Mcarmen Martínez-Ballesta

• Postdoc
• Spanish National Research Council

The use of bio-nanotechnology in agriculture—such as the biological applications of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs)—greatly improves crop yield and quality under different abiotic stress factors including soil metal contamination. Here, we explore the effectiveness of zinc oxide (ZnO)-NPs (0, 50 mg/L) foliar spraying to ameliorate the detrimental e...

In this study, the effect of salinity (150 mM NaCl) compared to a control (9 mM NaCl) on growth, quality and shelf-life of fresh-cut sea fennel was evaluated. For that, sea fennel plants were cultivated in a hydroponic floating system and the sea fennel leaves were stored for 12 days at 5 °C. At harvest, leaves from plants grown in salinity had a l...

The present work aims to explore the potential to improve quality of purslane microgreens by combining water salinity and LED lighting during their cultivation. Purslane plants were grown in a growth chamber with light insulated compartments, under different lighting sources on a 16 h d⁻¹ photoperiod—fluorescent lamps (FL) and two LED treatments, i...

High levels of soil salinity can cause substantial decline in growth and subsequently productivity of crops worldwide, thus representing a major threat to global agriculture. In recent years, engineered nanoparticles (NPs) have been deemed as a promising alternative in combating abiotic stress factors, such as salinity. In this context, the present...

Salt stress is one of the main limiting factors for plant growth and crop yield. Halophytes have been postulated as a new food source since they are able to grow under saline environments and have suitable minerals and bioactive compounds. See fennel Crithmum maritimum L. is a facultative halophyte moderately tolerant to salinity. This study was ca...

Halophyte plants are adapted to saline environments and represent a novel type of crops given their possible uses at both culinary and industrial levels. In this work, the nutritional quality of different Mediterranean halophyte species, Atriplex halimus, Salicornia fruticosa, and Cakile maritima, was evaluated under conditions of high salinity. Fo...

Detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) microdomains, or “raft lipids”, are key components of the plasma membrane (PM), being involved in membrane trafficking, signal transduction, cell wall metabolism or endocytosis. Proteins imbibed in these domains play important roles in these cellular functions, but there are few studies concerning DRMs under abi...

Zinc (Zn) is considered an essential element with beneficial effects on plant cells; however, as a heavy metal, it may induce adverse effects on plants if its concentration exceeds a threshold. In this work, the effects of short-term and prolonged application of low (25 µM) and high (500 µM) Zn concentrations on pak choi (Brassica rapa L.) plants w...

During the last few years, membrane vesicles (as exovesicles) have emerged as potential nanocarriers for therapeutic applications. They are receiving attention due to their proteo-lipid nature, size, biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this work, we investigated the potential use of isolated root plasma membrane vesicles from broccoli plants...

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are tubular carbon structures that are able to enter cells through holes in the plasma membrane and produce changes in gene expression. In this work, we compared the functionality of carbon nanotubes with the electroporation that perforates membranes, in Brassica oleracea var. Italica (broccoli) root protoplast...

In animals and plants, membrane vesicles containing proteins have been defined as key for biological systems involving different processes such as trafficking or intercellular communication. Docking and fusion of vesicles to the plasma membrane occur in living cells in response to different stimuli, such as environmental changes or hormones, and th...

The halophyte Salicornia fruticosa is able to tolerate a wide range of salinity. Since the cellular distribution of ions and solutes within leaves can be linked to the mechanisms to cope with salt stress, the aim of this work was to stablish the relation between the solute gradient along S. fruticosa leaves, distinguishing two parts: leaf base and...

Soil salinity is one of the main factors affecting plant growth. Dissection of plant response to salinity into physiological traits may result a simple approximation than the overall response that may influence many aspects of the plant. In the present study two factors were considered to evaluate the correlation of different physiological variable...

Nanotechnology is a field of research that has been stressed as a very valuable approach for the prevention and treatment of different human health disorders. This has been stressed as a delivery system for the therapeutic fight against an array of pathophysiological situations. Actually, industry has applied this technology in the search for new o...

