soluble polysaccharide on the shoot height of Zea mays, measured at 7- and 14-day intervals during the germination period. The bars represent the standard error (different letters denote the significant values among the treatments on the same day). U.f., Ulva fasciata; U.l., Ulva lactuca.

Figure 6

Effect of seed priming with different concentrations of soluble polysaccharides on the root length of Zea mays seedlings measured at 7- and 14-day intervals during the germination period. The bars represent the standard error (different letters denote the significant values among the treatments on the same day). U.f., Ulva fasciata; U.l., Ulva lactuca.

Figure 7

Effect of seed priming with different concentrations of soluble polysaccharides on the fresh weight of growing seedlings of Zea mays at 7- and 14-day intervals during the germination period. The bars represent the standard error (different letters denote the significant values among the treatments on the same day) U.f., Ulva fasciata; U.l., Ulva lactuca.

Figure 8

Effect of seed priming with different concentrations of soluble polysaccharides on the dry weight of growing seedlings of Zea mays, as determined at 7- and 14-day intervals during the germination period. The bars represent the standard error (different letters denote the significant value among the treatments on the same day). U.f., Ulva fasciata; U.l., Ulva lactuca.

Figure 9

Effect of seed priming with different concentrations of soluble polysaccharides on the photosynthetic pigment contents of growing Zea mays seeds. The bars represent the standard error (different letters denote the significant values among treatments with the same pigments). U.f., Ulva fasciata; U.l., Ulva lactuca.

Figure 10

Effect of seed priming with different concentrations of soluble polysaccharides on the carbohydrate contents of growing Zea mays seeds. The bars represent the standard error (different letters denote the significant values among the treatments with the same parameter). U.f., Ulva fasciata; U.l., Ulva lactuca.

Figure 11

Effect of seed priming with different concentrations of soluble polysaccharides on the protein content of Zea mays growing seeds. The bars represent the standard error (the different letters denote the significant values among the treatments). U.f., Ulva fasciata; U.l., Ulva lactuca.

Figure 12

Photographs and zymograms of the protein patterns of Zea mays. M: Marker, 1: Control, 2: U. fasciata 5 mg/mL, 3: U. fasciata 10 mg/mL, 4: U. lactuca 5 mg/mL, 5: U. lactuca 10 mg/mL.