Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Photosynthetic and antioxidative upregulation in drought-stressed sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) subjected to foliar-applied salicylic acid

  • Original papers
  • Published:
Photosynthetica

Abstract

Insufficient attention has been paid to the physiological responses of sesame to drought and it is unclear if exogenous plant growth regulators are beneficial to drought-stressed sesame. Thus, a field study was conducted on seven Sesamum indicum genotypes affected by two levels of irrigation (60 and 80% depletions in available soil water) and by foliar-applied salicylic acid (SA; 0 and 0.6 mM). Water deficit led to depressions in net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, leaf area index, chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll contents, maximum quantum efficiency of PSII, and plant dry matter and seed yield, despite increases in carotenoid concentration, superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase activities. SA was found beneficial in ameliorating the depressions in all of the above characteristics, indicating that it could be applied for lessening the harmful effects of the drought stress.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

APX:

ascorbate peroxidase

ASW:

available soil water

CAT:

catalase

Car:

carotenoids

Chl:

chlorophyll

C i :

substomatal CO2 concentration

F0 :

minimum fluorescence

Fm :

maximum fluorescence

Fv/Fm :

maximal quantum efficiency of PSII

g s :

stomatal conductance to the CO2

LAI:

leaf area index

LSD:

least significant difference

MSI:

membrane stability index

NBT:

nitroblue tetrazolium

OY:

oil yield

PGRs:

plant growth regulators

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

POX:

peroxidase

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

SA:

salicylic acid

SDM:

plant aboveground dry mass

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

SY:

