Eco-physiological and biochemical characterization of Rhus tripartita (Ucria) Grande growing in Algerian Sahara under arid climate

Abstract

Rhus tripartita (Ucria) Grande, is an Anacardiaceae autochthonous shrub of the Algerian Sahara. Its ecological, pastoral and therapeutics interests prompted us to carry out an eco-physiological and biochemical behavior in relation to aridity. Therefore, relative water content of shrub leaves were found on average 81.55% and the maximum of electrolyte leakage recorded was 14.29. The biochemical determination of proteins and sugars shows that leaves are a true source of protein (33.76 mg/g FM) and sugars (938.93 μg/g FM) while the proline assay gave a value of 824.40 μg/g. The quantitative study of flavonoids in the leaves gave a result of 36.53 mg/g. The analysis of photosynthetic pigments content showed respectively results of 28.1 μg/g, 31.24 μg/g, 56.47 μg/g and 11.23 μg/g for chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoids. The total antioxidant capacity was evaluated and gave result of 95.5 mg GAE/g. Therefore, Rhus tripartita was found to accumulate high proportions of primary and secondary metabolites which showed a good adaptation to its arid environment. In conclusion, the plant can be considered as a xeromorphic plant, that is, a desert-adapted plant that is not limited by the water availability.