Molecular analysis of the emergence of Allium cepa L. Seeds response to saline stress and treatment with essential oil of Cordia verbenacea
Abstract Salt stress is one of the main challenges for plant development and production. To address this issue, new strategies with organic compounds in soils affected by salinity are being investigated. This study investigated how onion (Allium cepa) responds to salt stress induced by NaCl (150 mM)...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94973-4 |
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| author | Carlos Alonso Leite dos Santos Ulisses Solon Honorato Damasceno Luiz Marivando Barros Sírleis Rodrigues Lacerda Jean Paul Kamdem Antonia Eliene Duarte Abid Ali Mohammad Ibrahim Ahmed M. El-Sherbeeny Mostafa R. Abukhadra |
| author_facet | Carlos Alonso Leite dos Santos Ulisses Solon Honorato Damasceno Luiz Marivando Barros Sírleis Rodrigues Lacerda Jean Paul Kamdem Antonia Eliene Duarte Abid Ali Mohammad Ibrahim Ahmed M. El-Sherbeeny Mostafa R. Abukhadra |
| author_sort | Carlos Alonso Leite dos Santos |
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| description | Abstract Salt stress is one of the main challenges for plant development and production. To address this issue, new strategies with organic compounds in soils affected by salinity are being investigated. This study investigated how onion (Allium cepa) responds to salt stress induced by NaCl (150 mM), in conjunction with Cordia verbenacea essential oil. Chemical analyses of the soil and essential oil were performed to identify their main chemical constituents. Seeds of A. cepa were planted and irrigated daily with test solutions. After 21 days, germination rates were evaluated, and leaf length and leaf area were measured. After 42 days, the root length was analyzed. In addition, molecular analysis of the main constituents of the essential oil was conducted using molecular docking with a protein from Allium cepa. The results showed that the concentration of 500 μg/mL of Cordia verbenacea essential oil + 150 mM NaCl significantly increased the length of the leaves, mitigating the adverse effects of salt stress. The treatment also resulted in an increase in the number of roots, suggesting a potential protective effect. The in-silico analysis revealed that ( ±)-α-Pinene, (-)-β-caryophyllene and Alloaromadendrene predominantly formed alkyl interactions, suggesting that such interactions may contribute to the protective effects observed on leaf and root growth. These findings indicate that Cordia verbenacea essential oil may be a promising tool to minimize the impacts of salt stress on plants, promoting the growth and sustainable productivity of A. cepa under saline conditions. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-553263b19fb040d0b2011a80f84c9dd32025-08-20T03:45:49ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111610.1038/s41598-025-94973-4Molecular analysis of the emergence of Allium cepa L. Seeds response to saline stress and treatment with essential oil of Cordia verbenaceaCarlos Alonso Leite dos Santos0Ulisses Solon Honorato Damasceno1Luiz Marivando Barros2Sírleis Rodrigues Lacerda3Jean Paul Kamdem4Antonia Eliene Duarte5Abid Ali6Mohammad Ibrahim7Ahmed M. El-Sherbeeny8Mostafa R. Abukhadra9Department of Biological Sciences, Regional University of CaririColegge of Medicine - EstácioDepartment of Biological Sciences, Regional University of CaririDepartment of Biological Sciences, Regional University of CaririDepartment of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology (BMI) College of Medicine, University of SaskatchewanDepartment of Biological Sciences, Regional University of CaririDepartment of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University MardanDepartment of Chemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM) KPKIndustrial Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Saud UniversityApplied Science Research Center, Applied Science Private UniversityAbstract Salt stress is one of the main challenges for plant development and production. To address this issue, new strategies with organic compounds in soils affected by salinity are being investigated. This study investigated how onion (Allium cepa) responds to salt stress induced by NaCl (150 mM), in conjunction with Cordia verbenacea essential oil. Chemical analyses of the soil and essential oil were performed to identify their main chemical constituents. Seeds of A. cepa were planted and irrigated daily with test solutions. After 21 days, germination rates were evaluated, and leaf length and leaf area were measured. After 42 days, the root length was analyzed. In addition, molecular analysis of the main constituents of the essential oil was conducted using molecular docking with a protein from Allium cepa. The results showed that the concentration of 500 μg/mL of Cordia verbenacea essential oil + 150 mM NaCl significantly increased the length of the leaves, mitigating the adverse effects of salt stress. The treatment also resulted in an increase in the number of roots, suggesting a potential protective effect. The in-silico analysis revealed that ( ±)-α-Pinene, (-)-β-caryophyllene and Alloaromadendrene predominantly formed alkyl interactions, suggesting that such interactions may contribute to the protective effects observed on leaf and root growth. These findings indicate that Cordia verbenacea essential oil may be a promising tool to minimize the impacts of salt stress on plants, promoting the growth and sustainable productivity of A. cepa under saline conditions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94973-4Molecular dockingNaCl; OnionSaline StressLeaf groth |
| spellingShingle | Carlos Alonso Leite dos Santos Ulisses Solon Honorato Damasceno Luiz Marivando Barros Sírleis Rodrigues Lacerda Jean Paul Kamdem Antonia Eliene Duarte Abid Ali Mohammad Ibrahim Ahmed M. El-Sherbeeny Mostafa R. Abukhadra Molecular analysis of the emergence of Allium cepa L. Seeds response to saline stress and treatment with essential oil of Cordia verbenacea Scientific Reports Molecular docking NaCl; Onion Saline Stress Leaf groth |
| title | Molecular analysis of the emergence of Allium cepa L. Seeds response to saline stress and treatment with essential oil of Cordia verbenacea |
| title_full | Molecular analysis of the emergence of Allium cepa L. Seeds response to saline stress and treatment with essential oil of Cordia verbenacea |
| title_fullStr | Molecular analysis of the emergence of Allium cepa L. Seeds response to saline stress and treatment with essential oil of Cordia verbenacea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular analysis of the emergence of Allium cepa L. Seeds response to saline stress and treatment with essential oil of Cordia verbenacea |
| title_short | Molecular analysis of the emergence of Allium cepa L. Seeds response to saline stress and treatment with essential oil of Cordia verbenacea |
| title_sort | molecular analysis of the emergence of allium cepa l seeds response to saline stress and treatment with essential oil of cordia verbenacea |
| topic | Molecular docking NaCl; Onion Saline Stress Leaf groth |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94973-4 |
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