seed yield

References

  • Abogadallah G.M.: Antioxidative defense under salt stress. — Plant Signal. Behav. 5: 369–374, 2010.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Aftab T., Khan M.M.A., da Silva J.A.T. et al.: Role of salicylic acid in promoting salt stress tolerance and enhanced artemisinin production in Artemisia annua L. — J. Plant Growth Regul. 30: 425–435, 2011.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Allen R.G., Pereira L.S., Raes D. et al.: Crop evapotranspiration: Guidelines for computing crop water requirements.–In: FAO Irrgation and Drainage. Paper No. 56. Pp. 300. FAO, Rome 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alscher R.G., Donahue J.L., Cramer L.L.: Reactive oxygen species and antioxidants: relationships in green cells. — Physiol. Plantarum 100: 224–233, 1997.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ananieva E.A., Christov K.N., Popova L.P.: Exogenous treatment with salicylic acid leads to increased antioxidant capacity in leaves of barley plants exposed to Paraquat. — J. Plant Physiol. 161: 319–328, 2004.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Askari E., Ehsanzadeh P.: Drought stress mitigation by foliar application of salicylic acid and their interactive effects on physiological characteristics of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) genotypes. — Acta Physiol. Plant. 37: 1–14, 2015a.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Askari E., Ehsanzadeh P.: Osmoregulation-mediated differential responses of field-grown fennel genotypes to drought. — Ind. Crop. Prod. 76: 494–508, 2015b.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Askari E., Ehsanzadeh P.: Effectiveness of exogenous salicylic acid on root and shoot growth attributes, productivity, and water use efficiency of water-deprived fennel genotypes. — Hortic. Environ. Biote. 56: 687–696, 2015c.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bajji M., Kinet J.M., Lutts S.: The use of the electrolyte leakage method for assessing cell membrane stability as a water stress tolerance test in durum wheat. — Plant Growth Regul. 36: 61–70, 2002.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bazrafshan A.H., Ehsanzadeh P.: Growth, photosynthesis and ion balance of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) genotypes in response to NaCl concentration in hydroponic solutions. — Photosynthetica 52: 134–147, 2014.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bowler C., Montagu M.V., Inze D.: Superoxide dismutase and stress tolerance. — Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 43: 83–116, 1992.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford M.M.: A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein dye binding. — Anal. Biochem. 72: 248–254, 1976.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Caverzan A., Passaia G., Rosa S.B. et al.: Plant responses to stresses: Role of ascorbate peroxidase in the antioxidant protection. — Genet. Mol. Biol. 35: 1011–1019, 2012.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chance B., Maehly A.C.: Assay of catalase and peroxidase. — Method. Enzymol. 2: 764–775, 1955.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui J., Zhang R., Wu G.L. et al.: Salicylic acid reduces napropamide toxicity by preventing its accumulation in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). — Arch. Environ. Con. Tox. 59: 100–108, 2010.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • dos Santos C.M., Verissimo V., de Lins Wanderley Filho H. C. et al.: Seasonal variations of photosynthesis, gas exchange, quantum efficiency of photosystem II and biochemical responses of Jatropha curcas L. grown in semi-humid and semi-arid areas subject to water stress. — Ind. Crop. Prod. 41: 203–213, 2013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fariduddin Q., Hayat S., Ahmad A.: Salicylic acid influences net photosynthetic rate, carboxylation efficiency, nitrate reductase activity, and seed yield in Brassica juncea. — Photosynthetica 41: 281–284, 2003.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fazeli F., Ghorbanli M., Niknam V.: Effect of drought on biomass, protein content, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in two sesame cultivars. — Biol. Plantarum 51: 98–103, 2007.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foyer C.H., Noctor G.: Redox homeostasis and antioxidant signaling: a metabolic interface between stress perception and physiological responses. — Plant Cell 17: 1866–1875, 2005.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ghobadi M., Taherabadi S., Ghobadi M.E. et al.: Antioxidant capacity, photosynthetic characteristics and water relations of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cultivars in response to drought stress. — Ind. Crop. Prod. 50: 29–38, 2013.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giannopolitis C.N., Ries S.K.: Superoxide dismutase: Occurrence in higher plants. — Plant Physiol. 59: 309–314, 1977.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Habibi G.: Exogenous salicylic acid alleviates oxidative damage of barley plants under drought stress. — Acta Biol. Szeged. 56: 57–63, 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayat Q., Hayat Sh., Irfan M. et al.: Effect of exogenous salicylic acid under changing environment: A review. — Environ. Exp. Bot. 68: 14–25, 2010.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Herzog V., Fahimi H.: Determination of the activity of peroxidase. — Anal. Biochem. 55: 554–562, 1973.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Horváth E., Szalai G., Janda T.: Induction of abiotic stress tolerance by salicylic acid signaling. — J. Plant Growth Regul. 26: 290–300, 2007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hussain M., Malik M.A., Farooq M. et al.: Exogenous glycinebetaine and salicylic acid application improves water relations, allometry and quality of hybrid sunflower under water deficit conditions. — J. Agron. Crop Sci. 195: 98–109, 2009.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen W.B.: The origin of the soxhlet extractor. — J. Chem. Educ. 84: 1913–1914, 2007.