The use of in vitro membrane vesicles is attractive because of possible applications in therapies. Here we aimed to compare the stability and functionality of plasma membrane vesicles extracted from control and salt-treated broccoli. The impact of the amount of aquaporins was related to plasma membrane osmotic water permeability and the stability o...

Changes in the physiological and biochemical metabolism in broccoli sprouts treated with an elicitor (MeJA) and seed priming (KCl) under saline conditions were investigated in this study. Sprout germination, length, water relations, and root hydraulic conductivity, as well as glucosinolates and phenolic compounds, were determined in 10-d-old sprout...

Brassica foods are among the top 10 economic crops in the world (i.e. broccoli, kale, cauliflower and Chinese cabbage). These vegetables have been identified as important components of a healthy diet because of their high levels of nutrients and health-promoting phytochemicals (i.e. phenolics, glucosinolates, vitamins and minerals). Epidemiological...

Background: Brassica spp. sprouts are rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, especially glucosinolates and phenolic acid derivatives, and the composition of these young germinating seeds can be altered by several external factors. In this study two cabbage varieties (Brassica oleracea var.capitata, red and white) were studied using seed primin...

In recent years, a number of studies have been focused on the structural evaluation of protein complexes in order to get mechanistic insights into how proteins communicate at the molecular level within the cell. Specific sites of protein-aquaporin interaction have been evaluated and new forms of regulation of aquaporins described, based on these as...

Elevated [CO2] and salinity in the soils are considered part of the effects of future environmental conditions in arid and semi-arid areas. While it is known that soil salinization decreases plant growth, an increased atmospheric [CO2] may ameliorate the negative effects of salt stress. However, there is a lack of information about the form in whic...

Background Carbon nanotubes have been shown to improve the germination and growth of some plant species, extending the applicability of the emerging nano-biotechnology field to crop science. Results In this work, exploitation of commercial multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in control and 100 mM NaCl-treated broccoli was performed. Transmission...

Their biodegradable nature and ability to target cells make biological vesicles potential nanocarriers for bioactives delivery. In this work, the interaction between proteoliposomes enriched in aquaporins derived from broccoli plants and the glucosinolates was evaluated. The vesicles were stored at different temperatures and their integrity was stu...

Glucosinolates and their degradation products, isothiocyanates, have been widely identified by their benefits to human nutrition. Plant myrosinase, is an enzyme found in Brassicaceae family with an essential role on the glucosinolates conversion to isothiocyanates. In this review, we highlight recent progress in myrosinase, with particular emphasis...

Members of the Brassicaceae are known for their contents of nutrients and health-promoting phytochemicals, including glucosinolates. Exposure to salinity increases the levels of several of these compounds, but their role in abiotic stress response is unclear. The effect of aliphatic glucosinolates on plant water balance and growth under salt stress...

Increasing soil salinity of irrigated agricultural areas represents a major environmental stress factor that impairs the production of many salt-sensitive crop plants. Different lettuce cultivars were stu-died for identification of more tolerant ones, based on physiological properties. Five selected lettuce cultivars were grown hydroponically, salt...

Background The complex interactions between CO2 increase and salinity were investigated in relation to decreased N supply, in order to determine the nutritional quality of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var Italica) plants under these conditions. Three different decreased-N fertilisation regimes (NO3−/NH4+ ratios of 100:0, 50:50 and 0:100, respecti...

Broccoli is a rich source of minerals which play an important role in health. From farm to food there are many processes that affect the mineral nutritional quality. As the quality of the seeds is the basis for the successful production, the protection of seeds by coating is studied to improve the seed quality and maintenance during storage. Also,...

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Climatic change predicts elevated salinity in soils as well as increased carbon dioxide dioxide [CO2] in the atmosphere. The present study aims to determine the effect of combined salinity and elevated [CO2] on sulfur (S) metabolism and S-derived phytochemicals in green and purple broccoli (cv. Naxos and cv. Viola, respectively). Elevated [CO2] inv...

The present invention is referred to a method of production of plant powder for use in food and plant protection, preferentially obtained from plant crops of the Brassicaceae family (Crucifers). Also, the present invention is referred to a plant powder obtained by the procedure of the invention and the use of the plant-derived powder in food and pl...

