Salt-tolerance mechanisms in quinoa: Is glycinebetaine the missing piece of the puzzle?

Salinization of arable land has been progressively increasing, which, along with the effects of climate change, poses a serious risk to food production. Quinoa is a halophyte species that grows and is productive in highly saline soils. This study addresses the mechanisms of response and adaptation to high salinity. We show that the differential distribution of sodium in plants depends on the variety, observing that varieties such as Pandela Rosada limit the passage transit of sodium to the aerial part of the plant, a mechanism that seems to be regulated by sodium transporters such as HKT1s or SOS1. Like other halophytes of the Amaranthaceae family, quinoa plants have salt glands (bladder cells), which have been reported to play an important role in salt tolerance. However, our study shows that the contribution of bladder glands to salt accumulation is rather low. The 1H-NMR metabolome study of quinoa subjected to salt stress showed important modifications in the contents of amino acids, sugars, organic acids, and quaternary ammonium compounds (glycinebetaine). The compound with a higher presence was glycinebetaine, which makes up 6% of the leaf dry matter under saline conditions. Our findings suggest that glycinebetaine can act as an osmolyte and/or osmoprotectant, facilitating plant development under high saline ambient.

[System for assessing the nutritional status of the surgical patient at admission. Nutritional assessment in surgery]. / Sistema de valoración del estado nutricional del enfermo quirúrgico a su ingreso. Valoración nutricional en cirugía.

Many studies have shown that the prevalence of malnutrition in hospitals is high. Our aim in this study is to ensure the systematic use of a preoperative nutritional evaluation (PNE) that ensures simplicity and usefulness in hospital nursing assistance. A total of 96 patients were studied, of whom 31 were diagnosed as having neoplasia and 65 non-neoplasia. For the purpose of this evaluation, the Chang method was used, completed with the application of retarded immunity skin tests. Malnutrition was observed in 71% por patients with neoplasia, mainly corresponding to slight Marasmo grade. In non-neoplasic patients malnutrition was 46%, also corresponding to slight Marasmo grade. In patients with neoplasia, anergy was evident in 54.9% of cases, and accounted for 23.1% in non-neoplasic patients. The development of anergy in both types of patients was significantly greater (p less than 0.05) in patients over 65 years of age. The inclusion of a PNE should form part of the nursing protocols, being used systematically in the study and control of surgical patients.