BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES OF DIFFERENT PLANTS SPECIES IN RESPONSE TO HEAT AND COLD STRESS
The present study was conducted to determine the accumulation of proline and sugar in seven different plant species i.e. Euphorbia resinifera, Echinocactus grusonii, Aloe vera, Crassula lacteal, Bryophyllum pinnatum, Yuca aloifolia and Sansevieria trifasciata. Keeping in view the importance of environmental abiotic factors (heat, cold, salinity, dehydration, excessive osmotic pressure etc) on growth and performance of the plant, these species were subjected to heat and cold stress for 72 hours. The temperature was raised to 40oC and maintained at 8oC for heat and cold stress respectively. Water content decreased in all 7 species under heat and cold stress. Prominent increase in proline was recorded in Yuca aloifolia (10.17852mmolg 1) Aloe vera (4.70448 mmolg 1) followed by Echinocactus grusonii (1.51008mmolg 1) when subjected to heat stress. Under cold stress low proline was observed in all plants except Bryophyllum pinnatum (0.29766 mmolg 1) Prominent increase in sugar content under cold stress was recorded in Euphorbia resinifera (84.71645 mmolg 1) followed by Yuca aloifolia (48.51765 mmolg 1) under heat stress. Maximum decrease in sugar content was found in Crassula lacteal (4.61145 mmolg 1) when subjected to heat stress. Maximum increase in proline and sugar content was noted when subjected to heat and cold stress, respectively.