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Salicylic acid-mediated changes in photosynthesis, nutrients content and antioxidant metabolism in two mustard (Brassica juncea L.) cultivars differing in salt tolerance

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Abstract

Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) cultivars Alankar (salt-tolerant) and PBM16 (salt-sensitive) plants were grown with 50 mM NaCl and were sprayed with 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mM salicylic acid (SA) to study the physiological processes determining salt tolerance and to observe the influence of SA application on the alleviation of NaCl-induced adverse effects. The content of leaf Na+, Cl−, H2O2, TBARS, and electrolyte leakage and the activity of SOD were higher in PBM16 than Alankar. In contrast, nutrients content, activity of APX and GR, glutathione content, photosynthetic and growth characteristics were higher in Alankar. Treatment of 50 mM NaCl resulted in increase of Na+ and Cl−, oxidative stress, activity of antioxidant enzymes and glutathione content, while nutrients content, photosynthetic, and growth characteristics decreased in both the cultivars. Application of 0.5 mM SA alleviated the negative effects of 50 mM NaCl maximally, but 1.0 mM SA proved inhibitory. The effect of SA was more conspicuous in Alankar than PBM16. It is concluded that the higher tolerance of Alankar was due to its lower leaf Na+ and Cl− content, higher nutrients content, and efficient antioxidant metabolism. The application of 0.5 mM SA substantially alleviated salt-induced adverse effects in Alankar.

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Abbreviations

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

CA:

Carbonic anhydrase

CAT:

Catalase

DAS:

Days after sowing

GR:

Glutathione reductase

C i :

Intercellular CO2 concentration

P N :

Net photosynthetic rate

NBT:

Nitroblue tetrazolium

GSSG:

Oxidized glutathione

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

GSH:

Reduced glutathione

SA:

Salicylic acid

g s :

Stomatal conductance

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TBARS:

Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Division, Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202 002, India

    Shabina Syeed, Naser A. Anjum, Rahat Nazar, Noushina Iqbal, Asim Masood & Nafees A. Khan

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  1. Shabina Syeed
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  2. Naser A. Anjum
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  3. Rahat Nazar
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  4. Noushina Iqbal
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  5. Asim Masood
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  6. Nafees A. Khan
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Correspondence to Nafees A. Khan.

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Communicated by H. Gabrys.

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Syeed, S., Anjum, N.A., Nazar, R. et al. Salicylic acid-mediated changes in photosynthesis, nutrients content and antioxidant metabolism in two mustard (Brassica juncea L.) cultivars differing in salt tolerance. Acta Physiol Plant 33, 877–886 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-010-0614-7

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