Exploring functionalized biopolymer prototypes towards mitigation of salt stress in strawberry plants
Date Issued
2026
Author(s)
Soteriou, Andreas
Advisor
Abstract
Soil salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting crop productivity worldwide, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Present study explored the potential of salicylic acid (SA) encapsulated in zein and sodium alginate functionalized with graphene oxide (GO) as innovative priming agents to mitigate salinity stress in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) plants. The experiment was contacted between April and June 2025 where fresh rooted strawberry plants were planted in 1.4L pots in peat-perlite substrate (3:2 ratio) under controlled conditions and fertilized with a mixture of minerals. Different concentrations of salicylic acid (SA), zein, and their encapsulated formulations, as well as graphene oxide (GO) and GO-functionalized sodium alginate (NaA–GO), were evaluated to assess their effectiveness against salinity stress. Three foliar treatment applications were performed at different time-points prior to flowering, followed by salinity stress initiation (100 mM NaCl) 2 days after the last priming application. Physiological and biochemical parameters were evaluated to assess plant performance and oxidative stress responses in response to the different treatments. Physiological measurements and leaf sampling were performed at 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-days post-treatment under salinity stress. Biochemical markers including malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), proline, and nitric oxide (NO) were quantified. Results demonstrated that all treatments effectively mitigate the negative impacts of salinity stress on strawberry plants. At early stages of stress induction, Zein and SA alone significantly reduce MDA content while encapsulated formulations showed consistent reductions in MDA content across all time points, with 50 mg/L Zein–SA exhibiting the strongest effect. Similarly, GO and GO-functionalized sodium alginate treatments significantly decreased MDA levels while hydrogen peroxide content was more variably affected. However, encapsulated formulations and GO treatments at 0.02–0.04 mg/mL markedly reduced H₂O₂ accumulation, suggesting effective ROS detoxification. Proline content was significantly reduced in all SA, Zein and encapsulated treatments reflecting the strong treatment impact on osmotic balance. Functionalized NaA–GO combinations displayed strong performance in decreasing proline content across all time points, confirming their role in enhancing stress tolerance. Nitric oxide levels also decreased significantly, particularly under intermediate concentrations of SA and GO. Encapsulation and nanocarrier systems provide a promising approach for the mitigation of salinity-induced oxidative stress. The observed reductions in biochemical stress markers, suggest that these treatments can effectively limit oxidative damage under abiotic stress conditions. The study highlights the synergistic effect of bioactive compounds with nanocarrier systems in the mitigation of oxidative damage induced under saline environments.
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