Aleksa Knežević

Morpho-anatomical differentiation of Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort. 1827. (Chenopodiaceae) populations from inland and maritime saline area

Morphological analysis of four populations of Suaeda maritima was undertaken in order to examine the variation between populations from inland and maritime saline area, as well as between the two subspecies. Variability and significance of morpho-anatomical differentiation were examined using principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant component analysis (DCA) and cluster analysis. Plants of each population exhibited halomorphic and xeromorphic characteristics. The results of PCA and DCA showed that S. maritima subsp. prostrata and S. maritima subsp. maritima could be clearly separated based on their quantitative anatomical characteristics. Based on our analysis, climate and the amount of salt and ions in the soil, are important factors that enhance the adaptive potential of S. maritima.

ANTIOXIDANT SYSTEMS IN SOME RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANT SPECIES FROM THE PANNONIAN SALINE MEADOWS AND GRASSLANDS

In order to establish the level of oxidative stress, antioxidant status was evaluated in several rare and endangered plant species from southern parts of the Pannonian plain, in Vojvodina province. The quantities of reactive oxygen species and malonyldialdehyde, activities of several antioxidant enzymes and content of reduced glutathione were determined. Also, the DPPH-radical scavenging activity of plant extracts was measured. Several different systems were found to be involved in plant defence against oxidative stress. It seems that antioxidant status could serve as a suitable biochemical criterion for evaluation of the level of stress in plants.