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Antioxidant defense mechanism under salt stress in wheat seedlings

  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

The present study was carried out to study the effect of salt stress on cell membrane damage, ion content and antioxidant enzymes in wheat (Triticum aestivum) seedlings of two cultivars salt-tolerant KRL-19 and salt-sensitive WH-542. Seedlings (4-d-old) were irrigated with 0, 50 and 100 mM NaCl. Observations were recorded on the 3rd and 6th day after salt treatment and 2nd day after salt removal. The relative water content declined with induction of salt stress, more in WH-542 than in cv. KRL-19. K+/Na+ ratio in KRL-19 was higher than in WH-542. WH-542 suffered greater damage to cellular membranes due to lipid peroxidation as indicated by higher accumulation of H2O2, MDA and greater leakage of electrolytes than KRL-19. The activities of catalase, peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase increased with increase in salt stress in both the cultivars, however, superoxide dismutase activity declined. Upon desalanization, partial recovery in the activities of these enzymes was observed in KRL-19 and very slow recovery in WH-542.

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Abbreviations

APX:

ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

catalase

DAR:

days after removal of salt

EC:

electrical conductivity

DAT:

days after salt treatment

EDTA:

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

GR:

glutathione reductase

GSSG:

oxidised glutathione

MDA:

malondialdehyde

NADPH:

nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced)

NBT:

nitroblue tetrazolium

POD:

peroxidase

RWC:

relative water content

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

TCA:

trichloroacetic acid

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Breeding, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, 125 004, India

    S. Mandhania, S. Madan & V. Sawhney

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  1. S. Mandhania
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  2. S. Madan
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  3. V. Sawhney
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Correspondence to S. Madan.

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Mandhania, S., Madan, S. & Sawhney, V. Antioxidant defense mechanism under salt stress in wheat seedlings. Biol Plant 50, 227–231 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-006-0011-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-006-0011-7

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