In the global change scenario, increased CO2 may favour water use efficiency (WUE) by plants. By contrast, in arid and semiarid areas, salinity may reduce water uptake from soils. However, an elevated WUE does not ensure a reduced water uptake and upon salinity this fact may constitute an advantage for plant tolerance. In this work, we aimed to det...

The role of jasmonic acid in the induction of stomatal closure is well known. However, its role in regulating root hydraulic conductivity (L) has not yet been explored. The objectives of the present research were to evaluate how JA regulates L and how calcium and abscisic acid (ABA) could be involved in such regulation. We found that exogenous meth...

Aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane proteins that serve as selective pores through which water and small solutes cross the plasma membranes of many human tissue and cell types. They have been identified in epithelia and endothelia involved in fluid transport, such as kidney tubules and glandular epithelia, glial cells, epidermis, and adipocytes...

Broccoli is considered one of the healthiest vegetables due to its high content of beneficial biologically active compounds, i.e. the breakdown products of glucosinolates (GLSs), the isothiocyanates (ITCs). The aim of this work was to characterize the production of ITCs (sulforaphane and iberin and related metabolites) from different sources of GLS...

Members of the Brassicaceae are known for their contents of nutrients and health-promoting phytochemicals, including glucosinolates. The concentrations of these chemopreventive compounds (glucosinolate-degradation products, the bioactive isothiocyanates) may be modified under salinity. In this work, the effect of the aliphatic glucosinolate sinigri...

In arid regions, the water from aquifers usually contains high NaCl levels, and alternative water sources, such as desalination plants, produce boron accumulation and have an adverse effect on crops. We studied the water transport and membrane integrity of two broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) cultivars (Naxos and Viola) in the response to two boric...

Glucosinolates, a class of secondary metabolites, mainly found in Brassicaceae, are affected by the changing environment. This review is focusing on the physiological significance of glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products in the plant response to different abiotic stresses. Special attention is paid to the crosstalk between some of the physio...

The aim of this study was to compare differences in water relations in the leaves of three broccoli cultivars and differential induction of the expression of PIP2 aquaporin isoforms under salt stress. Although broccoli is known to be moderately tolerant to salinity, scarce information exists about the involvement of leaf aquaporins in its adaptatio...

Consumption of broccoli with a rich bioactive composition and nutritive value is increasing steadily worldwide. Nowadays, new commercial cultivars, 'Parthenon' and 'Naxos', are being introduced in production areas (SE Spain) to replace underperformers and low-yield cultivars (i.e., 'Marathon', 'Nubia', 'Monaco', etc.) with a better adaptation to th...

Broccoli, (Brassica oleracea var. Italica), is generally recognized as a nutritive food rich in natural antioxidants, including vitamins and phenolics compounds. Phytochemical composition of 3 different purple sprouting broccoli varieties according with their production cycle: EEP (Extra Early), EP (Early), and LP (Late) were determined. The 3 cult...

The comparative responses of two broccoli cultivars (Brassica oleracea var. Italica, cv. Parthenon and cv. Naxos) to a 15 d exposure to different NaCl levels were investigated. Salinity led to increased concentrations of Na(+) and Cl(-) ions in both cultivars, a disruption of the endogenous minerals levels in the shoots and roots-that varied with t...

Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C.H. Stirton (Fabaceae) is a biennial–perennial species, which grows throughout the Mediterranean basin and Macaronesia. It is cultivated to provide livestock fodder and shows promise as a source of furanocoumarins. This is the first report on its physiological and growth responses to water deprivation. We assessed these...

The movement of water through mycorrhizal fungal tissues and between the fungus and roots is little understood. It has been demonstrated that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis regulates root hydraulic properties, including root hydraulic conductivity. However, it is not clear whether this effect is due to a regulation of root aquaporins (cell-t...

Consumption of broccoli is increasing steadily worldwide because of the interest in its bioactive composition and nutritive value for health promotion. Novel broccoli cultivars to be established under current adverse conditions in production areas (aggressive environmental conditions and saline irrigation waters) need to maintain physical and nutri...

