Malondialdehyde, other aldehydes, soluble phenolics, and carotenoids differentially modulate sugarcane in vitro growth under stress: a multiple regression approach

Lozada–Peña A.; Quintana–Zaez J.C.; Gómez D.; Acosta Y.; Companioni B.; Zevallos–Bravo B.E.; Tapia y Figueroa M.D.L.; Lorenzo J.C. · Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/s11240-026-03421-2

Resumen

Sugarcane is of global economic significance, serving as a primary source of sugar, bioethanol, and feedstock for diverse agro – industrial applications. However, its productivity is frequently constrained by abiotic stressors, notably salinity and drought. This study employed four multivariate regression models derived from previously published in vitro datasets to quantify the impacts of stress agents (NaCl and mannitol) and key biochemical markers — malondialdehyde, assorted aldehydes, chlorophylls a and b, carotenoids, soluble phenolics, and cell wall – bound phenolics—on shoot regeneration and biomass accumulation. Cultures were maintained in temporary immersion bioreactors under standardized conditions. Model performance was robust across stress treatments (adjusted R²: 0.8864–0.9887). Under NaCl stress, shoot cluster fresh weight increased with other aldehydes (+ 11.14) and soluble phenolics (+ 3.95), while malondialdehyde (− 8.49) and carotenoids (− 4.09) reduced biomass. Shoot multiplication responded positively to malondialdehyde (+ 3.80) and negatively to aldehydes (− 4.12). Under mannitol stress, all parameters were classified as low values. The biochemical landscape suggests distinct functional roles – malondialdehyde as a stress signal, aldehydes as cytotoxic agents, phenolics as protectants, and carotenoids functioning as stress-responsive compounds. These findings underscore a biochemical trade – off between defense and regeneration, with implications for optimizing stress – conditioned micropropagation systems and leveraging biochemical predictors for enhanced sugarcane propagation. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina