Osmotic regulation and evaluation of oxidative stress in Hemiboea subcapitata across three habitats of the Dehang karst valley canyon
摘要
Hemiboea subcapitata is a dominant species in the Dehong Valley of Hunan Province, China. Three typical habitats in the valley include canyon karst walls (CKW), weathering cataclasite rock (WCR), and riparian organic horizons (ROH), but the differences in its metabolism across these habitats remain unclear. Fully expanded mature leaves were collected from five plants in each habitat, and various parameters were measured, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, osmotic substances, and activities of antioxidative enzymes. The results showed significantly higher levels of superoxide anion (·O2−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), relative electrical conductivity (REC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and proline (Pro) in the CKW habitat compared to the other two habitats (P < 0.05). Soluble sugars (SS) did not show significant differences between WCR and CKW (P > 0.05), and all indicators in ROH were the lowest. The main environmental difference among the habitats was the availability of water, with drought stress being the primary factor influencing Hemiboea subcapitata growth. In the CKW habitat, where drought stress was most severe, ROS accumulation, osmotic adjustment, and activities of antioxidative enzymes were markedly enhanced compared with the other habitats.