The variety of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) called ‘Poncho Negro’ by farmers represents an important source of genetic resources of agricultural interest, because it has managed to thrive at levels of salinity and excess B that other varieties of the same species find impossible. This work was conducted under controlled growth conditions in a gree...

As elevated levels of boron (B) are accompanied by conditions of excessive salinity with drastic consequences for crops, it is crucial to find a crop that is tolerant to these conditions. In this work, the interaction between salinity and excess B with respect to aquaporin-mediated changes by blockade of mercury and water relations were studied as...

Plant aquaporins belong to a large superfamily of conserved proteins called the major intrinsic proteins (MIPs). There is limited information about the diversity of MIPs and their water transport capacity in broccoli (Brassica oleracea) plants. In this study, the cDNAs of isoforms of Plasma Membrane Intrinsic Proteins (PIPs), a class of aquaporins,...

Due to the high market demand for off-season vegetables and the limited availability of arable land, vegetable seedlings are cultivated under changing environmental conditions which may induce stress. These conditions include cold, wet or dry environments, low or high radiation, etc. In addition, marginal water quality successive cropping can incre...

It has been recognized widely that sequestration of atmospheric CO2 by terrestrial ecosystems can contribute significantly to the stabilization of atmospheric CO2. The carbon sequestration potential of crop lands should be considered as a modest but non-negligible contribution to climate change mitigation. Salinity is one of the most important envi...

Lygeum spartum L. has been recently introduced in areas where salinity is high in soils. However, there are no studies about the physiological response of these plants to salt excess. The effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) on plant growth and water status was studied. Also, the effect of calcium (Ca) addition to salinity conditions was analyzed becau...

Plasma membrane Intrinsic Proteins (PIPs), a subfamily of aquaporins, are ubiquitous membrane channel proteins that play a crucial role in water uptake in plants. The use of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analysis of peptides has previously shown to be a valuable tool to differentiate among P...

Unlabelled: The regular dietary intake of broccoli on a weekly basis has been related to better health, but industrial use of broccoli by-products (crop remains) is negligible. Adding value to broccoli by-products in a country such as Spain, one of the main broccoli producers for the EU, is of scientific and economic interest. The present article...

Interest in nutrient absorption and accumulation is derived from the need to increase crop productivity by better nutrition and also to improve the nutritional quality of plants as foods and feeds. This review focuses on contrasting data on the importance for human health of food mineral nutrients (Ca, Mg, K, Na and P) and also the trace elements c...

The effect of high root temperature on the water-uptake capability of broccoli plants (Brassica oleracea cv. Parthenon), the status of the plasma membrane and the role of aquaporins in water transport through the plant plasma membrane were investigated. For this, different temperatures (25, 35, 40 and 45 °C) were assayed. A decrease of the PIP1 and...

In the context of global change, attention has been focused on the increases in CO2 and temperature, as well as a reduction in the global solar irradiance. In this chapter we have explored how components of global change such as CO2, temperature and radiation will affect water uptake by plants. We focus on how aquaporins will respond to these envir...

The lack of consensus about the mutual relations between salinity and boron (B) toxicity with respect to the physiological response of plants necessitates investigation of the interactions of soluble B with salinity. In this investigation, the effect of B was compared with Ca in order to elucidate whether the two nutrients have similar effects and/...

The tos1 (tomato osmotically sensitive) mutant, isolated from an in vitro screen of root growth during osmotic stress, was less sensitive to exogenous ABA, but accumulated more ABA under osmotic stress than WT plants. We assessed growth and water relations characteristics of hydroponically grown tos1 seedlings (in the absence of osmotic stress) at...

Salinity stress is known to modify the plasma membrane lipid and protein composition of plant cells. In this work, we determined the effects of salt stress on the lipid composition of broccoli root plasma membrane vesicles and investigated how these changes could affect water transport via aquaporins. Brassica oleracea L. var. Italica plants treate...

To evaluate the variations in the nutritional components of a broccoli cultivar under saline stress, two different NaCl concentrations (40 and 80 mM) were assayed. Glucosinolates, phenolic compounds, and ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids (vitamin C) were analyzed by HPLC, and mineral composition was determined by ICP spectrophotometry. Qualitative...

