Investigation of the effects of salinity stress on the performance of photosynthetic electron transport chain in different species of Salvia probed by JIP test

Salinity stress can affect the growth and composition of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. Salvia is an important medicinal and economic plant in the world. Different species of Salvia are grown in Iran. In the present study, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with ten replications. The effects of different salinity concentrations including 0, 50, 100 and 150 mM sodium chloride on the performance of the photosynthetic electron transport chain in two sensitive and resistant species of salvia were investigated by JIP-test method. The results of this study showed that with increasing salinity concentration, the activity of oxygen evolving complex (Fv / Fo) decreased in both species, but this decrease was more in susceptible species (Salvia officinallis) than resistant species. Salinity also reduced electron transfer to electron acceptors (φPo, ψo and φEo), electron transfer to photosystem I (φRo), active reaction centers (RC/CS), and performance index for transfer of electrons from photosystem II to I (PI total) decreased with increasing salinity concentration. The results of this study also showed that the negative effects of salinity stress on these parameters in the susceptible species (Salvia officinalis) were more than the resistant species (Salvia verticillata).