Increasing Salt Tolerance and Antioxidant Activity in Artemisia aucheri by H2O2-Priming

Abstract

Recent studies have introduced seed priming with H₂O₂ as an effective technique to alleviate abiotic stresses in plants. In the current study, accomplished at Faculty of Sciences, Shahrekord University, seeds of medicinal plant <em>Artemisia aucheri</em> were primed with H₂O₂(0, 10, 50, 90 and 140 µM) and grown under salt stress (0 and 150 mM NaCl) for one month. Results showed a decrease in H₂O₂ and malonyldialdehyde concentrations by H₂O₂priming leading to diminish lipid peroxidation at the cellular level. Moreover, seed priming with H₂O₂(particularly at 90 µM) increased biomass, total water content, chlorophyll (a+b) and carotenoids concentrations, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity in the plants from primed seeds under both normal and saline conditions. Higher activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were observed in the primed <em>A. aucheri </em>with 90 µM H₂O₂, while the activity of ascorbate peroxidase was at the maximum level at 140 µM H₂O₂priming condition. Additionally, hydroxyl and super oxide radicals scavenging activities were at the maximum level in the plants from primed seeds with 90 µM H₂O₂. Data revealed that H₂O₂priming can induce salt tolerance in <em>A. aucheri </em>plants by adjusting physiological and metabolic processes such as photosynthesis, ROS scavenging and detoxification and brings about an improved growth and development in this species. Furthermore, H₂O₂ priming at 90 µM augmented antioxidant activity and reducing power in <em>A. aucheri </em>suggesting an increase in its medicinal properties.<br />