Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
NaCl-induced changes in leaf anatomy, stomatal characteristics and physiological traits of in vitro tobacco plantlets
*Article not assigned to an issue yet
Wulandari Yasinta Ratna Esti, Santosa Nathanael Nanda, Riastiwi Indira
Research Articles | Published: 11 July, 2026
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Keywords: Osmotic stress, Palisade thickness, Salinity, Stomatal density, Stomatal index
Abstract
Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is a high-value crop but vulnerable to salinity, which inhibits growth and productivity. In Indonesia, information on tobacco salinity tolerance remains limited. This study aimed to analyze the growth and physiological responses of tobacco plantlets to salinity stress under in vitro conditions. Four NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 200 mM) were applied in a Completely Randomized Design with five replications. Evaluations were carried out for 8 weeks using nine morphological and physiological parameters. After 8 weeks, comparison between 0 mM and 200 mM NaCl observed reduction in plant height (9.02 to 5.94 cm), leaf number (20.38 to 9.40), shoot fresh weight (3.18 to 2.11 g), shoot dry weight (0.26 to 0.10 g), root fresh weight (1.12 to 0.79 g), and dry weight (0.17 to 0.05 g). Conversely, leaf thickness increased (155.0 to 182.10 μm), while adaxial stomatal index (15.73% to 8.11%), stomatal density (45.30 cells/mm² to 26.42 cells/mm²), and total chlorophyll content (1.72 mg/g to 1.41 mg/g fresh wt) decreased. Proline content markedly increased (0.16 to 1.85 µmol/g fresh wt) under salinity. The results demonstrated that salinity stress inhibits growth and triggers adaptive physiological changes in tobacco planlets.
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Author Information
School of Bioscience, Technology, and Innovation, Department of Biotechnology, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, BSD City, South Tangerang, Indonesia