PHOTOSYNTHETICA

Photosynthetica 2019, 57(4):931-941 | DOI: 10.32615/ps.2019.105

Selenium improves the transport dynamics and energy conservation of the photosynthetic apparatus of in vitro grown Billbergia zebrina (Bromeliaceae)

A.F.C. SOUZA, J.P.R. MARTINS, A.B.P.L. GONTIJO, A.R. FALQUETO

Department of Agrarian and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Litorâneo, 29932-540 São Mateus, ES, Brazil

Selenium (Se) is a nonessential element to plants. However, Se is known to have a beneficial effect when present in low concentrations (Pilon-Smith et al. 2009). Several studies have demonstrated multiple impacts of Se on plant physiology, such as increased biomass production (Chen et al. 2014, Jiang et al. 2015, Feng et al. 2016), delayed senescence (Xue et al. 2001), increased tolerance to oxidative damage (Feng et al. 2013, Diao et al. 2014, Qing et al. 2015, Tang et al. 2015), increased production of carotenoid pigments (Ning et al. 2016), higher tolerance to photooxidative stresses (Seppänen et al. 2003), greater carbohydrate accumulation (Turakainen et al. 2006, Owusu-Sekyere et al. 2013), and alleviation of the effects of biotic and abiotic stresses (Hanson et al. 2003, Yao et al. 2010, Hasanuzzaman and Fujita 2011, Han et al. 2015).

Additional key words: bromeliad; electron transport flux; fluorescence transient; JIP test; performance index; reaction center.

Received: October 6, 2018; Accepted: June 25, 2019; Prepublished online: August 8, 2019; Published: November 1, 2019  Show citation