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kadkhodaie A., Razmjoo J., Zahedi M. et al.: Selecting sesame genotypes for drought tolerance based on some physiochemical traits. — Agron. J. 106: 111–118, 2014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan M.I.R., Asgher M., Khan N.A.: Alleviation of salt induced photosynthesis and growth inhibition by salicylic acid involves glycine betaine and ethylene in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.). — Plant Physiol. Bioch. 80: 67–74, 2014.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khan W., Prithiviraj B., Smith D.L.: Photosynthetic responses of corn and soybean to foliar application of salicylates. — J. Plant Physiol. 160: 485–492, 2003.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Knörzer O.C., Lederer B., Durner J. et al.: Antioxidative defense activation in soybean cells. — Physiol. Plantarum 107: 294–302, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer P.J., Boyer J.S.: Water Relation of Plants and Soils. Pp. 495. Academic Press, New York 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leslie C.A., Romani R.J.: Salicylic acid: a new inhibitor of ethylene biosynthesis. — Plant Cell Rep. 5: 144–146, 1986.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leufen G., Noga G., Hunsche M.: Drought stress memory in sugar beet: mismatch between biochemical and physiological parameters. — J. Plant Growth Regul. 35: 680–689, 2016.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lichtenthaler H.K., Wellburn W.R.: Determination of total carotenoids and chlorophylls a and b of leaf extracts in different solvents. — Biochem. Soc. T. 11: 591–592, 1983.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liochev S.I., Fridovich I.: Paraquat diaphorases in Escherichia coli. — Free Radical Bio. Med. 16: 555–559, 1994.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miao Y., Zhu Z., Guo Q. et al.: Alternate wetting and drying irrigation-mediated changes in the growth, photosynthesis and yield of the medicinal plant Tulipa edulis. — Ind. Crop. Prod. 66: 81–88, 2015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mirjahanmardi H., Ehsanzadeh P.: Iron supplement ameliorates drought-induced alterations in physiological attributes of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). — Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosyst. 106: 61–76, 2016.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mittler R., Vanderauwera S., Gollery M. et al..: The reactive oxy gen gene network in plants. — Trend. Plant Sci. 9: 490–498, 2004.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakano Y., Asada K.: Hydrogen peroxide is scavenged by ascorbate-specific peroxidase in spinach chloroplasts. — Plant Cell Physiol. 22: 867–880, 1981.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oswalt J.A., Rieff J.M., Severino L.S. et al.: Plant height and seed yield of castor (Racinus communis L.) sprayed with growth retardants and harvest aid chemicals. — Ind. Crop. Prod. 61: 272–277, 2014.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pestana M., Correia P.J., David M. et al.: Response of five citrus rootstocks to iron deficiency. — J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 174: 837–846, 2011.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rao M.V., Paliyath G., Ormrod D.P. et al.: Influence of salicylic acid on H2O2 production, oxidative stress, and H2O2 metabolizing enzymes (salicylic acid-mediated oxidative damage requires H2O2). — Plant Physiol. 115: 137–149, 1997.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Saruhan N., Saglam A., Kadioglu A.: Salicylic acid pretreatment induces drought tolerance and delays leaf rolling by inducing antioxidant systems in maize genotypes. — Acta Physiol. Plant. 34: 97–106, 2012.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seemann J.R., Critchley C.: Effects of salt stress on the growth, ion content, stomatal behavior and photosynthetic capacity of a salt-sensitive species, Phaseolus vulgaris L. — Planta 164: 151–162, 1985.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shah K., Kumar R.G., Verma S. et al.: Effect of cadmium on lipid peroxidation, superoxide anion generation and activities of antioxidant enzymes in growing rice seedlings. — Plant Sci. 161: 1135–1144, 2001.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh A.K., Dubey R.S.: Changes in chlorophyll a and b contents and activities of photosystems I and II in rice seedlings induced by NaCl. — Photosynthetica 31: 489–499, 1995.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tabatabaei S., Ehsanzadeh P.: Photosynthetic pigments, ionic and antioxidative behaviour of hulled tetraploid wheat in response to NaCl. — Photosynthetica 54: 340–350, 2016.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Venora G., Calcagno F.: Study of stomatal parameters for selection of drought resistant varieties in Triticum durum DESF. — Euphytica 57: 275–283, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu H., Wu X., Li Z. et al.: Physiological evaluation of drought stress tolerance and recovery in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L.) seedlings treated with methyl jasmonate and coronatine. — J. Plant Growth Regul. 31: 113–123, 2012.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Z.M., Wang J., Wang S.W. et al.: Salicylic acid-induced aluminum tolerance by modulation of citrate efflux from roots of Cassia tora L. — Planta 217: 168–174, 2003.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang R.H., Zhang X.H., Camberato J.J. et al.: Photosynthetic performance of maize hybrids to drought stress. — Russ. J. Plant Physl+ 62: 788–796, 2015.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran

    M. Yousefzadeh Najafabadi & P. Ehsanzadeh

Authors
  1. M. Yousefzadeh Najafabadi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Ehsanzadeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Ehsanzadeh.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: The authors are indebted to the Isfahan University of Technology for the financial aid given for conducting this study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yousefzadeh Najafabadi, M., Ehsanzadeh, P. Photosynthetic and antioxidative upregulation in drought-stressed sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) subjected to foliar-applied salicylic acid. Photosynthetica 55, 611–622 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-017-0673-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-017-0673-8

Additional key words

Search

Navigation