Benzoic acid regulates the physio-biochemical responses of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seedlings under salinity stress
type: CreativeWork
description: ENGLISH Plant immobility renders plants constantly susceptible to various abiotic and biotic stresses. These stresses generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause cellular damage through osmotic or oxidative stress, ultimately constraining agricultural productivity worldwide. To mitigate the challenges caused by these stresses, plants have evolved a variety of adaptive strategies, including the secretion of phenolic acids in response to environmental stresses. Phenolic acids can be categorised into different subclasses based on their chemical structures, such as hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids. Among them, benzoic acid (B.A) serves as a signaling molecule that mediates physiological responses to various environmental stresses and enhances stress tolerance. This study investigated the effects of exogenously applied B.A on chia during germination and plant growth under salinity stress. Chia seeds were exposed to varying concentrations of sodium chloride (10–400 mM NaCI) and benzoic acid (10–400 μM) to determine the optimal conditions for plant growth promotion and salinity stress mitigation. Plant growth parameters such as shoot and root lengths, fresh and dry weights, relative water content, and leaf area were measured. Essential macronutrients were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed with increasing NaCl concentration. Supplementing B.A to 100 mM NaCl improved plant performance (p < 0.05) compared to salinity stress (100 mM NaCl) alone. Exogenous application of B.A alleviated osmotic stress-induced damage by reducing superoxide anion (O₂˙⁻) levels, altering total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), and preventing the increase in cell death, observed under 100 mM NaCl. These results suggest that exogenously applied benzoic acid enhances chia tolerance to osmotic stress by scavenging O₂˙⁻, preventing lipid peroxidation, and protec…
abstract: ENGLISH Plant immobility renders plants constantly susceptible to various abiotic and biotic stresses. These stresses generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause cellular damage through osmotic or oxidative stress, ultimately constraining agricultural productivity worldwide. To mitigate the challenges caused by these stresses, plants have evolved a variety of adaptive strategies, including the secretion of phenolic acids in response to environmental stresses. Phenolic acids can be categorised into different subclasses based on their chemical structures, such as hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids. Among them, benzoic acid (B.A) serves as a signaling molecule that mediates physiological responses to various environmental stresses and enhances stress tolerance. This study investigated the effects of exogenously applied B.A on chia during germination and plant growth under salinity stress. Chia seeds were exposed to varying concentrations of sodium chloride (10–400 mM NaCI) and benzoic acid (10–400 μM) to determine the optimal conditions for plant growth promotion and salinity stress mitigation. Plant growth parameters such as shoot and root lengths, fresh and dry weights, relative water content, and leaf area were measured. Essential macronutrients were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed with increasing NaCl concentration. Supplementing B.A to 100 mM NaCl improved plant performance (p < 0.05) compared to salinity stress (100 mM NaCl) alone. Exogenous application of B.A alleviated osmotic stress-induced damage by reducing superoxide anion (O₂˙⁻) levels, altering total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), and preventing the increase in cell death, observed under 100 mM NaCl. These results suggest that exogenously applied benzoic acid enhances chia tolerance to osmotic stress by scavenging O₂˙⁻, preventing lipid peroxidation, and protec…
author: Khawula, Ndoni Sindiswa
license: https://uzspace.unizulu.ac.za/bitstreams/eca610ed-1bab-4ac5-b549-80588da4cb2b/download
date published: 2024
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:16:53Z
provider: University of Zululand
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Zululand