Boron toxicity is an important disorder that can limit plant growth on soils of arid and semi arid environments throughout the world. Although there are several reports about the combined effect of salinity and boron toxicity on plant growth and yield, there is no consensus about the experimental results. A general antagonistic relationship between...

Two different effects of calcium were studied, respectively, in plasma membrane vesicles and in protoplasts isolated from roots of control pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L cv. California) or of plants treated with 50 mM NaCl, 10 mM CaCl(2) or 10 mM CaCl(2) + 50 mM NaCl. Under saline conditions, osmotic water permeability (P ( f )) values decreased...

BACKGROUND: Variations in the contents of phytochemicals with biological activity in broccoli could originate as a result of genetic and environmental factors. An understanding of the effects of growth conditions on the bioactive compounds in broccoli is essential for improving its quality and nutritive value. Using salinity (40 mmol L ⁻¹ NaCl), an...

Under saline conditions, an optimal cell water balance, possibly mediated by aquaporins, is important to maintain the whole-plant water status. Furthermore, excessive accumulation of boric acid in the soil solution can be observed in saline soils. In this work, the interaction between salinity and excess boron with respect to the root hydraulic con...

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. Itálica) plants are known to be moderately tolerant to salinity, although scarce information exists about the mechanisms of their tolerance. Therefore, in this work, we have explored more thoroughly the response of these plants to salinity, focusing the studies on the leaf cellular water transport mediated by aqu...

Phytochemicals in vegetables are known to be responsible for protective effects against many human diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and different types of cancer. Environmental conditions and physiological factors may modify the amounts of these compounds present in vegetables and fruits, but also crop management strategies could increas...

The mechanisms of salt stress and tolerance have been targets for genetic engineering, focusing on ion transport and compartmentation, synthesis of compatible solutes (osmolytes and osmoprotectants) and oxidative protection. In this review, we consider the integrated response to salinity with respect to water uptake, involving aquaporin functionali...

This study, of how Ca2+ availability (intracellular, extracellular or linked to the membrane) influences the functionality of aquaporins of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants grown under salinity stress, was carried out in plants treated with NaCl (50 mM), CaCl2 (10 mM), and CaCl2 (10 mM) + NaCl (50 mM). For this, water transport through the plasma...

The goals of flow cytometry (FCM) are the determination and characterization of phytoplankton abundance, composition, and physiological features. In freshwater ecosystems used for drinking-water supply, FCM offers the capability of assessing the risk of toxic algae. This chapter reviews the state of the art of FCM in freshwater analysis to determin...

In this study we have compared the short-term effects of both NaCl and HgCl2 on aquaporins of Capsicum annuum L. plants, in order to determine whether or not they are similar. Stomatal conductance, turgor, root hydraulic conductance and water status were measured after 0.5, 2, 4 and 6 h of NaCl (60 mmol/L) or HgCl2 (50 micromol/L) treatment. When 6...

Measurements of the root hydraulic conductance (L0) of roots of Arabidopsis thaliana were carried out and the results were compared with the expression of aquaporins present in the plasma membrane of A. thaliana. L0 of plants treated with different NaCl concentrations was progressively reduced as NaCl concentration was increased compared to control...

As water and nutrient uptake should be related in the response of plants to salinity, the aim of this paper is to establish whether or not aquaporin functionality is related to H+-ATPase activity in root cells of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants. Thus, H+-ATPase activity was measured in plasma membrane vesicles isolated from roots and aquaporin f...

Measurements of the hydraulic conductance (L0) of roots of melon plants (Cucumis melo L.) derived from roots grown under saline conditions were performed to determine the effect of NaCl and which ion, Na ⁺ or Cl – , is involved. Root hydraulic conductance of plants treated with a 50 mM NaCl, 47 mM Na ⁺ or 45 mM Cl – salts mixture was reduced, but t...

Irrigation with saline water occurs in many semi-arid regions of the world, where it decreases the growth and yields of crop plants. There is general agreement that whole plant growth responses to salinity are multigenic and that a better knowledge of the underlying physiology is required, in order to understand why some plants are more resistant t...